LAND PRESERVATION IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

Preservation of rural land for agricultural use has a high priority in Montgomery County. More than 93,000 acres of the County's 316,000 acres are still in agriculture.

Agricultural land preservation provides a variety of vital environmental, aesthetic, and economic benefits ranging from the stabilization of agricultural resources for farming as an ongoing, sustainable industry, to preserving open space, maintaining greenways, assisting in groundwater recharge, and providing habitat for migratory and neotropical birds, as well as other aquatic and terrestrial species.

The loss of agricultural land through development and other non-agricultural uses increases overall impervious area, stormwater runoff, and stresses on air, soil, and water resources. Also, permanantly removing land from future agrarian applications reduces the amount of land needed for efficient agricultural production.

The Functional Master Plan for the Preservation of Agriculture and Rural Open Space in Montgomery County addressed these issues through the creation of an Agricultural Reserve. In addition, other County and State programs seek to preserve these land resources, currently responsible for $284 million in agricultural production, while also providing long-term protection for environmental and natural resources.

Total land area in Montgomery County                                        316,800 acres
Land in farms (based on state tax-assessed parcels)                   92,466 acres
Percent of land in farms                                                                        29%
Montgomery County Agricultural Easement Program                       5,130 acres
Montgomery County Transfer of Development Rights Program      40,583 acres
Maryland Environmental Trust                                                          1,959 acres
Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation                        2,074 acres
TOTAL AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVED                                  49,746 acres
PERCENT AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVED                                    54%

SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

PUBLIC FISHING RESOURCES

Little Seneca Lake & Boats
Black Hill Regional Park
20930 Lake Ridge Drive
Boyds, MD 20841
Manager (301)972-9396
Canoe and rowboat rentals, launch
your own small electrically powered craft.

Needwood Lake
Rock Creek Regional Park
15700 Needwood Lake Circle
Rockville, MD 20853
Manager 301-948-5053
Canoe, pedal, and rowboat rentals, fishing

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