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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%
Learn more about Agricultural Land Preservation and the County's five preservation programs online at: Department of Economic Development.
By far the largest single pollutant in county streams is sediment, which in turn is the largest pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay. Sediment results from numerous sources, including runoff from impervious surfaces, as well as from soil erosion. Soil conservation plans, which combine soil conservation and water quality plans, are developed and implemented by agricultural landowners and incorporate recommended Best Management Practices (BMPs) to minimize agricultural nonpoint source pollution and enhance water quality.
Landowners are offered voluntary technical assistance to design these plans through the Montgomery Soil Conservation District. At present the District estimates that there are 743 agricultural landowners with 24,747 acres remaining to be contacted regarding the importance of farming with a conservation plan. The District’s goal is to prepare 69 plans totalling 2,400 acres annually.
Total acreage (based on mandated MDA workload assessment)
110,036
Covered by Conservation plans
85,289
Acreage remaining
24,747
Percent remaining
22%
Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, become pollutants when excessive or improper use allows those materials to enter ground or surface water systems, posing threats to both public and ecological health, and extends from local county streams and watersheds to the Chesapeake Bay itself. Excessive nutrient "loading" can result in the rapid, uncontrolled growth of algae or "algal blooms" which, like sediments, cloud the water and block sunlight, interfering with the growth of aquatic vegetation. When algae die, their decomposition uses or ties-up oxygen needed by other aquatic organisms, thereby threatening the health of the entire ecosystem.
To prevent ground and surface water pollution and maintain agricultural productivity, nutrient management plans are developed to assess soil fertilization levels and to determine the amount, placement, timing, and application of animal waste, commercial fertilizer, sludge, or other plant nutrients.
Plans are developed by a Maryland Cooperative Extension nutrient management consultant funded by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), and by nutrient management consultants certified by the MDA.
Total cropland from Ag Census
81,500 (57,500 crops, 24,000 pasture)
Total acres planned as of FY98
32,415
Percentage planned
40%