Ag Reserve study group named

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

The members of the county’s new Ad Hoc Agricultural Policy Working Group have been announced and will soon begin work on a comprehensive look at issues in the Agricultural Reserve.

The County Council announced formation of the study group last month after being asked to consider several Ag Reserve issues piecemeal. Councilmembers decided the better approach would be to have the interrelated issues — such as Rural Density Transfer zone legislation, child lots and sand-mound septic systems — evaluated simultaneously.

Nearly 60 county residents applied to be appointed to the working group, which has 15 members.

Jane Evans, a Laytonsville grain farmer, is excited to have been chosen.

‘‘There are a number of complex issues relating to the Ag Reserve’s viability and they need to be looked at in an interrelated way,” she said. ‘‘That is why the group was formed.”

Working group members range from farmers and orchard owners to citizen activists and leaders of advocacy groups. But they will only represent themselves on the group, not their organizations.

Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown said that he is enthusiastic about hearing from the group, which is being asked to report back by the end of the year.

‘‘The important thing is it shows our commitment to the Ag Reserve,” Knapp said. ‘‘The first 25 years were good and we need a proactive approach for the next 25 years. There are challenges and we need to be sure we have a comprehensive approach to those challenges.”

In addition to Evans, the appointed members are Wade Butler, Bou Carlisle, Margaret Chasson, Jim Clifford, Nancy Dacek, R. Scott Fosler, Robert Goldberg, R. Thomas Hoffman, Jim O’Connell, Michael Rubin, Pam Saul, Drew Stabler, Elizabeth Tolbert and Billy Willard.

Planning Board Vice Chair Wendy Perdue will serve as an advisory member of the group.