Land Use Forum for Local Governments - June 13, 2007

The Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, Inc. and the Governor’s Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture hosted a Land Use Forum for Local Governments on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at the Maritime Institute of Technology in Linthicum. Elected and public officials from Maryland’s counties and municipalities were invited to learn about tools for agricultural land preservation and growth management such as Transferable Development Rights (TDRs), Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs), and zoning.

In the morning, participants heard from researchers Bernadette Hanlon, Virginia McConnell, Margaret Walls, Grant Dehart, Rob Etgen, and Lori Lynch on the results of their Center-funded land use studies.

Lunch included keynote presentations from Secretary Rich Hall (MD Dept. of Planning), Secretary Roger Richardson (MD Dept. of Agriculture), and Deputy Secretary Eric Schwaab (MD Dept. of Natural Resources) on the state of Maryland's land preservation efforts.

The afternoon session was devoted to presentations on TDRs and protective zoning. Participants heard from Greg Bowen, Planning Director of Calvert County; Gail Webb Owings, Planning Director of Kent County; and Courtenay Mercer, Director of Planning for New Jersey's Office of Smart Growth.

For more information, contact Sarah Taylor-Rogers

Last updated: 03/10/2009