Protect the Ag Reserve
Ongoing and new challenges to the environment, farmland, and open space in our area require persistent vigilance.
n Solar installations on farmland. A new state law— The Renewable Energy Certainty Act— aims to significantly expand solar energy generation in Maryland. It does that, in part, by giving solar companies easier access to farmland, including over 5,000 additional acres in the Ag Reserve. The new law directly pitted solar energy against farming and local landuse zoning. The state— rather than counties— will now have jurisdiction over most decisions about where solar facilities can be sited. The law’ s implementation and impact are largely unclear and concerning.
n Waste management. Montgomery County’ s elaborate plans to overhaul its waste disposal and recycling systems over the next decade are nearing launch. We continue to urge speedy closure of the Dickerson incinerator as part of the plan. The incinerator is the county’ s single largest source of pollution and greenhouse gases.
n Data Centers. A proposal to build a data center and battery storage campus in Dickerson continues to move forward, albeit slowly. Along with Montgomery Countryside Alliance, we are closely monitoring the county’ s regulatory process as it assesses the proposal. If approved, the project would be the largest real estate and industrial development in our area in decades.
You can read more about these issues and more on SCA’ s website.
Other SCA initiatives
4 Promoting regenerative agriculture 4 Monitoring“ agritourism” in the Ag Reserve 4 Preventing development near Sugarloaf Mountain 4 Tracking energy infrastructure projects that threaten farmland
Help us advocate on behalf of the Ag Reserve. Consider becoming an SCA member and supporter. For more information, visit sugarloafcitizens. org or email us at info @ sugarloafcitizens. org
SUGARLOAF CITIZENS ASSOCIATION P. O. BOX 218, DICKERSON, MD 20842 poetry corner
REFLECTIONS ON WILLOW CREEK by Gene Kingsbury
The water ran clear... As a boy I explored its winding banks, The mysteries of life to uncover. Tranquil waters held so many answers To the bold world I would discover.
I’ d follow the path where the cattle cross And just a short distance off to the right, The creek was home to a weeping willow – Majestic in the way it caught the light.
Its roots held firm in the bend of the creek And it was always amazing to see How the morning sun cast my reflection In the rippling water under the tree.
There I would gaze into life’ s crystal ball For sage advice under the willow’ s boughs. Would I spend my future writing stories, Growing peaches or working with cows?
More than fifty years have come and gone Since I first walked along Willow Creek. Dreams have turned into life’ s reality, But there is some sort of closure I seek.
I recently returned to Willow Creek, Leaving my boyhood memories behind. I found my reflection in the water, But stared back at a face that wasn’ t mine.
Time brings with it the certainty of change, As much as we hope for good things to last. The willow no longer stands by the creek. And the future has now become my past. The water ran clear.
Gene Kingsbury, owner of Kingsbury’ s Orchard, is a 5th generation farmer in Montgomery County and long-time supporter of the Agricultural Reserve.