Folks have likely been hearing about a number of proposed solar projects in the Reserve recently. 
There may be a lot of questions about why these proposals are happening now and how they fit in with the purpose of the Ag Reserve. 


Let's talk about it.  With our partners at Sugarloaf Citizens Association we met with folks on Zoom. Click below to see the video and access the slides from the meeting. ​

Thanks to all those that took the time to hear about how some solar proposals are balancing agriculture and some.... are not. From the slides we shared, here is what you can do to take action on this issue: 

• Read up – sign up for SCA/MCA newsletters and alerts - We are keeping tabs on both local solar proposals and new bills in Annapolis that may shake up solar siting. 
  
•  Reach out to electeds - Upholding MoCo's master plan and balanced approach to siting solar on farms at the state level is a job for our elected officials. Let them know your thoughts. You can write the whole council here.
  
• Attend conditional use hearings - The conditional use process is meant to take stock of the specific pros and cons of this use on this particular property. It is meant to be a transparent and inclusive process - you can get involved and have your say. The proposal for the array in Barnesville has not been submitted yet, but we will let folks know when to weigh in. 

You may still have questions we didn't get to in the info session - drop us a line- [email protected]

With an entirely new land use (Data Centers), one with inherently large needs for water and power, residents want to understand the implications - particularly when the project is to be sited in the AG Reserve and close to a  National Park. 

Understanding the resource use of the proposed data centers in Dickerson at the site of the shuttered Pepco plant has been difficult. Despite getting approval from planning staff, there is not yet a detailed site plan for this project. 

 MCA and our partners at Sugarloaf Citizens maintain that without a complete site plan that answers basic questions about how much water (from the Potomac - maybe some from the Aquifer) and power will be used there - this plan cannot be approved.

MCA attended the next step in the process, a hearing with the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings. Hearing that the applicant had still not produced a full plan, MCA  asked to submit some community concerns to be added to the hearing record. Our concerns covered water, power, and how this large power draw and carbon emitter will fit in with County and State zero emissions policies- our full submission here. 

In response, the applicant, Terra Energy, had their attorney​ send a letter to the hearing examiner dismissing our concerns - your concerns - and ask that they be stricken from the record. (update - we have responded here)

Some key passages from the Attorney's letter: 

- "Moreover, the materials concern issues not applicable here (like ground water impact, use of agricultural land and climate change),..

-"Overall, the comments are both irrelevant and immaterial to the circumstances of this case. They either should be stricken or given little to no weight."

Water
-The results will be far superior to those of the last 70 years when a coal fired power plant operated on the site. As stated at the hearing, Applicant will have to obtain final permits for water withdrawal from the Maryland Department of the Environment once the final size of the proposed facilities, their location and the engineering details of the water system are determined.

-In terms of groundwater and the aquifer which the Countryside Alliance references, the claims also are irrelevant and immaterial. The water used for cooling will come from the Potomac River, not from any underground aquifer. Any well water from the aquifer will be very limited, for use only as normal drinking water and internal use for a very limited number of employees.

Digital infrastructure is an entirely new land use. The onus is on Terra Energy to show the public how this project fits into the county's climate goals and stewards our shared resources - particularly the Potomac. In the absence of concrete data that would be provided by a full site plan, invalidating real public concerns is not the way forward. 
​​

This year we are pleased to honor Doug Lechlider of Laytonsville Turf Farm with the Royce Hanson Ag Reserve Champion Award. 

Doug has been a stalwart collaborator, bringing voice to issues impacting farmers in the Reserve. His inclusive and level-headed approach has brought balance to a number of zoning issues that threaten to take farmland out of production. Doug served on the solar work group that found a path forward for solar in the Reserve that preserves prime soils and he was instrumental in championing farmland protections in a proposal to allow overnight stays as a conditional use in the Reserve. Doug is currently engaged in thoughtful advocacy for the Reserve's farms as solar developers seek state approval to put large arrays on prime soils in conflict with county policies. 

As a 5th generation farmer, Doug knows the importance of protecting farmland.  He grew up on a crop and livestock farm in Laytonsville, MD, taking part in 4 H and FFA. In 1989, soon after the creation of the Reserve, he started a landscape business specializing in erosion control. Since then, Laytonsville Turf Farm has grown from 40 acres of sod planted to prevent sedimentation to 700 acres of various crops farmed by Doug, his wife Robin and son Matthew. 

Doug's focus on erosion prevention has led to the use of innovative farming practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping and no-till farming. 

Doug puts in the time on his own farm but also and works productively with others to secure the protection of the Reserve, "​as citizens and Ag. leaders of MC it is important to educate ourselves, as well as new County leaders, of the purpose and importance the AR has to MC as well as the entire region. New pressures to open this area to commercial entities will only intensify. To this point I believe coalitions of different groups with similar goals is very important."

Doug makes time to be involved with the farming community - he serves on a number of boards and committees, including: Senior Farmers Club
Montgomery Agricultural Producers
Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
Montgomery County Agricultural Advisory Committee
Montgomery County Farm Bureau
Maryland Ag Commission
Maryland Agriculture Council
Turf Producers of MD

We are proud to honor this hard working and community minded farmer!

Neighbors are being alerted to a pre- application public meting about a 1.8 Megawatt community solar installation 17700 Barnesville Road in Barnesville. We are perplexed as to why there are signs about this proposal miles from this property and we are looking into this. 

The meeting will be on zoom on October 10 at 6:30pm.

Please RSVP by calling or sending an email to Morgan Abramson at (301) 961-8661 or at
[email protected].

See the full information here. 

​ZTA 21-01 made provision for this size of array to be located in the Reserve on Class 3 soils and above. We will await particulars about this specific proposal but it is an example of a solar developer going through the established conditional use process at the county level and providing opportunities for the public to understand the project in advance.

This is in stark contrast to another solar developer who is sidestepping local provisions that balance solar and faming in the Reserve and taking a proposal for solar on prime soils to the state. 
​