As Maryland’s most populous county, we have vital natural assets that we need to protect. Montgomery County is fortunate to have about 100,000 acres of land set aside in the Agricultural Reserve where there are more than 500 working farms. But throughout the county, we must be vigilant about protecting natural resources that are directly connected to our quality of life, particularly in our rapidly developing urban areas. In addition to being a local source of food, the Ag Reserve serves as a “green lung” that cools and cleans the air while protecting our drinking water and the threatened Chesapeake Bay watershed.