The County's Water and Sewer Plan assigns a water category and a sewer category to every property in the County. These service area categories serve two functions:They identify areas approved or planned for community water or sewer service and areas intended for service by individual (on-site) systemsThey identify a mechanism for staging community service for those areas planned for community service. The mechanism consists of the use of service area categories W-1 through W- 5 (for water) and S-1 through S-5 (for sewer).The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) requires the County to prepare a comprehensive update of the Water and Sewer Plan every three years. Between comprehensive updates, the County approves amendments to the plan (such as service area categories, new or revised policies, and technical information) through procedures described in Chapter 1 of the Plan. The County Executive, acting through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), prepares the Plan's comprehensive updates and also provides recommendations to the Council for action on proposed amendments. DEP, with the assistance of other agencies, develops some amendments, typically those that involve policy issues or category changes that affect groups of properties. Property owners also propose amendments, usually those involving category changes for single properties or larger tracts intended for subdivision of new lots. Under state law, the County Council is responsible for approving the plan and its amendments. MDE maintains an oversight authority over the County’s Water and Sewer Plan and its amendments. The agency administers regulations that each county must follow in the preparation of its comprehensive plan, and acts to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove the Plan or any Plan amendment submitted by the County. As part of this process, MDE seeks guidance from the Maryland Department of Planning for consistency with local and State planning use goals, policies and objectives.For more information, contact: GIS Manager Information Technology & Innovation (ITI) Montgomery County Planning Department, MNCPPC T: 301-650-5620

Land can be protected through an agreement called a Deed of Conservation Easement. This is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust (like Maryland Environmental Trust), which restricts the future uses of the landowner's property. It applies to all future owners of the property.For more information, contact: GIS Manager Information Technology & Innovation (ITI) Montgomery County Planning Department, MNCPPC T: 301-650-5620

Forest conservation easements protect land for existing and future forests by limiting certain activities. A forest conservation easement is a perpetual property right granted to the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission that runs with the title of the land. Its terms, conditions, and area (shown on a record plat or recorded by a metes and bounds description), are recorded in the County’s land records. Most commonly, the agreement prohibits removing vegetation or changing the natural character of the land without written permission from Montgomery Planning. Forest conservation easements cover forest retention or planting areas and unforested high priority areas, all of which are identified on a forest conservation plan. Montgomery Planning employs a team of inspectors to monitor areas of the county covered by forest conservation easements and forest conservation plans. To ensure that these easements and plans are followed, inspectors conduct site visits and reference aerial imagery combined with mapped conservation easements and forest conservation plans. For further information: Forest Conservation Easements - Montgomery PlanningFor more information, contact: GIS Manager Information Technology & Innovation (ITI) Montgomery County Planning Department, MNCPPC T: 301-650-5620