To ensure Frederick County’s scenic rural roadways are preserved for future generations, Frederick County has created of a new Rustic Roads Program. The program’s goal is to balance the sometimes competing interests of ensuring safe travel with protecting and enhancing the roadways’ unique appeal. Implementing the new program was recommended in the final report of the Scenic and Rural Roads Advisory Committee, which Executive Gardner appointed in 2020.

"We know that preservation is crucial to maintaining our community’s unique characteristics," Former Executive Gardner said. "By launching this Rustic Roads Program, we can preserve Frederick County’s rustic roads in their natural and historic settings so future generations can understand and appreciate our rich agricultural history."

The Rustic Roads Program incorporates all 80 miles of lanes that are currently in the 20-year-old Rural Roads Program, designating them as "Exceptionally Rustic." An additional 287 miles are identified as "Candidate Roads." To be listed as a Candidate Road, a roadway must: have a posted speed limit of no more than 35 miles per hour, or have no posted limit at all; average fewer than 1,000 vehicle trips per day; and be located outside Community Growth Areas and outside major subdivisions. Roads also may be eligible if there are scenic or natural features along them, or if they have historical or cultural significance.

Special signs will be designed and posted on Exceptionally Rustic roads. The signs will be part of a larger branding effort to market the scenic roadways to tourists and to educate the public on the significance of this network of roads and the cultural and historic value they offer.

Until legislation is passed to establish a new Rustic Roads Commission, roads that are part of the existing Rural Roads Program will continue to be maintained following existing guidelines. Roads will keep the same width, alignment, and surface type, and vegetation in the right-of-way will be maintained.

Frederick County’s Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program

Eligible owners of historic properties located in unincorporated areas of Frederick County may now apply for the Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program. County Executive Jan Gardner supports this Grant Program and opportunity for the rehabilitation and stabilization of rural historic properties.

"The grant program gives property owners the opportunity to preserve, protect, and enhance properties in our community," Executive Gardner said.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants may request up to $50,000. To be eligible for funding, properties must be located in unincorporated areas of Frederick County; be either designated on the County Register of Historic Places, or a contributing resource in a County designated Historic District; and be in good standing with the County. If the property or district is not currently designated to the County Register of Historic Places, a determination of eligibility must be made by the Historic Preservation Commission prior to applying for a grant. This letter of determination must be included with the application.

Grant funds can be used for expenses associated with exterior work to stabilize, rehabilitate, restore, or preserve historic buildings. Please note that grants will not be awarded for completed work, work that is already underway, new construction, landscaping, or projects that do not meet the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties.

Virtual Workshops will be held on the following dates to provide information about the program and how to apply. Those interested in attending will only need to participate in one workshop. Please register at FrederickCountyMD.gov/Historic-Preservatio

Prior to the workshops, registrants will receive an email including the virtual Microsoft Teams login information. The workshops will take place January 10 at 2 p.m. and January 23 at 5:30 p.m.

Applications will be accepted until Feb. 28, 2023. To apply, review additional information, or register for a workshop, please visit FrederickCountyMD.gov/Historic-Preservation and select "Grant Availability". Questions about the grant program can be emailed to Amanda Whitmore, Historic Preservation Planner at AWhitmore@FrederickCountyMD.gov.

Local Agriculture Operations Diversify Using Innovation Grants

Farmers and others in Frederick County’s agriculture industry are creating value-added products and services with support from Agriculture Innovation Grants. This award-winning grant program helps to ensure the industry thrives into the future. On November 29th, Frederick County announced $113,000 in Agriculture Innovation Grants to nine farming operations. The competitive grant program provides funds twice a year to encourage diversification and innovation in farm operations.

"My goal is to leave a legacy of agriculture for future generation," Former Executive Gardner said. "Farmers produce food and fiber for all of us, so we need to do our part to ensure the agriculture industry remains economically viable. Agriculture Innovation Grants encourage our farmers to pursue innovative ideas and diversify their operations."

The projects selected for funding are expected to create 43 full-time and 23 part-time positions. Grant recipients include District Farms, Frederick, to establish an autonomous nutrient management system for their vegetable operation; Fingerboard Farm, Ijamsville, to purchase a well to provide irrigation to their crops; The Kombucha Lady, Rocky Ridge, to expand storage space and add a commercial refrigerator; Moo Cow Creamery, Middletown, to install a walk-in refrigerator/freezer to allow for increased direct-to-consumer sales of chicken and beef; Moon Valley Farm, in Woodsboro, to convert one greenhouse into full-time microgreen production and to equip a second greenhouse for seedlings; Richvale Farm, Middletown Valley, to purchase a walk-in freezer so they can offer more direct-to-consumer beef sales; Stone Pillar Farm, Mount Phillip Road west of Frederick, to upgrade their poultry processing facility and equipment; Summer Creek Farm, Thurmont, to convert silage wagons from diesel to electric and develop a power take-off generator; and Valley View Acres, outside Middletown, to install a well to feed the irrigation system.

In this fourth cycle of Agriculture Innovation Grants, 15 operations applied for funding. Grants are awarded for $5,000 or more to help farmers expand or diversify their business operations to remain profitable and viable. information on the program is available by contacting Katie Stevens, Director of Workforce Development and Agriculture Business, at 301-600-3037.