SCA Receives Royce Hanson Award

We are very pleased to inform you that SCA is this year’s recipient of the Royce Hanson award. The award is given each year by Montgomery Countryside Alliance (MCA) “in recognition of outstanding commitment toward the protection of Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve.”  

The award is named after its first recipient, Dr. Royce Hanson, former Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, and original architect of the Ag Reserve. You can view past winners, since 2005, here.

In its write-up of this year’s award, MCA said of SCA: “Tenacious, and scrappy when needed, SCA is on the frontlines when ill-conceived land use proposals surface. But they are also forward thinking about the need to promote the Reserve’s role in climate change and food system resiliency. Their headquarters, Linden Farm in Dickerson, serves dual roles as community event/meeting space and home to an important regenerative farming pilot. No doubt that the Reserve’s future vibrancy will rely on the continued work of SCA and their resourceful and dedicated members.” 

We deeply appreciate the accolade. And we return the compliment. MCA is central to our mutual missions—to preserve and protect the grand experiment that is the Ag Reserve and foster sustainable agriculture and conservation in northern Montgomery County. We work closely with MCA on a regular basis and believe that partnership helps both organizations achieve their goals.

Sugarloaf Citizens Association

Board of Directors 2023-2024

Back row, L-R: Gil Rocha, Lauren Greenberger, Steve Findlay, Ellen Gordon Ballard, Jay Cinque, Jane Hunter, Jim Brown, Dick Hill, Dan Savino

Front row, L-R: Lili Leonard, Heidi Rosvold-Brenholtz, Tina Thieme Brown, Marcey Guramatunhu, Andrew Donaldson

Not pictured: Danny Huntington, Tim Whitehouse, Scott Rockafellow, Jennifer Freeman, Shelley Heron, and Kim Penn, administrative assistant

Your Views on Data Centers are Solicited

While we have your attention, an effort is underway in Frederick County to assess the pros and cons of data centers. As you know, a large data center campus is being built near Adamstown and another (albeit smaller) facility is planned for the Dickerson power plant property. We have been keeping you informed of these developments over the past year.  

Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater created a Data Centers Workgroup to examine existing laws and issues related to this relatively new and rapidly growing industry. That group has been meeting though the summer. They will issue a report in January. They are accepting public comments through December. We urge you to weigh in. You can do so here. Your thoughts will matter.

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