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0 'o 0 0 a` 104 Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities 15 Transfer of development rights policies and priority funding areas protect undeveloped land while promoting increased density and development in existing neighborhoods and downtowns, as illustrated by these examples from Montgomery County, Maryland. Agricultural, ranching, or forestry zoning In agricultural, ranching, or forestry zoning, primary industry uses are allowed, but other uses, including res- idential development, are prohibited or very restricted. This type of rural land zoning has been applied to millions of acres of farm, ranching, and forest lands across the country. States and /or local governments can develop conservation zoning measures to ensure that productive farms, forests, and ranches are conserved. Oregon, Washington, and California provide examples of state -based conservation measures, and Pennsylva- nia and Wisconsin illustrate locally based rural land zoning.28 Oregon's Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zoning designation has been particularly successful. Data indicates that, despite growth pressure, Oregon is losing large farms at half the national rate and midsize farms at a rate four times lower than the national average .29 Maryland established Priority Funding Areas (PFA) as a part of its 1997 smart growth legislation, and the state's experience illustrates both the potential and limitations of PFAs, which offer important lessons for states looking to integrate PFAs into their planning legislation. Maryland counties established PFAs that reflected 20 years of development capacity, and since their creation, the state has seen more urban growth and greater investment in water and sewer infrastructure inside PFAs than outside of them, and more job creation tax credits have been made available within PFAs. PFAs have also cre- ated a framework for communication between state agencies and local government. However, Maryland's PFA program has Rural home clustering "While at times controversial, cluster development can be an alternative to large lot, dispersed subdivision development. The basic premise is that a developer can build the same number of units on smaller lots (or more units if there is a density bonus system) while preserving a percentage of the developable land for agriculture or as natural land. One method of cluster development is known as a conservation subdivi- sion. The implementation of a conservation subdivi- sion typically occurs through open space zoning or an overlay district such as a cluster or planned unit development ordinance. The conservation subdivision has many compelling environmental and fiscal advan- tages, like reducing infrastructure costs and mak- ing it cheaper to provide community services (e.g., police and fire protection) while also limiting loss and weaknesses that have limited its success. The criteria used to establish PFAs vary from county to county, and the Maryland Department of Planning does not have the authority to redraw PFAs that are deemed too big. As a result, counties with a more flexible approach to establishing PFAs have seen greater success with the program. Additionally, PFAs have not become well integrated into the local land-use planning process, and state agencies have not established clear processes or systems for spatially allocating funds or for periodically reviewing and updating PFAs? I Lewis, R., G.J. Knapp, and J. Sohn. "Priority Funding Areas: A Good Idea Whose Time Has Yet to Come. "JAPA, 75.4 (Sept. 2009): pp. 457 -478. a a