During the Fall 2002 Semester, graduate students from UAP 5794 (Environmental Planning, Department of Urban Affairs & Planning, Virginia Tech) are helping Montgomery County evaluate the portions of the Environmental Chapter of the 1990 Comprehensive Plan, including looking Open Space, Agriculture, and Riparian Issues. The class is charged with evaluating the effectiveness of portions of the previous plan, examining how other jurisdictions handle similar issues, creating a series of indicators the county can use to track progress in the future, and developing recommendations for the next comprehensive plan, currently under development.

In addition to existing resources (maps, plans, reports, etc.) and links, the site will eventually include the students's work as well. The 2003-4 Comprehensive Plan will be far stronger because of the help, insights, creativity, and expertise student, like those from UAP 5794, bring to the process. Under the professional guidelines for the American Planning Association (APA), professional planners are encouraged to work with and mentor student planners. Often, the mentoring is a two way street, and for small jurisdictions with even smaller staffs, the interaction between students and the professional staff effectively increases the energy of the process while encouraging a more proactive stance. (ed.)