ABOUT THIS SERIES

There’s little question that preserving Rappahannock’s sublime landscape is a top priority for most of its residents. According to the Foothills Forum survey — to which 42 percent of the county households responded — the top issues of concern after Internet broadband service and cellphone coverage were “Maintaining beauty of the county” and “Maintaining family farms.”

This two-part series, based on more than 35 interviews, will focus on the challenges the community faces in protecting its scenic richness and unique rural identity, and also explore how it might evolve without losing what makes Rappahannock so special.

➜ Part 1 (March 9) examines the role the county’s comprehensive plan, land-use tax deferments and restrictive zoning ordinances have played in helping Rappahannock avoid the rapid suburban development that has spread through nearby counties.

➜ Part 2 (this week) will look at how, as social and economic pressures increase, the county may have to change its approach to sustaining its rural identity. With traditional farming in decline, should it more actively embrace agritourism and ecotourism? What role can the local business community play in a county where the term “economic development” makes people skittish?