Many residents of the Riceville valley area who support the protection of the scenic rural character of the area believe that voluntary actions taken by individual land owners are an essential way to sustain the beauty of this area. By voluntarily agreeing to limit development without zoning, covenants or conservation easements, these neighbors help assure that the area will continue to sustain its quiet, unspoiled ridgelines, beauty, clean streams, and wildlife habitat. Creating a conservation land ethic within their own families helps protect these lands over generations.

An example is a medium sized tract recently sold to a developer. Three-fourths of the property is wetlands, so the new owner has sold the wetlands portion to the property owner next door who will not develop that portion of the land. These voluntary actions by sellers and buyers contribute to sustaining the beauty of the area.