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that some of the districts will be prepared to go Into operation by July 1, as provided by the Legislature.

One Incentive for the establishment of the planning units will be the availability of State funds. The General Assembly stipulated that planning districts meeting the criteria of the Division of State Planning and Community Affairs are eligible for State grants of up to $5,000 for every 25,000 population. The minimum allocation for a qualifying district will be $10,000.

According to Temple, the planning district concept is an area in which Virginia is taking a lead. Only a few other states are approaching their metropolitan and other planning problems in a similar manner. A number of others considering such a plan are looking to Virginia for technical assistance, he said.

The Virginia Area Development Act calling for the establishment of the planning districts envisions more orderly loeal, State and Federal planning through regional cooperative efforts.

The regional approach is expected to facilitate solutions to such problems as water and air pollution, water supply, sewage disposal and transportation.

Mental health programs, vocational education programs, hospitals, libraries, airports and park and recreational facilities are other areas with which the planning districts may be concerned.

■Five of the proposed planning districts were built around metropolitan areas with regional planning units already in operation. These include the Northern Virginia District, Number 8, with a total population of 889,300, and including the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William, the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Herndon, Leesburg, Manassas, Manassas Park and Vienna. Rappahannock County if