A. In counties with a population of less than five hundred thousand persons, the board of supervisors shall receive petitions to form a rural planning area that are signed by persons who own real property in any specific portion of the county outside the corporate boundaries of any cities and towns. Owners of a majority of the acres of real property in the proposed planning area must sign the petition. Participation in the rural planning area is voluntary, and any person may withdraw real property owned by the person from the planning area. The board of supervisors shall encourage voluntary participation in the planning area and shall aid the planning areas in providing a sound factual and policy basis for planning. The recommendations of rural planning areas shall emphasize voluntary, nonregulatory incentives for compliance and accommodation of continuing traditional rural and agricultural enterprises. Rural planning areas shall transmit their recommendations to the board of supervisors for its consideration for inclusion in the county comprehensive plan.

B. In any county with a population of less than five hundred thousand persons, any cities and towns and the county sharing a multijurisdictional area with a combined population of more than fifty thousand but less than one hundred thousand persons, according to the most recent office of economic opportunity estimates, may voluntarily form rural planning zones to develop coordinated and comprehensive regional plans.