Current zoning legislation in Québec is embodied in two laws which contradict one another on several points. The agricultural lands protection law limits the zoning powers of regional municipal authorities in rural areas and hampers regional development policies in peripheral areas. A rural milieu is not strictly synonymous with agriculture. It is rather a multiple-use area with close ties to urban areas. Modem Québec rural environments require a global approach to integrated planning. This paper advocates coordination of laws 90 and 125 to this end.