Western Dispatch Sepia
January 26, 2011
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Friends,

I am pleased to report on the growing momentum and recent successes of our work on the West Slope of Colorado. Led by the very able and energetic Clark Anderson, our Western Colorado program has recently attracted funding from new partners, including the Aspen Community Foundation, to promote sustainable communities in Garfield County. I am also delighted to announce that we have hired John Lavey, an experienced western planner, to help carry out the ambitious agenda we have mapped out for the region.

John Lavey to Join Our Western Colorado Program

John Lavey comes to us from Ravalli County, Montana, where he served most recently as the county's planning director. Since receiving his degree in Environmental Studies from Boise State University, John has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Most importantly, John has a real passion for our mission and commitment: "I love the West.I grew up here and I'll never leave," he says. "This position merges my passion for creating a more sustainable West with my practical, on-the-ground experience."

Asked what would be his ideal job, John replied, "This one. Seriously, this one! The Sonoran Institute is primed to be a leader now and into the future. That I can be a part of the Institute's mission and team of dedicated professionals is something of a dream come true."

Clark had a hunch that John would be a good fit for the organization. "John is a highly capable and committed individual who can step right in and get results. It was clear from our first conversation that John was a very smart guy, and it was impossible not to feel his passion for this work and his excitement about joining our team. We're lucky to have recruited him."

Garfield County Livable Communities

Our work in western Colorado is guided by a vision of healthy communities, rivers and landscapes - where compact, walkable communities are connected by public transit and surrounded by working farms and ranches, wildlife habitat, and open space.

Currently, we're focused on achieving this vision in Garfield County, a bellwether for western Colorado. With its population projected to double by 2030, this county faces big challenges about how and where to accommodate future growth. Some of our key initiatives in this region include creating a countywide open space and trails program, enhancing protections of the Middle Colorado River watershed, improving regional transit, and helping communities shape smarter and more sustainable development patterns.

As part of this effort, the Institute is working with the cities of Rifle and Glenwood Springs to explore the implications of different growth and development scenarios, as well as ways to improve the pattern and design of future development. The project, which is part of our joint venture with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, uses a planning tool called Envision Tomorrow (ET) to create different development options, and then evaluate their performance against indicators such as tax revenue, energy demand, water impacts, land consumption, or access to transit. The project aims to help our local partners achieve specific planning objectives while promoting smarter land-use decisions throughout the county.

Town-centered development has emerged as the common theme in recent planning efforts in Garfield County. For example, the City of Rifle is working to create a vibrant, compact, mixed-use downtown that is walkable and that provides quality job opportunities and access to local and regional transit. We hope that by helping the city to achieve these goals, Rifle will ultimately become a model for the rest of the region. Meanwhile, in Glenwood Springs, we have the opportunity to reshape over 30 acres of auto-oriented strip malls and parking lots into a walkable, mixed-use corridor and transit hub.

While these projects will help relieve development pressure on remaining ranch lands and wildlife habitat, the Institute is also spearheading an effort to create a countywide open space plan to protect valuable natural areas. "We're tackling both sides," adds Clark. "We need tools to protect key areas while guiding growth into existing communities."

New Funding Partners

There's a daunting amount of work to do, but fortunately we're not alone. The Aspen Community Foundation (ACF) recently joined us as a key partner and is providing critical support to our work in Garfield County.

"The Aspen Community Foundation has been bringing people together to strengthen communities and improve the quality of life in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys for decades," says Clark. "It is great to partner with an organization that shares a common interest in shaping more livable communities in this region.  Their support will allow us to ramp up our efforts in Garfield County."

Clark, John Lavey, the Sonoran Institute, the ACF, and our other partners stand ready to help the many communities, organizations, agencies, and citizens who are rightfully concerned about the future health and prosperity of Garfield County and its natural resources. Working independently, each of us would struggle to address these challenges. Working collaboratively and with a unified voice, I am confident we can craft durable and meaningful solutions.

Sincerely, 
Luther Propst
 

Luther Propst

Executive Director

 

 

Randy Carpenter - Appointed as Associate Director of Northern Rockies Program


Randy Carpenter photo 

 

Diane Snyder, director of the Institute's Northern Rockies program, recently announced that Randy Carpenter, a senior planner for the Institute who is based in Bozeman, Montana, will assume the leadership position of associate director of the Northern Rockies program.

"The famous entrepreneur Ray Kroc once said,'The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves,'" says Diane. "Randy has set the excellence standard high for himself and for all of us since joining the Sonoran Institute in 2001. In the short three-month period we've worked together, it's clear that we will make a dynamic duo as director and associate director."

Randy' new position recognizes his valuable knowledge and experience, and his seniority as a leader in the organization. "Randy's contributions, commitment, and loyalty to the organization are exceptional," added Luther Propst. "I'm so pleased with Randy's emerging partnership with Diane. We will all benefit from his greater leadership role."

 

Sonoran Institute Announces a Move to Downtown Tucson 


Luther - New Downtown Offices 2011 

 

The Sonoran Institute announced that it will relocate its headquarters from the East side to downtown Tucson. Working with Fletcher McCusker and Providence Service Corporation, the Institute plans to renovate the third floor of the former Federal Court House Annex at 44 E. Broadway Blvd. to use as its new Westwide headquarters.

"Moving our offices to downtown Tucson celebrates the core mission of our organization, which promotes Main Street and urban revitalization as vital conservation objectives," said Luther Propst, executive director of the Institute. "This move also makes financial sense for the organization, since it will allow us to consolidate office space and improve the efficiency of our operations as we prepare for future growth."

The relocation will involve moving about 20 full-time employees to the downtown office. Founded in 1990, the Sonoran Institute is a leading Westwide conservation organization that has staff and offices in Phoenix; Bozeman, Montana; Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico; and, Sheridan, Wyoming. The Institute employs 45 employees and has an annual budget of about $5.3 million.

Propst indicated that the precise date of the move has not yet been determined, but will likely be in March or April 2011. "Our employees are very excited about the downtown move since it reduces commute times for most, and opens up new public transportation options for our staff and visitors."

"This is a win-win for the Institute and for the downtown community," said Denny Minano, vice chair of the Sonoran Institute Board of Directors and a board member of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO). "The Institute is pursuing a sustainable approach to their move by re-using an existing office space, and downtown Tucson gains another vibrant organization as part of its community."

"I am delighted to play a role in enticing the Sonoran Institute to join the downtown Tucson business community," said Fletcher McCusker, CEO of Providence Service Corporation. "The nonprofit Sonoran Institute adds new diversity to the growing number of businesses opting to move to the city center." McCusker is also a member of the Downtown Tucson Partnership.

The Sonoran Institute inspires and enables community decisions and public policies that respect the land and people of western North America. The Institute is a nonprofit organization that is working to shape the future of the West. For more information, visit www.sonoraninstitute.org

 

We Will Miss Jake Kittle

Jake Kittle

 

Jake Kittle, a former Sonoran Institute board member and long-time friend, passed away in Tucson on January 19, 2011.   

Jake lived a lifetime of adventures ranching in Wyoming and Arizona, savoring and saving the West.He joined the Sonoran Institute board in 1993 and served about eight years.During his tenure, he was instrumental in a wide range of community-building and conservation efforts in Wyoming and southern Arizona, and remained a passionate advocate for protecting wildlife habitat, working landscapes and improving ranching communities throughout the Intermountain West.   

 

Jake played an leadership role in various local initiatives and organizations, including the Sonoita Crossroads Community Forum, Southeast Arizona Land Trust, and the Empire Ranch Foundation. He was also instrumental in building local support to designate Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in southern Arizona.   

 

We extend our condolences to his family and friends in Arizona, Wyoming and throughout the West.


Other Stories
New Role for Randy Carpenter
Moving to Downtown Tucson
We Will Miss Jake Kittle
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Arizona native and rancher Laurinda Oswald, likes the "big picture thinking" of the Sonoran Institute.
 

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New Highlighted Report - WestWord 2010


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Find out how we are shaping the future of the West - everyday! Read our new WestWord 2010 report. Click here to access the report on our website.




 

Media Story - Institute to  Move to Downtown Tucson


Luther - New Downtown Offices 2011

 

The Sonoran Institute announced that it will relocate its main offices to downtown Tucson. Read the Arizona Daily Star story.



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