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 ProgramJohn 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 PartnersThere'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
Executive Director