New Thinking for the New Economic Reality
Over 20 years ago, we established the Sonoran Institute with the conviction that meaningful change most often happens at the local level, and that conservation is a key component not only of our local quality of life, but also of local prosperity.
Our collaborative and inclusive approach to conservation has never been more relevant.The country's prolonged recession is unlike any we have experienced since World War II. We see growing evidence that our economy has fundamentally shifted to a period of slower growth, lower wages, and uncomfortably high unemployment. An increasingly polarized federal government diminishes the opportunity for national leadership at a time when we need it the most.
In the West, many communities continue to suffer from the fallout of the housing bust. There is a growing realization that the housing industry - the prime mover of the region's economy for the past several decades - is stalled and may not recover anytime soon and, when it does recover, may look very different. Overbuilt, saddled with debt, and facing the prospect of reduced tax revenues for years to come, local governments are facing a new economic reality that calls for a new way of thinking.
The Sonoran Institute is uniquely positioned to help. One of the qualities distinguishing the Institute is our capacity to provide research and an understanding of fiscal realities and conservation economics - hard numbers that give local leaders insight into the fiscal and economic impacts of their planning, development, and conservation decisions. As you will see in this annual report, the Institute is building the "business case" for conservation and smart growth from Montana to Mexico. We are working to protect our public lands, manage water supplies, conserve working ranches and wildlife habitat, and demonstrate the benefits of downtown development over the long-term liabilities of sprawl.
Efforts to preserve the natural resources and values that define communities can inspire local leaders to make decisions that make their communities great places to live, work, and visit.
Our new economic reality calls for new thinking. Any hope of progress will have to come from leadership at the state and local levels.
Thank you for continuing to support us in this important work.
Sincerely,
Luther PropstExecutive Director