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The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina Launches Initiative to Help Region Plan for Unprecedented Growth

• Go here for find out the latest on the pilot project, which is underway in the seven westernmost counties of North Carolina.
• Download a fact sheet to read and share.
• Read and listen to what others are saying about the initiative.
• Visit the initiative's website and make plans to attend an upcoming community meeting.
• For more information on the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, call (828) 254-4960 or e-mail Bob Wagner, vice president of programs.
  



View a slideshow from the series of eight community meetings now underway.

About the initiative:

As the mountains experience unprecedented growth, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina announces the launch of a regional initiative that will engage community and business leaders, longtime landowners, developers, natives, newcomers and others in planning for the region's future.

"We can't leave the future of our mountain region to chance," said Pat Smith, president. "We must be intentional in determining how we want the communities and landscapes we pass on to next generations to look and feel."

Called the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, the effort will bring together community leaders and residents across county lines to listen to and address concerns and visions about how communities are growing and changing, both now and in the future.

"Our citizens and our policy makers need help in accommodating growth that enhances economic vitality and provides a secure future for our citizens, while also protecting our environment and the natural beauty that is our hallmark and so essential to our prosperity and treasured quality of life," Smith said. "We must generate reasoned public dialogue around these issues and create tools to address them."

The initiative will gather community input to evaluate and shape approaches to preserving farmland and protecting the environment while also promoting a healthy economy. That input will also help form a regional tool box, which can be used immediately by property owners, contractors, developers, planners and others in charting the region's future.

"From the start, this has been an inclusive process," Bob Wagner, vice president of programs, said. "People must see their ideas, values, concerns and hopes reflected in the end product. That is why we are creating a transparent process that engages people from all perspectives - whether they are farmers, developers, long-time landowners, newcomers property rights or zoning advocates."

The initiative evolved from work beginning more than a year ago, when the Foundation surveyed and interviewed hundreds of community leaders about the region's most pressing needs. Repeatedly, those surveys and interviews showed that the top two concerns were caring for our mountain landscapes and promoting more informed decisions about how we use our land to positively impact our economy and our environment.

While The Community Foundation anticipates the initiative will stretch across the 18 Western North Carolina counties it serves, a pilot project of the initiative is underway in the state's seven westernmost counties - Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain. The Southwestern Commission, a regional council representing these seven counties, is the manager of the pilot project and has already formed a task force to implement the initiative.

"There might have been a time not so long ago when land-use planning was too controversial in our region to be on the top of election officials' agendas," said Bill Gibson, executive director of the Southwestern Commission. "But there's been a change. In fact, I think the politics has just about flipped on this issue. Now, current and former officials are calling and asking for help planning for growth. There could not be a better time for this initiative. And there could not be anything more important, so we're proud to lead the effort in the seven westernmost counties."

The Southwestern Commission has also issued a request for proposals (RFP) for eligible and qualified consultants to help lead the initiative's public-engagement process, which includes community input sessions and a charette that will help create the regional tool box. Currently, three candidates are up for consideration. A final selection is expected in February.

Since 1978, Western North Carolinians have relied on The Community Foundation to help them turn their charitable passions into meaningful and effective philanthropy. Over the years, CFWNC has awarded more than $90 million in charitable grants to nonprofit organizations and public institutions across the 18-county mountain region and beyond.