The Eight San Joaquin Valley Councils of Government (COG) organizations, working with the Great Valley Center (GVC), have embarked on an unprecedented effort to preserve and improve the quality of life of the San Joaquin Valley.  Each valley COG will be facilitating a dialogue among the communities, cities, and counties to take local control of the future they create for themselves.

Decisions made today determine the future. Using a bottom-up approach, the process will engage local communities in a visioning process, which will be incorporated into a valley-wide vision.  Everything proposed through this process will ultimately have to be embraced by the local decision makers. 

The Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley established by the Governor is examining very similar issues at the regional level.  The goal of the Partnership’s Land Use Working Group is to develop a macro strategy for the region; localizing the strategy is another part of the challenge.  The Partnership’s macro strategy will be examined through the Blueprint Planning Process and recommendations incorporated into the regional blueprint plan.

As we begin this process, we realize to have a constructive, productive product in the end, one our local elected officials will implement, those who will be most impacted must be involved in the process.  This means the people who live and love the valley must have a meaningful role. 

Engaging the public in this momentous effort will be an enormous undertaking but it is the only way to thoughtfully address valley wide problems with the support of the people who live here.

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