Ensuring the Future of Ravalli County
We recognize that the Bitterroot Valley is a unique and exceptional place to live.
Our goal is to safeguard its extraordinary qualities while leveraging those assets to foster a vibrant economic climate that provides for the wellbeing of all who live here.
We intend to accomplish this through citizen engagement, objective analysis, strategic planning, and the thoughtful application of public and private resources.
In doing so, our aim is to ensure those living in the Bitterroot Valley continue to enjoy:
Abundant natural resources
Engaged citizenry
Effective governance
Economic security
Educational opportunity
Health and wellbeing
Thriving arts & culture
Envisioning an End State
Any group seeking to accomplish a goal requires a shared vision. Our vision is that of a just, resilient, and self-reliant community in the Bitterroot Valley. Creating a circular economy that supports economic health is paramount in realizing that vision.
The economic health of our community is measured by the degree to which it can establish and maintain the following:
Water and airshed integrity
Diversity and abundance of wildlife
Open and public space
Energy autonomy
Locally derived food, shelter, and necessities
Adequate transportation and communication infrastructure
Robust primary, secondary, and post-graduate education
Comprehensive health and human services
A Path Forward
In order to ensure economic health in Ravalli County, community-led initiatives will be developed to address these focal areas:
Establish water and air quality standards and protections
Prepare a strategic plan
Capital investment
Increase local production capacity
Food
Shelter
Clothing
Necessities
Build and maintain adequate and up-to-date infrastructure
Water & sewer
Electricity production & transmission
Transportation
Irrigation
Communication
Open & public spaces
Health & human services
Primary, secondary & post-graduate education
Making Sense of the Situation
Effective decision-making is not possible without proper analysis and comprehensive understanding of the physical and economic environment in which we operate. Therefore, the first step toward a resilient, self-reliant community in the Bitterroot Valley is the development of a 50-year strategic plan for Ravalli County.
In addressing the focal areas stated above, this strategic plan will build upon the following foundational precepts:
Objective analysis (economic and environmental)
Relative value determination (citizen derived)
Vision statement (proposed end state)
Development policy
Implementation plan
Oversight
An Open Approach to Growth
We recognize the potential for continued development in Ravalli County, and assume its inevitability. Our intent is to see this growth guided in such a manner as best provides for the welfare of its citizens, while ensuring the sanctity of our natural resources and maintaining the unique cultural identity found within the communities and environs of the Bitterroot Valley.
Our approach is designed around the following activities:
Suitability analysis
Public outreach and input
Futuring
Managing for intent
Project assessment
Incentivization
Our Common Goal - An Equitable and Just Society
Ultimately, the purpose of any economic, ecologic, or social system is to provide for the well being of its participants. It is our hope and greatest aspiration that this outline serves not only as the basis for a system of human organization capable of meeting the physical and spiritual needs here in the Bitterroot Valley but also as a demonstration of humanity’s capacity for transcendent change.