OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES >
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRATEGIES > EAST MINGUS LAND EXCHANGE
I. Organizational Structure: Create a private, non-profit, 501-[c]-(3)
IRS qualified, corporation to support and fund open space initiatives
in the Verde Valley.
A. Establish the organizational, legal and operating policy frame work
for the organization.
B. Seek, acquire and manage physical assets, public and private funding,
grants and income to support programs and projects of the organization.
C. Develop a constituency of informed and supportive citizens and organizations
through a comprehensive public information program.
D. Assemble a planning council of active community leaders together
with a technical advisory group.
E. Convene a collaborative council of local officials to advise the
Board.
II. Open Space Acquisition and Management: Acquire interest in, and
title to priority open space land and provide management for targets
of opportunity.
A. Be a primary resource for facilitating land trusts, developers,
private organizations and land owners to employ innovative land-protection
techniques and funding mechanisms that reduce the cost of acquiring
and protecting private land.
B. Establish good working relationships with developers while providing
techniques that enhance the quality and profitability of their developments
by preserving important elements of the natural landscape and conserving
water resources.
C. Work with public land holding agencies to retain important open space
lands in and around the Verde Valley under public ownership and management.
D. Capture the value added by open space through joint ventures with
cooperative developers on developed land which benefits from contiguous
open space.
E. Support and initiate cost-effective programs to manage the urban-rural
interface and protect natural open space, while allowing low-impact
recreational use.
F. Encourage public stewardship of open space lands through interpretive
facilities and programs, visitor education, volunteer docents and neighborhood
cooperation.
G. Encourage local jurisdictions to require comprehensive water management
plans in all development.
III. Regional Open Space Planning: Facilitate a regional open space
planning process and strategy for the Verde Valley in cooperation with
the U.S. Forest Service, State Land Department, landowners, developers,
local governments, the Yavapai Nation and the public.
A. Develop widely accepted definitions, criteria and priorities for
protecting open space, including enhancing natural diversity, protecting
critical wildlife habitat, maintaining separation between communities,
insuring public safety, protecting watershed values and providing for
appropriate public use. Base decisions on good science.
B. Work with the U.S. Forest Service and State land department to develop
cooperative methodologies for land evaluation for possible trades, exchanges
and sales which incorporate the Verde Valley Open Space Planning strategies.
C. Establish good working relationships with all government agencies,
citizen organizations and relevant community organizations in the Verde
Valley.
D. Enable the Planning Council, the Technical Advisory Group and the
project managers to facilitate open space planning.
E. Facilitate the implementation of regional open space planning and
supportive ordinances by each government jurisdiction.
IV. Public Education: Implement a public education program to develop
informed public advocacy for open space preservation.
A. Use the Internet, the media and other means to inform the public.
B. Publish newsletters and annual reports.
C. Issue regular press releases to publicize events and accomplishments
of the organization.
OUR VISION
The Verde Valley Land Preservation Institute envisions a high quality
of life in a region where open space and the beautiful vistas are it’s
defining characteristics:
- Communities have maintained and enhanced their individual distinctiveness
and are separated by healthy, diverse natural open space that includes
interconnected greenways and trail systems.
- Watersheds, viewsheds, sensitive ecosystems, wildlife corridors,
steep slopes and cultural resources (sacred, archeological, historical,
and agricultural), and outdoor recreational areas have been protected.
A regional open space plan is in place that has maintained a balance
between natural and human communities and encouraged responsible growth
and economic prosperity:
- It has been achieved through a citizen-driven, science-based (biological,
physical, and social) planning effort conducted in collaboration with
all affected Verde Valley legal jurisdictions and has been successfully
integrated into their plans.
- All stakeholders have come together and are continually working
together to achieve responsible stewardship of the Verde Valley’s
open space for future generations.
TOP
ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES
- Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with public land
management agencies, e.g., the USFS (Yavapai and Coconino Forests),
National Park
Service, Arizona State Land Department, and Arizona State Parks
Department
- Establish and maintain positive and productive working relationships
with incorporated Verde Valley jurisdictions, Yavapai-Apache
Nation, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, and unincorporated community
organizations
- Establish and maintain regular and effective communication
with Verde Valley citizens
- Establish and maintain positive and productive working relationships
with key private sector entities, e.g., large land owners and
developers and water rights holders
- Establish and maintain positive and productive relationships
with conservation/preservation organizations
- Establish and maintain positive media relations
- Fully utilize the resources of educational institutions in
achieving the mission of VVLPI
- Utilize a broad array of public/private funding mechanisms
and groups to support preservation planning, acquisition, and
management of open space in the Verde Valley
- Continue to sponsor public workshops and seminars related
to open space issues and preservation
TOP