Community Visioning Workshops
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EFFRA is leading a grass-roots effort to articulate a community vision for management of a 10,000 acre region in southeast King County called the Enumclaw Forested Foothills Recreation Area. This region encompasses the land area from Green River Falls south to Buckley and from Mud River Dam west pas the City of Enumclaw. Public input is essential to this process and Effra is sponsoring two workshops in November to get your input on the following subjects:
» Recreation/Public Access
» Natural Resources/Habitat
» Scenic Preservation/Cultural Landscapes
» Economic & Industrial Activity
» Planned Growth & Development/Livability.
A brief synopsis of what was discussed at the workshops is provided below. Please review this information and provide us with your comments as well. This information will remain on the EFFRA website until the end of February, 2009, to allow people to comment who weren’t able to attend one of the workshops.
In February EFFRA will begin the process of drafting a vision document utilizing information provided by the public. The entire planning project is being conducted in consultation with a stakeholder advisory committee. When ready, the draft document will also be made available for public review and comment before a final document is prepared. Once complete, the final document will be distributed to local government agencies and other land managers to express our collective vision for how we want the region in which we all live, work, and play to be managed, developed, & conserved.
Recreation/Public Access
Workshop participants envisioned the EFFRA region to be thought of as a recreation Mecca, providing multiple-use opportunities and activities for all types of users. A well-planned and integrated system of trails would be the centerpiece of the region. The trail system would link communities and town centers to suburban and rural areas. Trailheads and access points would be numerous, safe, and strategically located.
Recreation users would be honest, trustworthy, and courteous citizens and stewards who understand and respect that much of the underlying land ownership is privately owned and that their recreation is a privilege, not a right. Public education would be an important component of the vision, particularly on user etiquette and behavior while recreating and interacting with other user groups.
Management partnerships among local, state, and federal agencies and private landowners are seen as a critical component of the vision. Recreation users want a coordinated and seamless recreation network across different jurisdictional boundaries.
Natural Resources/Habitat
There is a strong public desire to be able to live and recreate in a natural environment. People want physical processes (that clean our air and water) to be able to function naturally, without human interference. People value open space, scenery, natural quiet, native plants and animals, and night skies. Workshop participants envisioned a built environment that is compatible with and helps protect resources. The built environment assures that open space wildlife corridors remain intact, natural flood controls remain whole, and critical/sensitive wildlife habitat is protected. Wildlife abundance and diversity are prized. Development is concentrated in urban centers and sprawl is not allowed.
Scenic Preservation/Cultural Landscapes
Workshop participants valued natural scenery (such as forested foothills, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and streams), but they also expressed appreciation for agricultural landscapes. These include working ranches and farms, barns, livestock, crops and fields. A lot of support was expressed for protecting both natural and cultural landscapes. People value ‘real’ landscapes that embody the spirit of the region and community (as opposed to contrived settings that are out of place). People support functional public art in urban areas as a component of the vision, especially art that evokes images of local themes and history (e.g., Native Americans, railroads, coal mining, logging, mills, etc).
Economic/Industrial Activities
Workshop participants envision a thriving agricultural economy for the region – particularly horses and equestrian uses associated with agriculture. People also expressed strong support for a forest economy because it helps retain large tracts of forested open space and discourages development and sprawl. In addition, workshop participants envisioned compatible local businesses and industries that support agriculture and forestry (i.e., local sawmills, horse shoeing, hay and farm equipment, etc). Government land use rules and regulations are flexible to support rural business. Economic incentives are offered that help private landowners conserve land. People want an environmentally friendly and holistic economy in which goods and services are grown, produced, and consumed locally. People should be able to live and work locally.
Planned Growth & Development/Livability
Workshop participants envision a region where developers, environmentalists, planners and regulators have found common ground and work together to create thoughtful and professionally planned communities where people want to live. Such communities concentrate growth in urban areas, maximize public investment in infrastructure, minimize sprawl, are pedestrian friendly, preserve and protect natural and cultural resources, corridors, greenbelts, and open space, maintain regional aesthetics, and are safe.
Potential Use/Purpose of the Document
Workshop participants were also asked about their thoughts and ideas for how a 'Comprehensive Management Vision' document might be used. Following is a bulleted list of ideas that came from this discussion:
- King County Comprehensive Plan (KCCP) – propose policies to be added or change
- Tool for revisiting community plan(s)
- Opportunity to propose policies & implementation of recommendations
- Greater influence with county & other governments
- Focus use of “Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)” tool
- Public Benefit Rating Systems (PBRS)
- Identify priorities for land acquisition
- Demonstrate community consensus
- Grows perception of EFFRA – increases credibility
- Positions EFFRA as catalyst
- Education purpose – why this is important
- Stimulates the process of different stakeholders working together
- Recreation & public access are big issues
- Promote interagency cooperation
- Opportunity to promote local economy – live & work in same area
- Surface issues & opportunities
- Voice for people who don’t get involved
- Need to figure out new, creative ways to reach out & welcome people to the process
- Get neighbors talking to neighbors
- Encourage face-to-face discussions
- Use survey tool when talking to people