As part of its overall mission, Sequoia Riverlands Trust is
committed to educating the general community in the value of
conserving natural and agricultural resources and to participating,
as appropriate, in public planning efforts. SRT believes that
comprehensive land use planning reflects and protects community
values, provides certainty and predictability for sensible development,
and is ultimately essential to conserving the natural and agricultural
legacy of the southern Sierra Nevada and San Joaquin Valley.
To advance this goal, SRT formed a Community Outreach Committee
to assess opportunities for engaging with regional land use planning
efforts and to develop a plan for appropriate, strategic action.
Tulare County, the area of focus for SRT's work, has a solid
tradition of innovation in land use planning, implementing urban
growth boundaries for the valley cities before most counties
in the state and developing a plan to accommodate growth and
protect natural resources in the foothills. The update of Tulare
County's General Plan provides an opportunity to build on the
strength of that tradition and SRT can contribute to that process
in two important ways:
• Promoting sound, innovative land
use planning practices that support a sustainable future
• Recommending specific policies for
areas of conservation priority
Drawing on local expertise from SRT's staff, board and advisors
as well as on outside experts in land use planning and rural design,
SRT can add genuine value to regional land use planning. And in
so doing, we can help to conserve the natural resources and working
landscapes that enrich lives in Tulare County and ensure that future
generations will be able to enjoy the region's unique natural resources.
