Winnemucca News

Winnemucca News

Winnemucca Futures Project Kicks Off! - 05-21-2010

To prepare for future challenges in Humboldt County, a local group of community members and leaders have been chosen to help think about the future in a brand new way to form a vision, actions and strategic plan for the future.

Humboldt County Citizens will begin rolling up their sleeves at Stakeholder Invitational events June 2nd and June 3^rd, sponsored by the Humboldt Development Authority, Humboldt County, the City of Winnemucca, the Winnemucca Convention & Visitors Authority, Newmont Mining, Barrick Gold, and the Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce, along with funding from the Nevada Commission on Economic Development.  World-renowned experts in rural and regional revitalization, David Beurle, and Juliet Fox will facilitate this event. David comes from Australia with a wealth of experience form working with farmers to negotiating international trade agreements and building strategic alliances. Juliet has extensive community development and engagement experience and has won several awards for her work. They both hold a firm conviction that the future of rural areas, lies in the hands of local people.

Stakeholders invited to this meeting represent seven areas of the community developed by North Central Regional Center for Rural Development; Financial, Environmental, Cultural, Human, Political, Built and Social.

Through scenario planning, research and dialogue, citizens are asked what they value in their community, and what they want to preserve and change in the future. With this in mind, participants develop four plausible Futures for Humboldt County. The entire community is engaged for input to these possibilities for several months. The end result is the creation of a common view about the future that is shaped into immediate action.

“The program is designed to empower the citizens of Humboldt County through a planning process, which ends with community actions that reflect the values and identity of the community,” says Bill Sims, from the Humboldt Development Authority. “At the end of the process, the community has common direction, understanding of changes to come and capacity to prepare for change.”

Over the next several months, residents of Humboldt County will have the opportunity to contribute their views through one of the following:

• Winnemucca Futures Project Stakeholder invitational June 2 & 3, 2010
• Numerous community input sessions about the future will be conducted across Humboldt County. Citizens will dialogue and provide input about their hopes, concerns and ideas for the future.
• An opinion survey will be widely distributed.
• Stakeholders will reconvene in November 2010 to analyze data from citizen engagement sessions and surveys and action recommendations.
• Citizen task forces will be recruited to accomplish specific goals accordingly.
• Process will continue long-term to refine, create task forces and as an option for local group to learn the engaged process.

This process is dedicated to hear all voices. To be successful we need to hear from every citizen in Humboldt County. There will be ample opportunities for input throughout the process.

For more information please contact Bill Sims, Coordinator, Humboldt Development Authority,  (775) 623-1064, winnemuccafutures@gmail.com

Written by Bill Sims - WinnemuccaFutures.com - 5/21/10

• Winnemucca News