RUCS Wiki:About

From RUCS Wiki

Since starting the Blueprint project in 2002, the Sacramento region has taken a new approach to addressing land use, transportation, and air quality issues. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan for 2035, adopted in March, is underpinned by Blueprint principles supported by local jurisdictions and addresses evolving transportation needs.

The project is a look at the region's growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective. In the same way that Blueprint is an economic development strategy for urban areas, RUCS is intended to be an economic, as well as environmental sustainability strategy for rural areas.

The SACOG Board of Directors participated in a workshop on rural issues in January, and have had further discussion at the Land Use and Housing Committee meetings to get the project underway. In working with the Committee, staff has identified rural challenges and opportunities in five broad topic areas:

• Land Use and Conservation: Policies and Plans That Shape Rural Areas
• The Infrastructure of Agriculture: Challenges to the Production Process
• Economic Opportunities: New Ways to Grow Revenue
• Forest Management: Firing up Economic and Environmental Value
• Regulations: Navigating Federal and State Environmental Guidelines

These challenges and opportunities were developed also working with local agriculture, planning, economic development, and environmental representatives to understand the challenges and opportunities that affect rural areas.

SACOG is assembling working groups around the topic areas to help further understand what is happening currently and propose responses to challenges and expand opportunities. Through the working group process, SACOG will work directly with rural stakeholders, citizens, businesses and public agencies to form strategies that enhance agriculture and rural economies, resource conservation, recreation, quality of life, and regional sustainability. This work will broaden the region's understanding of how decisions about land use and transportation investments affect rural areas.

SACOG is kicking off the project with a series of agriculture fieldtrips to help the SACOG Board of Directors learn about agriculture operations in the region. The first fieldtrip, covering Sutter and Yuba counties, was held on April 17. Future tours will visit the other four counties of the region.

For more information contact David Shabazian at (916) 340-6231 or dshabazian@sacog.org.