Placer County Supervisor Ted Gaines was sworn in as the 2005 Chair of the SACOG Board of Directors at the January meeting. Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo was sworn in as Vice Chair.

Immediately following the SACOG Board's unanimous approval in December 2004 of the Preferred Blueprint Scenario for 2050, staff began working with local governments throughout the region to implement the goals and Blueprint principles.

Are you an employer who offers your employees commuting benefits? You may qualify to get on the 2005 "Sacramento Region's Best Workplaces for Commuters" list!

SACOG has undertaken the development of a Strategic Deployment Plan (SDP), which will identify Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects that can help the region achieve its transportation and land use goals.

The Sacramento Tree Foundation has been working with elected officials in the SACOG region since 2001 to double the region's tree canopy over the next 40 years to maximize the benefits of our urban forest. Air quality, water quality, energy, real estate and businesses all benefit from trees, and we can maximize those benefits by improving the urban forests in each municipality within the region.

Covers times and dates for several SACOG-related committee meetings, as well as the upcoming retreat for the SACOG Board of Directors on January 28.

The Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Sacramento Area Commerce & Trade Organization (SACTO) and Valley Vision launched a new regional and collaborative economic development initiative in early January.