Community Visioning
Part of my Rivering project envisions the future of the Methow Valley, particularly that juncture of the Methow and Twisp Rivers where the town of Twisp lies. At Methow Recycles’ 2024 Earth Day Celebration, I asked attendees to write down how they see our future here, 100 years from now.
You said:
More protected wild spaces and water systems
Stūnx’ (means beaver in n̓səl̓xčin̓ [Colville Okanogan])
Controlled shrub steppe development
Community prescribed burns
People take care of each other
Large community garden – food grow boxes in town offering free, fresh, organic vegetables for all
Wildlife corridors and bridges
Native grasslands
A vibrant ranching and farming community: the people who grow our food can make a living, there is healthy food in beautiful abundance, and local markets
Towns have adequate water rights to meet demand
A pedestrian bike/ski trail system linking all the Methow towns
Zero waste
More beavers storing water
Happy rivers! Happy people!
Dark sky community
Better buses, rideshares, active transport and electric vehicle support
Protected green space in town limits
Restored habitat
Community composting
Hope
Things mite be died and a live 100 years from now stuff mite be broken.
Productive ag land, healthy soil, more farmers
A huge supply of affordable housing: rentals, apartments
$ for low income household energy transition and weatherization
A community resistant to climate change!
Keep it rural
Fish habitat with side channels, sinuous streams, floodplain connectivity and a development buffer
Town infill
Continuous and voluminous flows of wild water
Forest management and thinning
Asking this question and listening to the answers has been a powerful practice of caring. It is apparent that the community percieves challenges around water availability, climate change, equity, transportation, jobs, food, wildlife habitat, and housing. Also evident is the zeal that people have for the Methow and its future. My hope is that we can tend to this question of what we want our community to be in four generations at both the individual and community level. The following four questions can help us peel back the layers:
What do we love about our community and want to retain?
What challenges and issues do we want to address and solve?
What new things would we like to see become a part of our community fabric?
What are the shared values and aspirations of this place?
Deep thinking! Comment if you have more visions for our valley, four generations from now. I’ll do my best to integrate these hopes and concrete ideas into my visual of our future community.