Comprehensive Planning

Food Systems

Comprehensive Planning

This county's comprehensive plan, adopted in 2015, achieved Bronze-level recognition in APA's Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places Recognition Program Pilot in 2016. It represents a lengthy planning process with extensive public involvement that identified a wide range of issues and opportunities facing the county. The plan is grounded in five guiding principles of smart growth; sufficient services and infrastructure to accommodate growth; a strong and diverse economy; excellence in environmental resource management; and provisions for healthy, livable, and equitable communities. Ten elements address land use, mobility, air quality, conservation and natural resources, parks and recreation, noise, safety, public services and facilities, economic development, and housing. The implementation section calls for annual progress reports and details a monitoring strategy. A matrix lists implementation programs and designates lead partners and agencies as well as timeframe (years 1–2, 3–5, or 6–10).

Food Systems

The county's comprehensive plan includes food systems issues in several plan elements and includes it as a key component of healthy, livable and equitable community development. Elements that address food issues include the Land Use element, where policies encourage access to local sources of healthy and nutritious food (LU 5.8, LU 9.3), and the Conservation and Natural Resources element, where policies address protecting local agricultural production (Goal C/NR 8, 9). Implementation programs include a food systems assessment to inform a healthy and sustainable food systems ordinance (C/NR-14).