BOARD MEETING DATE: March 6, 2009
AGENDA NO. 12

PROPOSAL:

Adopt Resolution Recognizing and Endorsing Participation in Green Valley Initiative for the Inland Empire

SYNOPSIS:

The Green Valley Initiative is a project of the Green Valley Institute for Village Empowerment which seeks to empower, encourage and promote principles of sustainability through education, training, and leading by example. The Green Valley Initiative is designed to reflect a new vision for the Inland Empire, combining sustainable green practices and technology with a healthy economic development framework being developed by major stakeholders from throughout the Inland Empire. The Green Valley Initiative is seeking an expression of Board support for the goals of the Initiative.

COMMITTEE:

Mobile Source, January 23, 2009

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:

Adopt the attached resolution recognizing and endorsing participation in the Green Valley Initiative for the Inland Empire.
 

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The Green Valley Initiative (GVI) is a public-private partnership project that was launched in June 2007 through coordination by the Green Valley Institute for Village Empowerment (GIVE), a non-profit organization intended for the education and promotion of sustainable lifestyles, technologies and development practices. GVI represents the tangible outcome of a facilitated, collaborative discussion process among more than 500 leaders from area city, tribal and county governments and agencies, academic institutions, school districts, utilities, business, cultural and environmental groups, media representatives and the community-at-large, aiming at regional economic development to create jobs and promote clean and green technologies in the Inland Empire.

One of the Initiative's major focuses is to link green technologies with the trade and logistics industry, which includes trucking and shipping, warehousing, packaging and recycling -- key job sectors in this region with great potential for clean-technology advancement.  GVI is designed to reflect a new vision for the Inland Empire, integrating social, economic and environmental forces to bring new jobs, greater opportunities and a higher quality of life to the region. GVI has been formally endorsed by both counties and more than 30 cities and other agencies thus far.

As noted on the GVI website at www.greenvalleynow.org, the original co-conveners of GVI in 2007 included:

• Paul Biane, Chairman, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors
• John Tavaglione, Chairman, Riverside County Board of Supervisors
• Al Karnig, President, Cal State University San Bernardino
• Joe Norbeck, Director, CE CERT-University of California Riverside
• William Carney, President/CEO, Inland Empire Economic Partnership
• Dan Silver, Endangered Habitats League
• Jane Block, Riverside Land Conservancy
• Rick Bishop, Executive Director, Western Riverside Council of Governments
• John Wohlmuth, Executive Director, Coachella Valley Association of Governments
• Cindy Roth, President/CEO, Riverside Chamber of Commerce
• Judi Penman, Executive Vice President, San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce
• Lynn Valbuena, Chair, TASIN, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
• Ali Sahabi, President/CEO, SE Corporation/Dos Lagos, Corona
   

Proposal

AQMD staff has participated in several preliminary GVI committee meetings to help identify and assess initial efforts in support of the goals of this initiative. GIVE representatives presented information regarding GVI’s accomplishments to-date to the Mobile Source Committee at its January 2009 meeting, and requested that the Committee consider adopting a resolution of support. The Committee recommended that a formal resolution be submitted for consideration by the full Governing Board (Attachment).
 

Attachment (DOC, 28k)

Resolution Recognizing and Endorsing Participation in the Green Valley Initiative for the Inland Empire