Brian Ross, CR Planning, managed the planning process to develop a comprehensive land use plan for Becker County, Minnesota. Becker County, with approximately 30,000 people, is one of the few places in the nation that crosses three distinct ecological zones; the tallgrass prairie, the “big woods,” and the northern coniferous forest. Through a two-year process that included intensive public participation, and a 40-member steering committee, the County identified its long term development priorities, including priorities in economic development, housing, natural resource use, lakeshore and rural development, infrastructure, and transportation. Issues facing Becker County included: conflicts between agricultural land uses and new development; coordinating with the White Earth Reservation that comprises almost 30% of the County; the impact of lakeshore development on water quality; competing interests in habitat protection and public land priorities in the County’s three state forests and two large wildlife refuges; and the need for safe, affordable housing.
Mr. Ross facilitated a community-based process, that included a Steering Committee representing geographic areas in the County, local governments, interest groups, state and federal agencies, and businesses. The public was invited to comment and offer direction to the Steering Committee at the beginning, middle, and end of the process.
The project created detailed inventories of background information and GIS-based maps that linked information to the County’s critical issues. After presenting background information to the Steering Committee and the public, the Committee used public comment to develop visions and goals for five specific issue areas. Using more input from another set of public meetings, the Committee then created a series of policies that recognized geographic and social distinctions in the County. Finally, the Committee created a list of implementation priorities to bring the County’s goals to reality.
