VISION 2010: The Future for the Loup Basin

Presented by Students of CRPL 990 Planning Studio
Community and Regional Planning Fall Semester 2006

Editor: N. Brito Mutunayagam

Foreword

In the fall of 1990, fifteen students and their professor from UNL's Community and Regional Planning program presented an Outline Development Plan for an eight-county region (Loup, Garfield, Wheeler, Greeley, Valley, Custer, Howard, and Sherman) in Central Nebraska to the members of the Central Nebraska Great Lakes Association (CNGLA). This plan became the founding document for the creation of the Loup Basin Rural Conservation and Development District (RC&D in 1994. The jurisdiction of the Loup Basin RC&D expanded to nine counties and now also includes Blaine County.

The implementaton of several recommendations from the Outline Development Plan of 1990 has accomplished several objectives from that plan. It also resulted in the Loup Basin RC'&amp'D receiving several state, regional and national awards for achievement and accomplishment, which include Nebraska Community Improvement Program Awards, Top 10 and Outstanding 100 projects from DED, National Earth Team Awards, Nebraska Division of Travel and Tourism, Nebraska RC&D Association Council of the Year, Western RC&D Council of the Year, Keep Nebraska Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, among others.

In the spring of 2006 stakeholders from the Loup Basin invited the same professor and nine of his students to assist them in updating the 1990 plan and setting the stage for the next round of developments and change in the Loup Valley in the 21 st Century. This project was undertaken by Professor N. Brito Mutunayagam and nine students as their term project for CRPL 990 Planning Studio in the Fall Semester 2006.

Vision 2010 that is contained in this document presents the opportunities for the future of the Loup Basin which responds to the needs, expectations and aspirations of key stakeholders.

Executive Summary

The Loup Basin RC&D office is part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The Loup Basin RC&D sponsors projects in a nine county region in central Nebraska. The counties are Blaine, Custer, Garfield, Greeley, Howard, Loup, Sherman, Valley, and Wheeler.

In the spring of 2006 stakeholders from the Loup Basin invited Professor N. Brito Mutunayagam to assist them in their efforts to bring about needed developments and change in the Loup Valley in partnership with the Loup Basin RC&D. This project was undertaken as the term project for CRPL 990 Planning Studio in the Fall Semester 2006 by Professor Mutunayagam. This project fulfills a requirement for nine graduate students in Community and Regional Planning to obtain the MCRP degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and also fulfills the land grant mission of the University through the delivery of public service to residents from 44 communities in the nine county Loup Basin region.

Vision 2010 presents the future opportunities of the Loup Basin by responding to the needs, expectations and aspirations of key stakeholders who are committed to the long term sustainability and future development of the region.

Study Description

This study is organized into two distinct phases:

1. Assessment and Analysis
2. Goals, Objectives and Strategies

The systems approach was utilized in the Assessment and Analysis Phase. The systems approach involved the identification and study of the following five subsystems:

1. Physical/environmental
2. Social/demographic
3. Economic/financial
4. Political/institutional
5. Technology/communication

Data was collected and analyzed for each of the subsystems. Data came from active participation by citizens in the region during a site visit, through library research and from other sources. The objective of the Assessment and Analysis Phase was to determine the issues and problems in the Loup Basin region. The identification of issues and problems led to the development of goals, objectives and strategies. These goals, objectives and strategies were verified and amended during a teleconference with the Loup Basin RC&D stakeholders. Three goals were identified in the Goals and Objectives Phase:

1. Enhance environmental quality
2. Enhance quality of life
3. Stimulate economic growth and development

Objectives are directly related to the goals and based specifically on the issues identified. Strategies were developed with the intent of accomplishing specific outcomes. These strategies were presented to the community stakeholders in central Nebraska via teleconference to offer them a smorgasbord of alternative choices to assist them in the formulation of an Action Plan for the future of the Loup Basin and its communities. Stakeholder input was taken into consideration in fine tuning the strategies presented for inclusion in this document which will be presented to the Loup Basin RC&D for further necessary action.
Stakeholders and decision makers first need to review and select those outcomes that are considered critical to bringing about desired change in the Loup Valley. The strategies that can achieve those outcomes may then be selected, prioritized and undertaken as development projects. Multiple strategies that need to be integrated in order to achieve specific outcomes need to be identified, bundled together and organized into development programs which emerge as the Development Agenda for the Loup Basin RC&D for any specific year within the foreseeable future of 5 years. In essence, the selected Development Agenda adopted by the Loup Basin RC&D will serve as the Action Plan to accomplish the Goals articulated under VISION 2010, in this document.