A draft of Columbia Basin Trust’s (CBT) short-term strategic plan has been made public and is open for feedback from Basin residents.
CBT said that it has been engaging with stakeholders to develop this short-term plan that will guide its activities for the next 18 to 24 months.
“There was strong feedback to the Trust that we need to continue to be flexible, nimble, and be willing to change and adapt as the impacts of COVID-19 continue to, almost on a daily basis, impact our communities in unexpected ways,” said Johnny Strilaeff, CBT President and CEO. ” While we are going to set these out as priority areas of focus in the near term, it is possible there will be refinement just in response to changes in communities.”
Areas that Basin residents felt were priorities that CBT should take include:
- Ecosystem Restoration.
- High-speed Connectivity.
- Housing.
- Local Food Production, Processing and Distribution.
- Support for Business Renewal.
- Supporting Communities.
“High-speed connectivity was probably the most prominent theme that emerged in almost every conversation in the last five or six months. It really puts a spotlight on how dependant we are on high-speed connectivity, not just for entertainment and access to the internet, but for so many supports and services that we require in society,” said Strilaeff.
To determine what its focus should be, CBT said it spoke with its volunteer boards and advisory committees, local government leaders, and people involved in a range of sectors including business and industry, education, environment, social services, arts, culture and heritage, and youth development.
“These conversations identified challenges and opportunities in Basin communities, and that input was the basis for developing the draft plan. The Trust is also continuing meetings with Basin First Nations communities and will incorporate this feedback into the plan prior to finalizing,” said CBT.
Feedback on the draft plan will be accepted until 5:30 p.m. on September 11th. The feedback form, along with the draft plan can be found here.
Residents who do not have access to high-speed internet can call the Trust and ask for a hard copy of the draft plan and send feedback over the phone or in writing.