June 2, 2009

*****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE********

GOVERNOR URGES RESIDENTS TO SPEAK UP AT 'BUILDING THE WYOMING WE WANT: VALUES AND VISION' CONFERENCE

CHEYENNE - Gov. Dave Freudenthal today urged residents to share their thoughts at the upcoming “Building the Wyoming We Want: Values and Vision” conference on a recent statewide survey showing that residents place the greatest value on access to the great outdoors, preserving the state's close, friendly communities and protecting Wyoming’s land and water.

“I am encouraging people to participate in this conference because frankly, we need all the views we can get, even if some of them are contrary,” the Governor said. “Our future is too important to leave to chance. We cannot be passive about shaping the way Wyoming grows.”

The conference on Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10 will highlight the results of a polling and survey process that has already involved nearly 1,000 Wyoming residents. The Governor said Dee Allsop, a nationally recognized opinion researcher, will discuss the survey in depth and participants will have a chance to give their views during an “instant feedback” interactive session.

 “When we first talked about building the Wyoming we want, we were in an incredible boom that threatened to overwhelm us,” the Governor said. “Despite the economic downturn, now is not the time to stop talking about the Wyoming we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy. In fact, never has it been more important to have these discussions.”

Terry Cleveland, who leads the initiative’s Advisory Committee said, “We have a couple of choices facing us. We can sit back and watch what comes our way in the future, or we can get involved and use the passion that each of us shares for this great state to build our future so our grandkids can enjoy Wyoming in the same way that we do.”

Freudenthal first proposed “Building the Wyoming We Want” in a conference in Casper in January 2008. That conference, which drew more than 500 participants, touched off a spirited discussion about how Wyoming residents could protect what they love most about the state while building for the future. The second conference, titled “Building the Wyoming We Want: Values and Vision,” will build on those first discussions and the next steps that the Building the Wyoming We Want initiative will take.   

“We’ve done the research and created the organization to help communities do this work,” said Cleveland.  “We’re ready now to start discussing successful community or regional plans for the future with communities across the state. “

This year’s conference opens at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 at the Gertrude Krampert Theatre at Casper College and runs to 5:30 p.m. that day. The next day’s session opens at 7:30 a.m. and concludes at 12:30 p.m.  The public is invited, but registration is required, because space is limited.

The conference agenda also includes a discussion about Envision Utah, a community visioning process that was initially discussed at the January 2008 conference.  Alan Matheson, President of Envision Utah, will discuss the process that has been successful across that state in using shared values to guide future growth.  

Two panels will help demonstrate some of the priority issues identified by the survey. One panel will discuss community projects that help guide growth, promote a sense of community and keep neighborhoods safe and secure.  A second panel will focus on access to the great outdoors, agriculture and open spaces.

To register for the conference, and to find information on hotel rooms and other conference details, visit: http://outreach.uwyo.edu/conferences/buildingthewyowewant.


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