STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

“Maintaining Community Values while Balancing Growth” will be the subject of the Third Annual Community State of the Valley Forum on Tuesday.

The Wood River Women’s Foundation will host the forum from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Ketchum’s Community Library. The event is open to the public and will include Livestream, as well as an in-person gathering.

Former State Rep. Wendy Jaquet will moderate the forum. Participants will be:

• Jim Foudy, superintendent of the Blaine County School District
• Josh Johnson, Central Idaho conservation associate for the Idaho Conservation League
• Michelle Griffith, executive director of ARCH Community Housing Trust, and
• Mark Davidson, executive director of Blaine County Recreation District.

  They will address such questions as:

• What do we value?
• How do we encourage new residents to appreciate these values and join in maintaining them?
• How do we protect our wild flora and fauna and teach residents and visitors of their significance to our community identity?
• What are the impacts of growth on our housing options?
• Can our outdoor recreational resources handle the increase in use?
• How can we embrace growth, creating opportunities that benefit everyone?

The forum, organized by the WRWF Education Committee, is designed to provide members of the philanthropic organization with information that will lead to wiser, more effective giving, said WRWF Board President Terri Bullock.

“It’s our most visible community-facing event of the year,” she added.

Those who wish to attend in person or via livestream can sign up at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/8178122.

Tune into the livestream via https://vimeo.com/667521895.