STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Concerned about growth in the Wood River Valley?

You can make your voice heard at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, at The Community Library when Elaine Clegg leads a discussion to identify shared values that can build the foundation for smart growth.

Clegg, program director for Idaho Smart Growth, has been working throughout Idaho to identify shared community values that have led to such things as a transit master plan in Sandpoint, downtown revitalization plans in Idaho Falls and area of city impact plans elsewhere.

She will discuss how the communities of the Wood River Valley can start to find common ground based on shared values. She’ll help identify what makes the Wood River Valley special and how the valley can accommodate growth without undermining those elements.

Scott Boettger, executive director for the Wood River Land Trust, will join her in leading a robust discussion on values mapping.The discussion can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/661317033. It will be recorded, able to be viewed later at the same link.

“We’re very excited about this topic and feel like it’s very front and center in the community. Smart growth is a pretty hot topic these days,” said Liz Pedersen, annual fund manager for the WRLT.

An Idaho native, Clegg has been an activist in growth management issues in the Boise area since 1984. She is now a Boise City council member.

Earlier in the day, leaders from the cities, county and nonprofits like Mountain Rides will get together for a brown bag to consider how they might partner in working on the topic.

The discussion is the first of the Wood River Land Trust’s “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally” Speaker Series.