Community Values

We take great pride in our county, which continues to attract people with its quality of life, rural atmosphere, and natural beauty. We have access to an incredible system of national parks, forests, and monuments that complements our local, regional, and state recreation areas. Our diverse mix of residents enjoys a rich array of arts and cultural opportunities, as well as a range of employment, housing, and lifestyle choices. We benefit from livable wages, economic prosperity, and firstrate community services, including high-quality health care and educational opportunities. We recognize personal responsibility and respect property rights. Our relationships with families and friends, which form the foundation of our community, are supported by our service networks.

Conservation & Environmental Quality

We value our distinctive natural landscapes for their beauty, solitude, recreational opportunities, and ecological function; as a result, we work to ensure their long-term health and viability. A thriving system of public and private lands supports diverse native plant and animal communities, healthy riparian areas, grasslands, and ponderosa forests. Our air and water quality are excellent. To safeguard the county’s scarce water resources for future generations, we conserve and reuse whenever possible. Our public policies support the viability of working ranches, protect priority lands, and help conserve our natural resources and rural character.

Growth & Development

We have accommodated growth responsibly by integrating new development in a way that respects the environment, supports community values, and considers the long-term viability of water sources. To help achieve this goal, we rely on planned communities, Integrated Conservation Design, and Infilling on vacant parcels, offering incentives to those who develop quality subdivisions and use sustainable building techniques. As a result, residents can choose from a wide range of housing types. New development follows available and planned infrastructure for utilities and services.

Community Partnerships

We draw upon our strength as a community, embracing our diversity and acknowledging our common goals. Private and public interests work together successfully, recognizing that a cooperative approach is necessary to create strong communities and protect our ecosystems. Planning activities cross jurisdictions successfully because of the high degree of coordination between the County, cities, towns, and unincorporated communities. We support good resourcemanagement practices, a process that we facilitate by interacting with state, federal, and tribal agencies during the development of each other’s plans and policies. Building on our successes, we create strategic partnerships to implement plans that enhance the values we cherish.