Hello All,

If we hear someone say, “I am trying to live within …” we will usually finish the statement with the word ‘my means’. Living within our means is so appropriate for good stewardship. As a reflective person I have been thinking about this concept, but from a different perspective. What would happen if we were to rethink that phrase to be rewritten as, ‘I am trying to live within my ecosystem‘.

If I might be bold, Doug Tallamy had that thought in his classic book, Nature’s Best Hope.

As a Land Use planner I have been blessed with working with others on some visionary projects. Among them are: a study of the Morro Bay Watershed; writing the first, implemented, HCP in the US and originating the Tamale Festival in Indio which 30 years later is the largest food festival in the world. 

Early in my ‘planning’ life I considered focusing on planning issues within the context of watersheds. If I recall I did not pursue that direction because most watersheds impact a multitude of competing and often confliction public and private interests. I did not want to get bogged down in the negotiations between those interests. That same problem exists with ecosystem planning, except, generally speaking, the one exception: our towns and cities. Towns and cities are neat, discrete planning areas because they have one overall governing body; and prayerfully they have a unifying vision for the future.

It seems intuitive that a single governing body overseeing a discrete geographic area is best suited to address the concept of ecosystem planning. It is easy to discern that many organizations have entered the arena of ecosystem planning from a single issue perspective. That is commendable! However, there are enormous benefits if one enters this process with a fuller understanding of the interrelated nature of the discrete components of ecosystemplanning

The purpose of this message is to introduce you to a concept I have been considering for a number of months. It is my hope that you may agree in principle with my plan. It is an attachment below. What is presented is an early draft. It will undoubtedly undergo numerous revisions as we enter the approval and implement phases. 

Please take the time to review this outline and make comments to the limit of your patience. We have a receptive Council and City Administrator. The introduction of this plan at this time provides us with an opportunity to study and plan during the winter season. 

Thank you!!! hank

Hank Hohenstein, OFS

Land Steward

161 Osprey Vista

Shady Cove, OR 97539
Cell: 541-973-5442

hankhohenstein@gmail.com