LAKE COUNTY – What is your vision of Lake County’s future? Did you know that our population is projected to grow by over 50 percent by 2030?

You have the opportunity now to help plan for this growth so that we preserve the character of our communities, provide for needed services, and protect our natural resources.

Lake County 2030, the Region Blueprint Planning Program, asks the question “Where will we live, work, shop and play in 2030?”

The blueprint process uses an extensive community involvement process to develop a set of shared core values and a vision for Lake County’s future growth. The process involves “scenario planning,” where a computerized land-use model is used to show participants the impacts of growth under alternative scenarios. The impacts may involve measures such as how much land is consumed by urban growth, water usage, energy usage, air quality, and impacts to transportation.

Through input received during seven highly interactive community workshops held in early 2009 as apart of Phase 2, the Draft Lake County 2030 Blueprint Vision and Principles were developed that reflect the values of Lake County residents.

In Phase 3 of this process, the vision and principles are used to develop alternative Blueprint Scenario maps. These maps will be commented upon by the public in a series of workshops starting later this month.

The meeting schedule is as follows:

• Lakeport: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

• Lucerne: Thursday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Lucerne Alpine Senior Center, 3985 Country Club Drive.

• Middletown: Saturday, Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to noon, Calpine Visitors Center, 15500 Central Park Road.

• Kelseyville: Thursday, March 4, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Kelseyville Senior Center, 5245 Third St.

• Clearlake: Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m. to noon, Best Western El Grande Hotel, 15135 Lakeshore Drive.

The Lake County 2030 Blueprint is coordinated by the Lake County/City Area Planning Council (APC) and participation by a broad range of individuals, agencies and organizations is critical to its success.

The program provides a means for the citizens of Lake County to understand how housing, jobs, transportation and land use combine to impact the quality of life in the region, and how to improve the quality of life through an integrated planning approach.

The values, priorities and needs of the county’s citizens will provide the foundation for the Lake County 2030 Blueprint.

For more information regarding the timeline for the Lake County 2030 Blueprint please view the Blueprint Phase 3 Work Plan and schedule at www.lakeapc.org (and click on “Lake 2030” on the page's righthand side) or call Terri Persons at the Lake APC at 707-263-7799.

For Spanish speakers, please call Jesse Froelich of MIG Inc. at 626-744-9872, for more information and opportunities for input.

Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-News/143156775604?ref=mf .