Steve Ahmann b| GTC董事会成员
就在去年的感恩节, with the receipt of Freeport McMoRan’s Community Involvement Fund grant, did the Greenlee County Tourism Council (GCTC) have reason to be jubilant. There are now only two months remaining to write a celebratory close out in the grant’s final report. If it is to be positive, GCTC needs YOUR involvement.
It only took a moment reading the grant request budget to understand the initial reason for celebration. 获得125美元的奖金,000 was to be utilized to fund the research required to begin the process of implementing the Town of Clifton’s voter approved general plan. 具体地说, the GCTC pledged to devote their full attention and resources toward the development of the San Francisco River Corridor planning area.
The General Plan recommended establishment of integrated parks, 小径, and open space to support Clifton’s 健康的 and active lifestyles, 提高生活质量, and positioning the Town as a recreational and community-based eco-tourism destination. From its inception over a decade ago, the GCTC has focused its efforts on incubating and nurturing plans, 项目, agencies and entities that are focused on 健康的 growth, 振兴, 刺激经济活动, 就业机会, 提高销售税的产生, and support for improving the local quality of life.
在过去的十个月里, hundreds of volunteer hours have produced site visits, 工作范围, and negotiated contracts with the teams of contractors qualified and available to see that the intent of the Clifton General Plan is followed.
Arriving at this juncture has not been easy in the post-pandemic world of rising costs and waning participation. Greenlee County’s Board of Supervisors fortunately provided a necessary boost by voting to award GCTC an additional $20,000 toward meeting some of the cost over-runs. The Clifton Town Council agreed to host meetings designed to encourage the support of ANY PERSON or GROUP OF PEOPLE wanting to be involved. 只有少数人做出了回应.
如果你现在打电话给克利夫顿, and plan to remain living here into the foreseeable future, which of the three inevitable scenarios do you desire, and are willing to step-up and participate in attaining?
- 什么都不做. At some future time, the mining of copper in Greenlee County will no longer be economically feasible. 在没有工作的情况下, 基础设施, 维护, 货物, 和服务, Clifton is destined to become nothing more than a memory and a ghost-town. At that point it will be too late to resurrect the community.
- Wait until outside investors with ample funding decide to “pick Clifton’s low-hanging fruit” and develop a resort utilizing the area’s natural beauty, 自然资源和廉价, seasonal labor to make themselves more money. After all, water in the desert is more valuable than gold. Rivers and streams through scenic vistas are a very rare and sought after commodity. The call to “get back to nature” is a strong selling point to urban-tired tourists.
- Form a local administrative authority dedicated to protecting the small-town quality of life, 当地的生态系统, 风景优美的自然风光, but diligently move forward implementing Clifton’s General Plan. Under local control, the end results can parallel the positive aspects on scenario 2). 然而, the revenue generated will remain local, providing a wide range of meaningful careers and jobs while protecting the physical and spiritual facets of the Greenlee County landscape that first brought us to the region. 明文规定, 如果你现在打电话给克利夫顿, plan to remain living here into the foreseeable future, and have a desire to see Clifton known as one of the best places in the southwest to enjoy safe, 令人兴奋的, 健康的, and affordable outdoor recreation activities join with your friends and neighbors to realize our full potential.
It is my hope that YOU will see the wisdom of scenario 3) and move outside your comfort zone to do the unthinkable – PARTICIPATE! Without the participation of just a few more individuals, things are not going to change and the future is not bright.
Those that are involved invite you to meet Saturday’s at PJ’s from 7:00 – 9:00 AM. If that time is unavailable for you to meet, 但你想参与, please respond to the newsletter or contact GCTC at xinfga.com.