E X E C U T I V E
S U M M A R Y
The Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP) provides grant funding to assist state and local governments, and not-for-profit, member-owned utilities in addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation. Proposals are typically due in late spring. Given the infrastructure needs in the region, DCIP funding is a prime opportunity for these communities. DCIP projects must be “construction-ready” and endorsed by the installation commander. Thus, a primary recommendation is that communities with infrastructure needs identify projects this summer so that the RVCCD team might be able to assist with finding resources to demonstrate that the projects are “construction ready.” The implementation steps included are not a complete list. This plan also offers a series of conceptual designs for future development based on the needs and desires expressed by the residents and leaders in the partnering communities. While some of the short-term actions are clear, and many are already underway, the details of how the ideas and opportunities presented here are implemented must arise from local leaders. In addition, the assets and ideas identified in this plan should be incorporated into a shared community vision for the region. Long before the delivery of this final plan, community members and local leaders had embraced the idea that their communities are positioned to leverage their rural character, natural surroundings, and quality of life to revitalize the area. As the list of ongoing steps indicates, work has already begun, underscoring just how much community leaders want to see the region thrive.
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Photo Credit: LuAnn Craighton, The Nature Conservancy
The River Valley Regional Commission and the University of Georgia, along with the other project partners, are committed to continuing to work with these communities on implementation of this plan and the development of additional projects to further the shared resilience of Fort Moore and these communities. In particular, UGA’s Defense Community Resilience Program will remain engaged in this region, working to foster the shared resilience of the installation and the supporting defense communities. Through this planning effort, the DOD and the installation recognize compatible use issues and encroachment threats, its role in driving them, and the challenges they place on rural communities in this region. They are seeking new solutions to reduce these threats. This plan is the beginning of a long-term collaborative effort by the installation, the Army, and the DOD to work with these communities to address these challenges.
RIVER VALLE Y COMMUNIT Y COMPATIBLE DE VELOPMENT PL AN: