The GrassRoots Institute strives to empower Mendocino residents to overcome external forces - Outside Corporations and Global Institutions - and control our own destiny.
We recognize Mendocino county’s abundance of natural resources and relatively low population density, as a target for powerful external forces to exploit our county. Our strategy is to encourage residents to educate themselves and unite in common efforts to fashion a future for the common good.
As part of that effort, the Institute has a Mendocino Vision Workgroup. The purpose of that workgroup is to explore opportunities to collaborate with community-based organizations and to participate in collaborative efforts to develop a common vision for our county’s future.
In 2022, the workgroup collaborated with a number of organizations interested in building awareness of the challenges and opportunities confronting our county.
In particular, we joined with other activists and concerned community members to raise awareness by the California Coastal Commission of threats to Mendocino’s coast and to seek their assistance in addressing those threats. This led to the Institute working with the Caspar Community Center to sponsor a work session with Mendocino County leaders and the California Coastal Commission staff to discuss a joint effort to update the County’s Local Coastal Plan.
We also joined with other community-based organizations to seek state funding through the California Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to address climate change impacts on a regional level.
Similarly, the Institute worked with several groups interested in climate change impacts on economic resilience to help them assemble a proposal to fund projects thru the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC).
Going forward, the Institute will help increase public awareness in regard to climate change, affordable housing, agriculture, water, energy security, and sea level rise. Further, we anticipate serving as a catalyst for residents to take control of the planning and design of Mendocino County’s future in the 21st century.
Written by: Peter McNamee