MetroGreen® Partners
Achieving the goals set forth in MetroGreen will require a coordinated effort by local governments, private interests and residents of the Kansas City region.
Initially, MARC established a Civic Leadership Board and a Technical Advisory
Committee to help lead the MetroGreen effort and to create a support framework
for the system's development. The leadership board was comprised of community
leaders from across the region representing diverse constituencies. The
technical committee was composed of primarily local government parks and
public works personnel charged with the responsibility of developing and
operating greenway trails in their respective communities.
The board and technical committee met for approximately five years. They provided guidance to MARC and helped broaden support for MetroGreen. The board recommended the formation of a MetroGreen Alliance to help coordinate efforts among the organizations and institutions charged with developing and implementing aspects of MetroGreen. MARC identified over 80 groups with a stake in MetroGreen, and in 2008 the agency began convening meetings involving representatives from those organizations. The Alliance has since become a network of organizations, local and state governments and private sector partners that share the same interest in building a regional greenway system.
The MetroGreen Alliance is a regional organizational framework focused on MetroGreen conservation and restoration. Its membership includes a metro-wide network of organizations that are dedicated to the conservation and restoration of habitat, biodiversity, water quality, and green infrastructure.
MARC solicits best practices from Alliance members, shares information through an electronic newsletter, and convenes sessions several times a year to allow members to network and share information. MARC works to identify opportunities for Alliance members to collaborate on efforts that support MetroGreen.
The MetroGreen Alliance continues to bring member organizations together to achieve shared goals, create synergies and increase the efficacy of local actions. The Alliance helps strengthen the work of member organizations by:
- fostering creative partnerships
- building broader community political and financial support
- catalyzing on-the-ground results through action-oriented planning
- creating an integrated policy framework