Long-term sustainability plan for Rockford area on its way - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

One local organization is moving along with its long-term sustainability plan for Winnebago and Boone counties.

The Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP) first received a HUD Sustainability Grant back in 2011. Since then its Steering Committee has been collecting data on the best practices and building goals from that information for a 20-year goal. RMAP's Executive Director Steve Ernst says it's all part of the process for a stronger community.

"Communities that have gone through this process and have a plan in place are in the pipeline so to speak of getting some of those federal grants. [Those] come back to help us achieve a sustainable region," said Ernst.

The Steering Committee will move to the next phase of the project in early 2013.