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Smart Growth and Development Initiative Governor Roy Romer's Smart Growth and Development Initiative began in the fall of 1994 as a response to uprecedented population growth and the chal- lenge of preserving Colorado's unique natural beauty and quality of life. Much of the new development occurring in the state is located in the urban/wildland interface. This poses a serious threat since many new residents are unaware of potential hazards such as flooding, wildfire and geologic hazards. The Smart Growth process provides local governments with vital assistance to help ad- dress this growing concern effectively and thoughtfully. This initiative provides a forum in which public discourse has progressed be- yond the simplistic notions of "pro-growth" and "no growth" by developing part- nerships among state and local governments, key stakeholder groups and citi- zens. Smart Growth is a bottom-up approach to local and regional visioning and strategy building process which relies on brood-based participation from all sectors of the community. Two statewide summits, several regional summits, specific topic-based task forces and an Interregional Council developed an action agenda of 74 recommenda- tions that deal directly with growth related problems, and an agency was desig- nated responsible for implementation of each recommendation. Many of these recommendations have already been completed or are well underway. Several of the recommendations deal directly with land use planning, and haz- ard mitigation planning is emphasized. Technical assistance is available directly to local governments, via planning commission workshops, land use planning workshops, publications and other means of information dissemination. Several projects that specifically involve hazard mitigation planning have been awarded the Governor's Smart Growth and Development Award. For more information on Smart Growth in Colorado, you can contact the Smart Growth Action Center at (303) 866-2817.