COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL EQUITY

As a land-use advocacy organization rooted in social equity, Mountain Area Preservation recognizes that we cannot achieve our mission to preserve the Truckee-Tahoe region’s mountain character and natural environment without addressing issues related to environmental justice, racial equality, and equity in the outdoors.

⚠️The Problem

Land-use decisions impact more than the environment—they shape access to housing, transportation, jobs, public spaces, and the ability to take part in decisions that affect our community. Historically, some voices have been left out of these decisions, creating lasting barriers for people based on race, income, language, age, and disability.

MAP has long advocated for open space, responsible development, workforce housing, and community benefits. We believe this work must also consider who benefits, who is affected, and whose voices are missing.

🔍The Lens: Social Equity

Social equity gives us a broader way to look at these issues. It includes environmental and racial equity while recognizing that a healthy community also depends on housing, transportation, jobs, public spaces, and meaningful participation.

For Truckee-Tahoe, this means listening to residents who have not always been represented in local planning, including youth, seniors, Latinx/Hispanic residents, the Washoe Tribe, unhoused and underhoused residents, people with disabilities, and others.

❗What We’re Doing - MAP’s SOCIAL EQUITY STRATEGY

Social Equity Resources

Social equity is an ongoing part of building a Truckee-Tahoe where people feel heard, included, and able to take part in shaping their future. Below are some introductory resources to social justice and examples of how equity can be woven into land use. Get engaged and learn more:

GARE Racial Equity Toolkit - From policy to program design, this toolkit helps to integration racial equity into important community decisions.

NRDC - The Environmental Justice Movement - A high level overview of environmental justice, this history of discrimination in decision making and how discrimination continues to shape land use decision to this day.

Climate Action Through Equity - Multnomah County 2015 Climate Action Plan - An excellent example of how to plan for climate action utilizing an equity lens.

Data USA - Truckee Demographics - The first step to building equity is identifying who has historically been left out of the process in your community. Find data and statistics about the fabric of your town or county here.