Clinch River Valley Initiative: Using Community Based Collaboration to Build Local Economies And Create Change in Appalachian Virginia

The Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) is a consensus-based, grassroots effort that unites a broad group of stakeholders to establish Southwest Virginia’s Clinch River Valley as a global destination based on its unique biodiversity, natural beauty, cultural attractions and outdoor opportunities. By working at a watershed level with multiple partners, this grassroots effort has developed significant ownership and momentum that may serve as a model for other communities in Appalachia and beyond. In this paper, we discuss the structure and function of CRVI in comparison with other consensus-based efforts that utilize community-based collaboration. We identify challenges that CRVI faced, detail its successes to date, and analyze how well the initiative is meeting its goals