OUR PLANNING STRATEGY

The topics that will be addressed (roads, highway safety, bridges, public transit, ferry service, railroads, aviation, pipelines, and electric power) are complex and expensive. They also involve trade-offs that must be carefully considered and a long term commitment to plan, construct, maintain and operate. The success of the Fort Berthold Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plan is dependent on community engagement, strong leadership, clear research and analysis, and a clear strategic vision. The Fort Berthold Comprehensive Regional Transportation Plan process will take 12–16 months to complete. During this time there will be a series of public meetings designed to provide information, identify areas of interest, areas of concern, areas of research, and a basis for future decisions and directions. Subject matter experts will be hired to assist in the research and analysis that supports rational decisions. There may not be a unanimous opinion among the Fort Berthold community about specific areas, but with good participation and engagement, there will be areas of consensus. This consensus will be the basis for a long term commitment of resources to make Fort Berthold a safe, prosperous, culturally rich place to raise a family, have a business, and secure our future.

This project is designed around the unique culture, governance, and strategic goals of the Tribe and is built to increase the knowledge and participation levels of Tribal members (on and off reservation) about future development; including outreach activities that engage the youth, elders, veterans, spiritual leaders, businesses, schools, programs, and neighbors. Our approach is designed to build trust and cohesion between Tribal government, local organizations, our Tribal communities, and other stakeholders and partners in the region in order to continue creating a brighter future for the next generations. If Fort Berthold wins – the entire region wins too.

There are two major themes that will run throughout the planning process and that the community members and leaders will encounter. First we want to answer the questions: Where are we from? Where are we now? Where do we want to be 20 years from now? These are important dots to connect in order to establish a strong foundation for understanding our current situation and forming a consensus for future endeavors. The second major theme or strategy is to incorporate the Community Readiness Model as a means to assess the readiness of the community to address each subject area. Here, the community is the people, leaders, and institutions together as one. Our chances for success are dramatically increased if we have understanding and consensus among these groups. For more information on the Community Readiness Model, see below.

Bubar & Hall Consulting assessed MHA Nation’s Community Readiness score for the transit portion of the Comprehensive Regional Transportation Planning to be 3.1. This score was determined by conducting interviews with Fort Berthold residents, leadership and service providers. These interviews were then analyzed, discussed and scored (based on the Community Readiness scoring system) in order to assess MHA Nation’s readiness for the transit planning portion of the project. Because Community Readiness is central to our approach, we will conduct a similar study for each component of the plan. We will aim to continue moving to the next level of community awareness by using some of the following strategies:

• Make one-on-one visits with community leaders/members
• Visit established small groups to share information with them about public transit and community transportation needs
• Approach and engage local services and programs to assist in the education and awareness effort by including flyers, posters, or brochures in their materials or outreach efforts
• Prepare and submit short informational “blurbs” on public transit for church bulletins, local newsletters, club newsletters, etc.