The Clinch River Valley Initiative

The Clinch River Valley Initiative (CRVI) is a pioneering effort to build local economies in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia, focusing on the Clinch River Valley—one of the most biodiverse river systems in North America. Working at a watershed scale with several local partners, this collaborative grassroots effort has developed significant momentum with applicability for communities in Appalachia and beyond. Utilizing a consensus-based approach, project partners have articulated goals for connecting downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation, water quality, entrepreneurship and environmental education along the Clinch River, and have developed an Action Plan to realize the prioritized goals. CRVI is now a non-profit organization, but was previously coordinated by the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at the University of Virginia (IEN), with numerous local, regional and state partners. Christine coordinated and co-facilitated CRVI with Frank Dukes of IEN. Dialogue + Design has been a core part of the project since its inception in 2010 through process design, project management, meeting facilitation, meeting documentation, Action Plan development, grant writing and project evaluation. Additional information about the effort may be found on the website: clinchriverva.org

Download the CRVI One Page Brochure.