Craig Daily Press

The aim is to provide simple answers for complicated questions.

The Yampa Valley Partners Community Indicators Project attempts to connect a variety of issues and demonstrate how they interlock with one another.

For instance, Executive Director Audrey Danner said, how do local graduation rates affect the local work force?

How do they affect other things, such as crime, or the public’s general view of Craig, Steamboat Springs or the Yampa Valley together?

“The indicators are a piece of information that attempt to measure our overall community health,” Danner said. “Our social health, our economic health, etc.”

Moffat County “School Dis­trict rates are not just the purview of the School District. They affect us all and the community together,” she said.

And so do aspects of river water flow, the elk population and air quality.

Danner said she anticipates the upcoming report for 2009-10 — expected to be released in January — will have new information about regional growth and challenges it may bring.

The group’s last indicators project gave statistics for 2005-06. Danner said it’s important to update old numbers and show trends.

“It’s obvious that with growth comes change,” she said, “and we will have figures on work force and housing and transportation, which are some key issues.”

Danner encouraged people to become involved.

“We emphasize the community participation more than just contracting resources,” she said. “The community input is more of a vital piece of information.”

It helps Yampa Valley Partners understand what information to look for, Danner said, and to see the information in a bigger picture.

Danner added she would especially like to talk with anyone involved in any work that deals with community needs or issues, such as government workers, builders and physicians.

Yampa Valley Partners is a nonprofit organization that originally started its indicators report in 1996 with a grant from the Colorado Trust, which had given out several grants around the state for similar projects.

Danner said Yampa Valley Partners is one of a few regional groups that still publishes a report.

It’s important, she added, that people use the report once it’s finished.

“It has to be used to be useful,” Danner said.

Craig Mayor Don Jones said he uses the report to see what needs to be improved within the city and what issues are being handled well.

“It’s got so much information on demographics and the different needs of the community and the whole valley,” he said. “Anything you need to know, you can find it there.”

Information such as available housing and the state of the job market can be found, Jones said.

“What they do is a good service to the whole area,” he added. “It’s a good working tool for all of us.”

Residents can call Danner at 871-7681 to become involved in the process.

Collin Smith can be reached at 875-1794 or cesmith@craigdailypress.com