Special for The Willits News

A concept building sustainable, localized economies has become a movement, particularly in Mendocino County.

Beginning 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6, at Willits Community Center, representatives from localization groups in Willits, Laytonville, Ukiah, Anderson Valley, and the Coast will form the panel of A Mendo Network of Localizers. The public is welcome to attend.

Members of WELL (Willits Economic LocaLization), CELL (Coast Economic LocaLization), SL (Sustainable Laytonville), GULP (Greater Ukiah Localization Project), and AVFSP (Anderson Valley FoodShed Project) will offer insights into their successes and stumbling-blocks along the way. They are actively planning for a very different future that they say is coming and believe isnt very far away.

The keynote address will be given by localization enthusiast Els Cooperrider, candidate for 5th-District County Supervisor, who spearheaded the successful Measure H, an initiative banning the growing of genetically engineered crops in this county. Shes the owner of Ukiah Brewing Company, the first certified organic brew pub and restaurant in the United States.

Also highlighting the evening will be three mystery guestsdistinguished members of our community, well-known to many, who have agreed to speak briefly about the importance of localization, especially from their unique vantage-points. One is a banker, one an NGO (non-governmental organization) economic developer, and one a community developer/philanthropist. An extended question and answer period will follow.

WELL, which spearheaded the localization concept in this area, is hosting the gathering. The purpose is to allow representatives from the five active localization groups within Mendocino County to share their experiences while seeking to coordinate, cross-pollinate and support each other.

This evening will be a milestone, predicts Lanny Cotler, who will facilitate the town hall/panel discussion gathering. Were on the way to putting our county on the map showing the birth and spread of the phenomenon known as economic localization.

Localization, event organizers say, is a fancy word for the traditional concept of keeping it local, whether youre referring to business, food production, investment, employment, media distributionanything wherein you rely on local providers rather than big, centralized, corporate, absentee providers.

WELL co-founder Dr. Jason Bradford expands on the concept:

Its a pro-active way of dealing with globalization which tends to centralize or outsource the services, products, and infrastructures that our lives depend on.

Cottler believes localization has become the leading edge of 21st century socio-political development.

Apparently, there are a growing number of citizens across the nation who agree.

The Relocalization Network is growing every day, says the Oregon-based Post Carbon Institute. There are now over 70 Local Post Carbon Groups that are currently working toward preparing their communities for an energy constrained future.

On the East Coast, the E.F. Shumacher Society, based in Great Barrington, MA, is dedicated to linking people, land, and community by building local economies.

On both coasts, in between, and in Canada, the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies has formed networks in California, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington State, British Columbia, and Ontario.

Here in Willits, a little over a year ago, Bradford and a few others showed a documentary film called The End of Suburbia, which focuses on the inevitable depletion of affordable fossil fuel and what the loss could mean to our way of life, standard of living, and energy usage. In response to the films message, up to 90 people began meeting to prepare for a post-oil reality, forming the nucleus of WELL.

Within WELL, working groups were established to deal with various aspects of localization: water, food, shelter, energy, transportation, health & medicine, social organizations (the private and public organizations that form our social and economic infrastructure), and media (where we get our news and how we communicate, as a community, with each other).

WELLs success in developing an inventory of local needs and spearheading projects to meet those needs locally has inspired other communities to follow suit both within and without Mendocino County.

Citizens who wish to learn more and find ways to participate in the growing localization movement can call Spring at the Renewable Energy Development Institute, stop by REDI Haus at 121 W. Commercial St., or call Lanny Cotler at 367-1812.