Mission
Providing planning and economic development services to improve the Region’s environment, economy, and quality of life.
What we do
The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC) is a Commission of nine counties located along the Mississippi River in Western Wisconsin. The Commission was organized in 1964 under Wisconsin State Statutes to plan for the physical, social and economic development of the Region. Other authorized functions include providing advisory services on regional issues to local governments and other public and private agencies, acting as a coordinating agency for programs and activities and contracting with local units of government to make studies and offer advice on land use, thoroughfares, community facilities, public improvements, and the encouragement of economic and other developments.
What is a regional planning commission?
A regional planning organization is a multi-service entity within a state that delivers a variety of federal, state, and local programs. They provide planning and technical assistance to their member local governments. As such, they are accountable to local units of government, and effective partners for state and federal governments. Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission is the regional planning organization serving Western Wisconsin.
Who we serve
The region of Western Wisconsin is made up of 9 counties. They include Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Trempealeau, and Vernon County.
The Region covers more than 6,000 square miles and in 2010 had a population of over 317,000. This area is known as the Driftless Area, as it was untouched by glaciers in the last Ice Age therefore lacking glacial drift (rock and other debris left behind by glaciers). This unique experience left the area with a more rugged topography, characterized by steep, forested ridges, deeply carved river valleys, and karst geology (link to definition) with spring-fed waterfalls and cold-water trout streams.
Accomplishments
- Prepared comprehensive plans for counties, cities, villages and towns.
- Prepared and updated Multi-Hazard Mitigation plans for counties.
- Provided loan administrative services to five revolving loan funds that provided over $1 million in business loans that leveraged over $18 million in private financing and 129 new or retained jobs.
- Provided successful park and recreation grant writing assistance for hiking trails, handicapped fishing piers, ADA renovations to rest rooms—shower facilities, an RV dump station and land acquisition for park expansion.
- Provided successful grant writing assistance for $ millions of federal Economic Development Administration funding for many of the regions industrial parks.
- Provided successful grant writing assistance of over $260,000 that led to state and federal funding for land acquisition for the Village of Gays Mills so it could relocate from its floodplain location and hire a fulltime flood recovery coordinator.
- Provided successful State Technology Zone tax credit administrative services totaling over $1.4 million for S&S Cycle, River Steel, Triple R, MacDonald Owen, Authenticom, D&S Manufacturing and Cashton Farm Supply to assist in their respective expansion projects totaling over $17 million in plant and equipment and 145 new or retained jobs.
- Provided technical assistance and fund raising assistance to establish commuter bus service connecting 15 communities in Crawford, Vernon, Monroe, and La Crosse counties with four separate bus routes and most running four times a day. Work commuters, students, and shoppers all can use this service.