Representatives from local cities presented plans for developing tourism at the Annual Butte County Tourism Meeting in Biggs, Tuesday at the Bayliss Ranch.

About 75 representatives from local governments, businesses and other organizations sat at tables under the shade of an orange tree at the Bayliss Lavender Ranch to hear new ideas about sparking tourism in the county.

"Tourism is absolutely the future for Butte County," said Charlotte Hilgeman of Stirling City.

Debra Lucero, contracted by Butte County to direct cultural tourism, said tourism is becoming a premium industry in this region.

"It's going to be the number one industry," Lucero said. "Even though agriculture is the number one industry in Butte County, tourism will be the number one industry north of Sacramento by the year 2020, according to the Great Valley Center."

Lucero added 'cultural' to the county's tourism plan three years ago when she began working for the county, because cultural spans many facets of tourism including heritage and agricultural tourism.

Lucero said developing tourism takes time, and it also takes cooperation and partnerships between many entities and stakeholders. People need to look at the big picture, rather than focusing only in one direction.

"Butte County is not an isolated unit but part of a regional picture, and working collaboratively will be essential to paint that picture for a larger audience," Lucero said.

Lucero said often people who live close to a tourism attraction don't realize its value, like people living next to Disneyland who never go there.

In this area, she said there are many recreational and outdoors attractions that people from cities would like to visit, including but not limited to Bald Rock, Lake Oroville, Table Mountain and the Feather River.

First, agencies and stakeholders within the county need to partner and collaborate to develop tourism, then they can begin working on a regional level. This happens when the various groups come together at events such as the one held today, she said.

"Once connected, we can begin working with people from the outside," Lucero said.

Eileen Burke-Trent, coordinator for the South Butte Smart Growth and Sustainable Farms and Communities Coalition, talked about preserving and protecting the environment and agriculture while promoting smart growth.

Burke-Trent formed the organization, which is now becoming a non-profit. It is comprised of volunteers who want to have a voice in planning for future growth. Often, she said local governments have the say in growth and projects that impact the residents of the community. The smart growth principles include mixed use, walkable neighborhoods, and preserving open space.

Mixed use means planning neighborhoods that combine residential with other uses such as commercial, which allows people to walk to stores.

One of the non-profit's goals is to encourage a countywide system of walking, jogging and biking trails, Burke-Trent said.

Representatives from cities around the county spoke about tourism in their neighborhoods.

Tom Fitzpatrick, of the Oroville Redevelopment Agency, said the city had developed a Riverfront Development Plan along the Feather River. The plan includes public and private development along the river. The plan runs from Riverbend Park, a regional park developed by the Feather River Recreation and Park District to the proposed Veteran's memorial Park, planned by the Veterans Memorial Committee.

A Gateway Park is planned to attract visitors into the downtown, with a mix of commercial and private development, including a hotel. The city just broke ground on the first phase of the plan, the Centennial Plaza.

Alice Patterson, of the Chico Chamber of Commerce, said they are focusing on a four season's program to attract tourists year round. They are forming partnerships between lodging and restaurants to offer package deals. The city has just installed the first of several informational and directional kiosks.

Andrea Redamonti, community development director for the city of Gridley, said Gridley has several projects going relating to tourism, including the Highway 99 widening and underground utilities.

Through the general plan, the city of Gridley wants to ensure some newer planning concepts for development, including mixed use development and walkable neighborhoods. Gridley also wants to attract visitors to Gray Lodge.