Our Panhandle Roots
Though the Panhandle, with its regional population of 427,927 living on the West Texas prairie may seem small to those living in a large metropolitan area, residents who live here proudly consider this region "their world." When a tiny seed is planted, such as the one that created the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission in 1969, something important emerges. Roots grow where resources - such as water, oxygen, and minerals - are available. Once the initial root completes its job of anchoring the plant to the soil, the secondary roots begin to branch off. Roots don't necessarily grow in any particular direction. Instead, root growth is opportunistic in its timing and its orientation.
The Planning Commission, like a tree growing from a tiny seed, has been developing a strong root system since its creation four decades ago. Our roots equate to hundreds of programs developed and sustained, new partnerships and collaborations which have developed, funding sources which have been tapped to underwrite activities, employees who have recruited and retained, and hundreds of Panhandle folks who have volunteered to help improve our region. It is not uncommon for a tree's root system to have a much larger diameter than the height of the tree. The PRPC's root system has grown deep and strong through the past 40 years and is symbolic of the Planning Commission's growth, development and success.
