Editing Coon Rapids, Iowa (section)

==Iowa Great Place==
In October 2005, Coon Rapids-Whiterock area was elected a "Great Place" of Iowa for its rich history and resources, and creative future vision. The Great Places program, launched by Governor [[Tom Vilsack]] and implemented by the Department of Cultural Affairs, aimed to concentrate state agency resources on high-potential communities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iowagreatplaces.gov/pilots/coon_rapids.htm|title = Iowa Great Places|date = 16 October 2015}}</ref>

The local Great Place committee represents an alliance between the nonprofit [[Whiterock Conservancy]], the City of Coon Rapids, and the Coon Rapids Development Group.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.coonrapidsiowa.info/html/great_place_news.html |title=Great Place News |access-date=2007-09-14 |archive-date=2007-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911123257/http://www.coonrapidsiowa.info/html/great_place_news.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Whiterock Conservancy is an Iowan nonprofit organized in late 2004 to administer a {{convert|5000|acre|km2|adj=on}} private conservation land donation from the Garst family of Coon Rapids.  Its goals are environmental restoration, sustainable agriculture, and low-impact public use and education.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.whiterockconservancy.org/gp/GreatPlaces.htm |title=Whiterock Conservancy |access-date=2007-09-14 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060909111008/http://www.whiterockconservancy.org/gp/GreatPlaces.htm |archive-date=2006-09-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The first three Iowa Great Places (Coon Rapids, [[Clinton, Iowa|Clinton]] and [[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]]) were each awarded $1 million in seed money by the Iowa legislature. In September 2007, Coon Rapids was also awarded a $1.7 million Vision Iowa grant.  The Coon Rapids Great Place Program combines natural resource restoration with trails, public park development, elder care, diversity, historic preservation, microenterprise support, and tourism marketing.