Grand Valley Metropolitan Council is an alliance of governmental units in the West Michigan area that are appointed to plan for the growth and development, improve the quality of the community's life, and coordinate governmental services. LEGISLATIVE: GVMC works proactively with stakeholders, as well as state and federal officials to analyze current legislative issues and impact legislation that affects our interests. The Council works to educate our communities about issues that affect them and promote the interests of local government in Lansing. TRANSPORTATION: The transportation department's mission is to provide a forum for continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative regional multi-mode transportation planning processes. The Department is involved in regional planning, management and operations, air quality, data collection and distribution, public involvement and education, and interaction with various joint programs of GVMC, Kent and Ottawa Counties, the State of Michigan, and the US Department of Transportation. The transportation department of GVMC is in charge of implementing the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) planning process. REGIS: An acronym for "Regional Geographic Information System," provides a common database, infrastructure, and suite of applications used for spatial data management by our members. To facilitate a more informed decision making process, twenty cities, townships, and quasi-governmental organizations have joined together to develop REGIS, one of the largest local government multi-participant Geographic Information System (GIS) projects. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS & LGROW GVMC’s Department of Environmental Programs addresses resource issues in the area we serve, and also houses the Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW) who’s mission is to understand, protect, and improve the natural resources of the Lower Grand River Watershed.