Summary of those elements we see as essential to a sustainable EcoVillage:

    1) Community wide ownership of all common land.
      2) Community tax only on the capital gains realized through resale of condominium interest. This tax will be 50% of the realized gain after inflation. The tax collected will go for further development and improvements to the whole village.
      3) Water collection, purification and aquifer recharge systems. Hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet light or ozone will be used for purification instead of chlorine or other toxic chemicals.
      4) Onsite purification of sewage through similar technologies, as is currently being done in Orange County, CA and El Paso, TX.
      5) Onsite building materials will be used wherever possible; other materials will be purchased from as near to the site as possible. The soil on our site is excellent for compressed earth bricks. Local clays will be investigated for their suitability for architectural ceramics production on site. Wood products for doors and cabinets will be kiln-dried from New Mexico. Recycled materials will be used when desirable.
      6) Enough food production and processing will be done on site to substantially provide basic needs for all residents. Fruit and nut orchards will be part of the landscape, a food processing center will encourage canning, drying and pickling. Gardens will be everywhere. Greenhouses are planned.
      7) Renewable Energy; Mariposa homes can be off the grid, or contributing to it. Sun, wind, hydrogen and methane will be the prime sources of energy.
      8) Reduced auto-centricity. No cars and trucks will be allowed in the core of each neighborhood (except in case of emergency). There will be parking lots available at the edge. Internal transportation will be by electric trolley, golf carts, or other more aerobic forms of transport. Walking and cycling will be encouraged since it is planned that most needs can be met within less than a mile of any residence.
      9) Industrial Workshops and Commercial Businesses. Spaces for these are part of the overall plan. Initial businesses will serve the construction phase of Mariposa, including composting, growing food, cabinetry, tile-making, earthen blocks, and the like. These will serve as well for on-going replacement needs, but may grow to serve the larger community outside Mariposa as well.
      10) Monitoring and Technical Expertise. The entire village will be a laboratory for monitoring air, water, soils, sewage and all wastes. Mariposa will own and operate a lab for this purpose, and all residents encouraged to contribute their own data into the system. The lab will be available for materials testing as well.
      11) Education will be ongoing. As currently planned, education, research and training will be provided by the High Plains Institute for Applied Ecology, which will also serve to provide education programs for people outside the Mariposa community.
      12) Finance. Mariposa is planning to develop its own Credit Union, community Currency, and/or trade-exchange system.
      13) Healthcare. The goal is to encourage a healthy lifestyle with organic food and opportunities for exercise as a natural quality of daily life. However, we also intend to have a small clinic on site staffed with a nurse practitioner to handle routine health checks and minor emergencies as needed.

     The primary overall goal for Mariposa is to be an example of a healthy local community that is sustainable in all aspects - agriculture, commerce, industry, water use, energy use, education, healthcare and finance. These are the aspects we have discovered so far, and do not cover the creative arts, which we hope this vision will encourage.