In the next 40 years, the San Joaquin Valley is expected to more than double in size from 3.3 to seven million residents. Are we prepared for such exponential growth?

Two public television stations serving the San Joaquin Valley joined with Valley sponsors to examine the issues in four half-hour programs that address the key challenges affecting the economic vitality of the region. Topics include economic and workforce development, health & human services, air quality and the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Project, which covers land use, water, resources and transportation issues.

The series documents the work of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, established by Governor Schwarzenegger and including representatives from eight counties from Kern to San Joaquin. The series is produced by Valley Public Television/KVPT in Fresno in cooperation with KVIE in Sacramento and will complement regional planning efforts now underway.

The third episode, sponsored by the Valley Air District, debuted on KVPT on Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7 p.m. and was followed by a 30-minute roundtable discussion hosted by Neil Koenig, Ph.D., a Fresno-based family business and management consultant. Viewers had the opportunity to call KVPT and submit questions to the panel. You can stream the third episode here to learn more about the Valley's air quality outlook.

• The San Joaquin Valley: The Air Quality Outlook
• Panel discussion featuring:
• Kerry Drake, EPA deputy director Region 9
• Steve Worthley, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Governing Board chair
• Peter E. Weber, chair of Air-quality Taskforce of the Governor's Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley