NEC1000: The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NEC1000: The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
Duration: 10/01/2001 to 09/30/2006
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
The Northeast Center for Rural Development believes that small towns and rural places are the basic building blocks of rural areas, and, in the context of globalization, they are becoming increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, resulting in an ever increasing number of public issues needing resolution. The Center recognizes that individuals, the foundation of these rural communities, are capable of growth, development and change, and that rural quality of life can be enhanced by increasing the individual, organizational, and problem-solving knowledge and skills of rural residents. Finally, the Northeast Center believes that creating a shared vision for the future of sustainable communities requires democratic participation.
Specific Issues:
1. Major socio-economic shifts such as globalization are taxing the ability of small towns and rural places to maintain productive and sustainable economies, due to their small size, geographic isolation, low population density, lack of employment diversification, and traditional dependence on natural resource based industries and routine manufacturing. Superimposed on this set of structural conditions is the on-going process of federal devolution, under which more and more decisions are being pushed to the local level. Applied research and extension can help public and private decision makers adjust to: a) structural realignments affecting the economic bases of rural economies, b) cyclical trends in the national and global economies, and c) more effective transportation and information linkages which increase rural-urban economic integration. The Center's focus will be on ameliorating problems and helping communities identify and respond to potential opportunities.
2. For rural localities to become self sustainable, their leaders must acquire the technical knowledge needed to deal with the increasingly complex and controversial issues they face. Increasing societal awareness of various issues places new burdens on rural leaders and administrators. Some of these burdens are: concerns about the environment and natural resources; roads, highways, and infrastructure; environmental impacts; waste management and water quality; fire protection; and law enforcement; health care and recreation; education and social service; liability insurance and risk management; and changing local economies and changing local economic export and tax bases. Educational programs based upon research, experience, and demonstrated need for local users will be continually upgraded and adapted as appropriate for the clientele.
3. Existing services in rural areas are not meeting the special needs of diverse populations such as youth and the elderly, poor and disadvantaged individuals and families, and culturally diverse audiences. Service areas requiring special attention are housing, nutrition, health, education, transportation, and communications. Research and education programs will focus on assessing the delivery of services to rural communities, families, and individuals; raising awareness on the uniqueness of their needs; and collaborating with other groups to search for ways to meet these needs.
4. To maintain current and future uses of our natural resources, rural communities must change from a traditional to a more holistic management approach, one that is guided by and in tune with a multi-objective approach. This change requires accommodating the differing objectives of rural resource owners, residents, urban dwellers, and the general public who rely on rural land, air, and water resources for sustenance, recreation, and aesthetics. Applied research and extension programs will factor into environmental issues resolution both positive and negative influences such as demographics, economic, social, aesthetic, and political variables as programs are formulated and implemented.
Objectives
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Improving economic competitiveness, diversity and adaptability of small and/or rural communities.
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Facilitating development of policies that enhance the well-being of rural people and small towns.
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Increasing community capacity to deal with change.
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Increasing social and economic viability by enhancing the self-reliance of families and communities.
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Linking natural resource industries, including agriculture, with community and environmental resources.
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Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Better coordination of functionally integrated efforts in rural development involving research and extension faculty -- university-and field-based, and administrators from land-grant institutions.
- Improved access to factual information and decision-making tools for citizens, community decision-makers, organizational leaders, and other rural development professionals.
- More informed decisions by agency and organization personnel at the regional and national levels.
- Greater participation in decisions by both private and public policy makers in the states, region, and nation.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Direct participation by NE Cooperative Extension specialists and agents will be supplemented by extensive information on the Center's home page.
Organization/Governance
The Northeast Center is administered by a joint agreement between USDA and the site institution operating for the Cooperative Extension Service and the Experiment Station in the region. Major core funding comes from the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) - and the region's land-grant universities. A board of directors, composed of administrators and faculty from the institutions, representatives of CSREES, and the Economic Research Service (ERS) -- USDA, and representatives from public and private agencies and organizations, establishes policies and programming emphases. Plans of work and annual reports approved by the various funders provide accountability for receipts and expenditures of public and private monies.
Literature Cited