Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Objective 1. Collaborate with community residents, research faculty, Extension faculty, private sector representatives, NGOs and state agency representatives to identify current focused, multi-state community development research areas, as well as future areas of work, which might include regional clustered development, agricultural and eco-tourism, enterprise development (off-farm and on farm/ranch), or alternative forestry products and markets. Accomplishments: " Employment impacts from closure of Mohave Power Plant in Bullhead City, Arizona and Laughlin, Nevada " Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Public Land Grazing in Elko County, Nevada " Economic Assessment of Development in Anaconda, Montana " Developed fiscal impact model for the state of Nevada employing cross-sectional and time-series data. " Estimate potential employment impacts of closure of Tonopah Test range for Nye County Commissioners. " Collaborated with Idaho Assembly to estimate cyclical trends in state revenues. Objective 2: Develop funding support for research programs through grants and contracts that could include National Research Initiative (NRI), foundation RFPs, or agency and private sector contracts. Accomplishments: " Funds from regional research Hatch Project NE-1011 were used as well as U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration University Center program. Elko County Commissioners provided $15,000 to study impacts of mining on the Elko County economy. " U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration provided $20,000 to study employment dislocation from closure of Mohave Power Plant. " University Center funds from U.S. Department of Commerce assist in analysis of Nevada economic trends. " Approximately $16,000 from University of Nevada Medical School to estimate economic impacts of county health sector. Objective 3. Develop funding support for development of tailored outreach materials (including highly focused curricula) in areas such as regional economic clusters, entrepreneurial development, or value added opportunities to be delivered by cooperative extension and other partners. Accomplishments: " Report from employment dislocation in Colorado River system provided information for cluster economic analysis. " Results of Anaconda, Montana research provide cluster economic development analysis. Objective 4. Disseminate research findings and outreach materials to land grant institutions and rural communities via policy briefs, websites (on-demand training), professional journals, and private sector or agency newsletters and conferences. Accomplishments: " The WRDC Newsletter, Rural Connections, is published quarterly by the WRDC and serves as a resource for the regions LGUs, government and non-government partners and others by disseminating research. Each issue of Rural Connections highlights one topic which correlates to one of the Centers focus areas (Enterprise Development, Capacity of Land Grant Universities and Partners, Civic Capacity and Land Use/Public Policy). The newsletter also includes regular features on community development, publications, data sources, the Centers Board of Directors and upcoming events. To view the newsletters online go to http://extension.usu.edu/wrdc/newsletter.cfm . Objective 5. Deliver training and technical assistance to extension, federal, state and NGO audiences. Accomplishments: " .Presentation of results of Community Business Matching model made a Galaxy III conference and a book chapter. Objective 6. Catalyze new relationships between land grant faculty and rural development partners nationally and throughout the Western region. Relationships could include joint publications, joint research conferences, policy analysis and recommendations, or joint curriculum development and delivery. Accomplishments: " The WRDC signed an MOU with the RUPRI Center for Rural Entrepreneurship where we now co-brand out reach educational materials focused on supporting rural entrepreneurs. " Curriculum: Building on Assets and Mobilizing for Collective Action has been adopted by a Utah State University Anthropologist and is being applied in rural communities in Peru during the summer of 2006. In addition, Dr. Glass-Coffin will be translating this curriculum into Spanish for future publication by the WRDC