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RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM |
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Goals
- Strengthen the capacity of rural communities to develop sustainable local economies.
- Diversify economies of communities dependent on declining traditional forest products.
- Enhance the quality of life in America's rural communities.
- Stimulate development of competitive, environmentally responsible forest and nonforest based enterprises.
Program Description
This program is focused on strengthening rural communities by balancing economic development and quality of life enhancement. Technical and financial assistance may be provided to local communities and businesses directly or through partner organizations to diversify economic activities based on natural resource assets. Emphasis is on long-term sustainable solutions that are needs driven and community-led.
The program provides money and technical expertise to qualified communities that are economically dependent on natural resources and are adversely affected by federal or private sector land management decisions. Specific actions focus on planning, organizing, and implementing natural resource-based projects and new economic activity in forest and/or nonforest, resource-related industries.
To qualify for the program, a community must be within 100 miles of a national forest, and not a metropolitan statistical area, and be economically disadvantaged. National Forest Supervisors and District Rangers are responsible for the delivery of this program to these communities. The community must establish an action team and develop an action plan. Funding assistance is provided to implement action plans based upon projects identified in the plans. A qualified community may submit its action plan annually for funding consideration of additional projects.
Go to the next Cooperative Program: Urban and Community Forestry
For more information contact:
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Steve Bush, CF Program Leader |
National Forest Contact: Forest Supervisors |
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