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Blog

  • Reinvesting in rural America

    Reinvesting in rural America

    Patricia Hernandez

    Reversing the legacy of rural disinvestment—and deliberately designing solutions for rural America—is a down payment on our shared future. Read more

  • Conservation leaders have a role in building equitable communities

    Conservation leaders have a role in building equitable communities

    Patricia Hernandez

    How we manage population centers is intertwined with our conservation of wild areas. The more we create equitable population centers in places people want to live, the more we can create durable, landscape-scale conservation outcomes outside of towns. Read more

  • People are hungry: Food insecurity in America

    People are hungry: Food insecurity in America

    Janet Clark

    For millions of Americans experiencing food insecurity with low incomes, low food access, and no car, putting healthy food on the table is a logistical nightmare. Read more

  • The health and fiscal vulnerability of rural recreation counties

    The health and fiscal vulnerability of rural recreation counties

    Mark Haggerty

    Where rural recreation counties rely on public funding for health care, fiscal solutions should diversify the ways local governments can save and spend. Read more

  • Preparing for wildfires during a pandemic

    Preparing for wildfires during a pandemic

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    Managing wildfires during a pandemic will test the capacity of our first responders, but individual homeowners can take steps now to reduce wildfire risks. Read more

  • Building a Federal Land Endowment

    Building a Federal Land Endowment

    Mark Haggerty

    The bipartisan Forest Health for Rural Stability Act would establish a federal land endowment and resolve key challenges of federal land payments to counties. Read more

  • PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties

    PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties

    Mark Haggerty

    Analysis shows raising Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) population limits for small-population counties would have increased total payments by $2 million in 2019. Read more

  • Wildfire Hazard Assessments Inform Land Use Planning

    Wildfire Hazard Assessments Inform Land Use Planning

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.

    Wildfire hazard assessment maps can help communities build safer neighborhoods, prioritize mitigation resources, and adapt to wildfire. Read more

  • Getting Real About Rural Resilience

    Getting Real About Rural Resilience

    Mark Haggerty

    Rural and isolated communities face wrenching economic and demographic transitions. A solution to uncertainty is to focus on resilience. Read more

  • Coal Transition in Montrose County, Colorado

    Coal Transition in Montrose County, Colorado

    Mark Haggerty

    New fiscal and policy assessments help local leaders understand their exposure to declining revenue and policy barriers during a coal transition. Read more

  • How Outdoor Recreation Supports Rural Economic Development

    How Outdoor Recreation Supports Rural Economic Development

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Investing in outdoor recreation is one of several strategies that can help rural communities thrive in a changing economy. Read more

  • Land Use Planning More Effective Than Logging to Reduce Wildfire Risk

    Land Use Planning More Effective Than Logging to Reduce Wildfire Risk

    Kelly Pohl

    Updated: For communities land use planning is more effective than logging on federal lands to reduce future wildfire disasters. Read more

  • Wildfire, Watersheds, and the Wildland-Urban Interface in the San Luis Valley

    Wildfire, Watersheds, and the Wildland-Urban Interface in the San Luis Valley

    Kelly Pohl

    Partners in Colorado’s San Luis Valley are working to better understand the impacts of wildfire to communities, watersheds, and quality of life. Read more

  • City Trails: Improving Equitable Access

    City Trails: Improving Equitable Access

    Chris Mehl

    Urban trail efforts increasingly are focusing on providing equitable access to trails. Trails and parks can create substantial benefits for public health, property values, and quality of life. Read more

  • Youth Migration in the West

    Youth Migration in the West

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Western counties are experiencing a wide disparity in youth migration. While some are attracting and keeping young adults and families, others are struggling. Read more

  • Which Counties Saw Significant Changes in Poverty Rates?

    Which Counties Saw Significant Changes in Poverty Rates?

    Scott Story

    While national poverty rates dropped in the last year, the county-level picture is mixed. Read more

  • The Growth of Hispanic Populations Across the West

    The Growth of Hispanic Populations Across the West

    Kelly Pohl

    Hispanics account for roughly one in four westerners and one in six rural westerners. Read more

  • Disasters and Populations at Risk: Lack of Vehicle Makes Evacuation Difficult

    Disasters and Populations at Risk: Lack of Vehicle Makes Evacuation Difficult

    Megan Lawson, Ph.D.

    Lack of access to a vehicle, poverty, and disabilities, can make evacuation difficult or impossible for some households. Read more

  • Fire & Flood: Lessons from Hurricane Harvey for Wildfire

    Fire & Flood: Lessons from Hurricane Harvey for Wildfire

    Kelly Pohl

    A lack of land use planning amplified the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Wildfire-prone communities should take note. Read more

  • Which Counties Are Most Reliant on Medicaid?

    Which Counties Are Most Reliant on Medicaid?

    Patricia Hernandez

    National interactive map and charts show Medicaid-dependent counties and populations at risk. Read more

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