The bipartisan Forest Health for Rural Stability Act would establish a federal land endowment and resolve key challenges of federal land payments to counties.
Blog
PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population Counties
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.
Wildfire Hazard Assessments Inform Land Use Planning
Wildfire hazard assessment maps can help communities build safer neighborhoods, prioritize mitigation resources, and adapt to wildfire.
Getting Real About Rural Resilience
Rural and isolated communities face wrenching economic and demographic transitions. A solution to uncertainty is to focus on resilience.
Coal Transition in Montrose County, Colorado
New fiscal and policy assessments help local leaders understand their exposure to declining revenue and policy barriers during a coal transition.
How Outdoor Recreation Supports Rural Economic Development
Investing in outdoor recreation is one of several strategies that can help rural communities thrive in a changing economy.
Land Use Planning More Effective Than Logging to Reduce Wildfire Risk
Updated: For communities land use planning is more effective than logging on federal lands to reduce future wildfire disasters.
Wildfire, Watersheds, and the Wildland-Urban Interface in the San Luis Valley
Partners in Colorado’s San Luis Valley are working to better understand the impacts of wildfire to communities, watersheds, and quality of life.
City Trails: Improving Equitable Access
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.
Youth Migration in the West
Western counties are experiencing a wide disparity in youth migration. While some are attracting and keeping young adults and families, others are struggling.
Which Counties Saw Significant Changes in Poverty Rates?
While national poverty rates dropped in the last year, the county-level picture is mixed.
The Growth of Hispanic Populations Across the West
Hispanics account for roughly one in four westerners and one in six rural westerners.
Disasters and Populations at Risk: Lack of Vehicle Makes Evacuation Difficult
Lack of access to a vehicle, poverty, and disabilities, can make evacuation difficult or impossible for some households.
Fire & Flood: Lessons from Hurricane Harvey for Wildfire
A lack of land use planning amplified the devastation from Hurricane Harvey. Wildfire-prone communities should take note.
Which Counties Are Most Reliant on Medicaid?
National interactive map and charts show Medicaid-dependent counties and populations at risk.
The Context and Status of Colstrip’s Coal-Fired Power Plant
A guide to planning for the long-term social, economic and environmental well-being of the community of Colstrip, Montana.
Rural Communities, School Kids, and Federal Lands in the West
While most western rural counties are aging and losing young families, the loss of school kids in rural western counties with protected lands such as National Monuments was, on average, less than half the rate of loss for similar counties without protected lands.
Tennessee Wildfires: Now Is the Time to Plan
The wildfires that burned the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park devastated nearby communities and underscore the need to reduce the risks and costs of future catastrophic events.
As Energy Market Forces Shift Coal Woes West, Transition Planning Should Follow
The new Administration’s plans to remove coal regulations should not dampen efforts to shift coal transition planning West to assist displaced workers and diversify coal-dependent communities.
Trails Are Good for All But Not Available to All
Trails are good for people, but the health and social benefits of trails are not equally available to everyone.