Enhancing Rural Sustainability Initiative

In the upcoming years, much of the PPC's work will be focused on a specific area of concern, Enhancing Rural Sustainability (ERS). Longer-term projects (e.g., two to three years) are anticipated to address a myriad of issues related to rural sustainability in Nebraska.

The area of concern was chosen unanimously by the PPC's Advisory Board in its January 2000 meeting. In choosing this theme, the PPC Advisory Board sought to include research and understanding in many related areas such as: agricultural sustainability; rural community viability; quality of life issues; taxation equity; the implications and use of technologies; the impact of demographic changes; immigration and emigration; accessing, affording, and providing social and medical services; profiles of thriving communities in the Great Plains region; historical understanding of rural community crises; the value of strong rural economies to the state as a whole; institutions such as banks, courts, grocery stores, schools, and hospitals and their roles in rural communities; education and educating the new workforce; brokering new relationships, partnerships, and cooperative activities among rural communities and between rural communities and urban communities; and redefining community. The Advisory Board also discussed the importance of collaborating not only within the University, but also with state, private, regional, and national efforts to provide insights and visibility to the issue.

Projects included under the ERS umbrella include:

• Carbon Sequestration Project
• Meat Inspection Project
• National Survey of American Families Urban/Rural Well-being Project
• Paying for the Good Life Forums
• Public Policy Seminar Series
• School Finance/Organization Conference
• Succession in State Government Project