The paper addresses the importance of developing a rural community's commercial sector for economic development by providing some analytical tools. Procedures are outlined to estimate commercial sector activity in a community, to estimate commercial sector activity for various counties within a state (Nevada is used as an example), and to develop…

Part of a series on economic recovery strategies and techniques for assessing, managing, and mitigating the impacts of economic decline resulting from plant closures, substantial layoffs, or plant relocation, this paper presents a model local leaders can use to analyze, plan, and organize activities. As a means of illustrating the kinds of impacts…

This publication reports accomplishments of the National Extension Task Force for Community Leadership and makes recommendations for strengthening educational programming in community leadership in the Cooperative Extension System. The recommendations are presented in the context of a "white paper" rather than formal policy. High…

This document presents a rationale and procedures for a series of workshops on land use planning. It was developed initially as a response to the need for information and materials for land use planning in rural Alaska. A four cycle planning model is provided and a suggested format is offered for an individual workshop session. Each session…

Discusses the money saving practice of small communities contracting with neighboring communities for special government services like firefighting. Using fire protection as an example, provides practical information for negotiating a fair price. Stresses establishing a bargaining range within which negotiations can take place--setting upper and…

Some 280 industry, education, labor, and state and local government leaders exchanged information about how Appalachian programs can harness technology to make traditional industries more competitive, package capital for job-creating industries and business, launch service industries, match education with jobs, and fit displaced workers into the…

The purpose of this guidebook is to help elected leaders of small towns and communities stretch their investments when matching funds are required to compete for a grant or to pay for development costs above the grant award itself. The federal "small cities" Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is used as an example throughout the…

Although useful for any community development planning team, this handbook is designed to assist Future Farmers of America chapter committees in coordinating Building Our American Communities (BOAC) projects. Ten steps for successful chapter participation in the BOAC program are outlined. These steps include selecting the BOAC committee and…

Some local governments in nonmetro areas--especially those in the rural West and in very rural areas--experienced high levels of fiscal stress in the mid-seventies that were associated with high and rising local taxes. These local governments may be forced to cut back their rural development activities in the eighties. Fiscal pressures on local…

Appalachian Regional Commission accomplishments from 1983-1985 included education projects focusing on basic skills, vocational education, and school dropout reduction serving some 100,000 people for $11.5 million and health projects placing 350 physicians in underserved areas. Future proposals and resources may focus on special areas within…

This text is intended as a basis for community development educators to increase their understanding of the elements of community development, assess systematically the strengths and weaknesses of a community development situation, examine one approach to community development education and the principles from which it grew, and gain confidence in…

Papers presented at a symposium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Rural Sociology of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are collected in this volume. The first four papers--by Olaf Larson, Edward Moe, Daryl Hobbs, and Robert Gard--discuss the department's history, emphasizing the contributions of outstanding…

Discusses how rural groups might approach corporations to forge partnerships for a variety of educational and community programs and activities. Makes specific suggestions for selecting corporations, writing the first requests for information, evaluating responses, and following up leads. Includes a section on the workings of Apple Computer's…

A panel on technology transfer considered ways in which educational instructions and industry could share attempts to innovate. Examples of technology transfer in action included Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Partnership, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's program, and NASA's Technology Utilization Division. Results of an Appalachian Regional study…

Business incubators can help fledgling firms get off the ground by providing business services and rental space, at below-market costs, for a business's first few years. The payoff for the community is more jobs. Concentrated until recently in urban areas, incubators are now succeeding in rural areas too. (JHZ)