The NARC&DC has been tracking the status of the White House Rural Council. President Sipperly and Jeanette Jamieson, the NARC&DC First Vice-President and Chair of the Political Strategy Committee, have been hard at work ensuring that Congress and the Administration are aware of the RC&D Program.

The Rural Council is an Executive Branch entity that consists of only high level Administration officials (such as Energy Secretary, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, etc.). At this time, no members are from outside of the Administration’s highest level appointees. The Council will work to enhance and promote public-private partnerships across Rural America. We at the NARC&DC will work to ensure that the RC&D Program and RC&D Councils are known entities with an established track record of project implementation through an effective public-private partnership.

We have submitted questions to key Members of Congress to ask Administration officials on the RC&D Program. One question specifically relates to the White House Rural Council. The question is as follows:

“The Administration has recently moved forward with an Executive Order establishing the White House Rural Council to Strengthen Rural Communities. Our understanding of this Executive Order is that the Council will coordinate programs across government to encourage public-private partnerships to promote further economic prosperity and quality of life in rural communities nationwide. It is my understanding that the RC&D Program was doing these things quite effectively with USDA through NRCS and the USDA RC&D Policy Advisory Board. The difference is that the RC&D Program was locally directed. Would it make more sense to utilize RC&D’s effective delivery system to enhance the goals of the Rural Council but on larger scale?”

We will do our best to keep you, our member Councils, informed on this and other issues impacting the RC&D Program. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with your comments, questions or concerns.

Click the link below to view the Executive Order http://rcdnet.squarespace.com/storage/legislative-updates/2011ruralcouncil_eo_rel.pdf