The Center for Rural Pennsylvania

RURAL COMMUNITY BANKS PLAY POSITIVE ROLE IN ECONOMIC GROWTH OF COMMUNITIES
Community banks play a critical role in the economic prosperity of Pennsylvania's rural areas, according to recently released research sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The research, conducted in 2008, helped document the historical and significant role of community banks as investors in Pennsylvania businesses, and found the association to be stronger in rural counties than in urban counties.

For the research, community banks were defined, in part, as locally owned institutions with assets under $1 billion.

Dr. Victoria Geyfman of Bloomsburg University and Dr. Jonathan Scott of Temple University conducted the research. They examined the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the structure of local banking markets, which includes the number of banks in local markets and the share of deposits in that market, in Pennsylvania. They also compared the changes in market structure to measures of local economic health and examined the performance of banks operating in rural communities.

The research found that one of the most valuable traits of community banks is their unique knowledge of the local economy and expertise in local business prospects, which results in their competitive advantage in making relationship loans. The research found evidence that single-market banks in rural Pennsylvania have used this advantage to perform better in smaller rural counties.

However, the study also documented the lack of diversification in the loan portfolio of rural, single-county community banks that derive most of their funding from local markets. It also found that the reliance of rural community banks on local markets for deposits and loans makes them potentially more susceptible to local fluctuations in the economy and the entry of larger, diversified out-of-market rivals.

For a copy of the research findings, Challenges and Opportunities for Community Banks in Rural Pennsylvania, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or visit www.rural.palegislature.us.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 as part of Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities.

New Guide Offers Tips to Pennsylvania Schools, Farmers and Communities on Starting, Sustaining Farm to School Programs
A new guidebook to help Pennsylvania schools, farmers and communities develop a farm to school program is available from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The guide was developed especially for food service directors, teachers, administrators, school nurses, and school health and wellness committees. It was also written for farmers and suppliers who are interested in participating in a farm to school program but are unsure about when or how to develop relationships with local schools.

Farm to school programs aim to increase the supply of fresh, locally grown farm products served in school districts and tend to incorporate educational components designed to increase students’ understanding of and engagement with agriculture, nutrition, and health.

Growing the Links between Farms and Schools: A How-To Guidebook for Pennsylvania Farmers, Schools and Communities was developed through a grant from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania by Pennsylvania State University researchers Dr. Clare Hinrichs, Dr. Kai Schafft, Dara Bloom and Erin McHenry-Sorber.

The guidebook recognizes that both schools and farmers need to work together to make farm to school programs work effectively and describes a number of different ways to make connections and to start and sustain a successful farm to school program.

“This transfer of wealth provides all Pennsylvania communities with an historic opportunity for charitable investments,” said Senator John R. Gordner, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, which sponsored the study. “The Center hopes this study will spur conversations among philanthropic groups, community and economic development organizations, financial planners, agricultural interests, community residents and others working to enhance the quality of life in their community.

“We hope that, once residents understand the power of their charitable giving, they’ll consider making a charitable investment now or through their wills to strengthen their community for generations to come,” Sen. Gordner said.

The study also includes projections for all 67 Pennsylvania counties, showing the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next from 2005 to 2055.

The study shows that Adams County, for example, will see $9.25 billion transferred from one generation to the next by 2055. $1.35 billion, or about $38,000 per household, is expected to change hands by 2015.

The study results are available in the report Wealth Transfer in Pennsylvania. The study follows the work of Boston College researchers who found the United States was at the beginning of a $41 trillion transfer of wealth from one generation to the next. The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship conducted the Pennsylvania study and has conducted research in more than 10 states, including Wisconsin, Nebraska, Wyoming and Indiana.

Like Pennsylvania, those states face swiftly changing demographics, an aging population and the loss of young people to other states. Pennsylvania has also seen the loss of farmland acres over the past 30 years and a decline in high-wage manufacturing jobs. These factors have affected the quality of life in many Pennsylvania communities.

“This is an opportunity to think about community investment in a new way,” said Barry Denk, director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. “If residents think of their community as another heir and contribute just 5 percent of their wealth to their community, they can dramatically improve and sustain the quality of life for decades to come. This indeed would be a legacy.”

Center Board Approves Topics for 2009 Research Program
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors, chaired by Senator John R. Gordner, met today to approve the research topics that will be included in the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s 2009 Research Program.

The 21 research topics cover a range of issues related to agriculture, education, community and economic development, local government finance and administration, and natural resources and the environment.

“The diverse topics speak directly to the issues and opportunities facing Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents,” Sen. Gordner said.

He has directed the Center staff to prepare the formal Request for Proposals document for release in early March 2008. Eligible applicants for the Center’s research program include faculty of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities and Pennsylvania State University.

In other business, Sen. Gordner welcomed Dr. Theodore R. Alter, a professor of agricultural, environmental and regional economics in Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, to the Center’s board.

In addition to Senator Gordner, who serves the 27th Senatorial District, which includes all of Columbia, Northumberland, Montour and Snyder counties and parts of Luzerne and Dauphin counties, and Dr. Alter, the Center’s board includes; Senator John Wozniak, who serves the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties; Representative Tina Pickett, who represents the 110th District, which includes Sullivan County and parts of Bradford and Susquehanna counties; Representative Tim Seip, who represents the 125th District, which includes parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Dr. Keith T. Miller, president of Lock Haven University; Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh; Steve Crawford, Governor Edward Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; and William Sturges, executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Rural Affairs.

The Center is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 as part of Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities.

For Immediate Release
November 20, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Senate Resolution Commemorates Center’s 20 Years of Service to General Assembly and Rural Pennsylvania
On November 19, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Resolution 193 to commemorate the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s 20 years of service to the General Assembly. The resolution, introduced by Senator John R. Gordner, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, commends the Center’s research work and data and trend analyses, which benefit all Pennsylvanians.

“In the relatively short time span of 20 years, the Center has earned a reputation for its creditable and reliable information and its perspective on rural issues,” said Senator Gordner. “From township supervisors to school superintendents, Main Street managers to the media, legislators to executive branch personnel, the Center is often called upon to share its research and data on rural Pennsylvania.

“This reputation also extends beyond the commonwealth’s borders,” Sen. Gordner said, “as the Center is recognized at the national level for its quality work and is regularly called upon to contribute a Pennsylvania perspective on rural issues. Pennsylvania is, after all, home to the nation’s third largest rural population.”

As part of the commemoration, the Center hosted a dinner with keynote speaker Jeffrey G. Yost, president and chief executive officer of the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF). Mr. Yost’s comments addressed the potential impact of a current Center for Rural Pennsylvania study to measure inter-generational wealth transfer in Pennsylvania. The Center’s study is based on similar research, which has supported NCF’s community empowerment work since 1993.

NCF is heralded as a national model for its innovative work in community leadership, non-profit capacity building, estimating the intergenerational transfer of wealth to craft community endowment building goals, and linking charitable giving to building greater economic opportunity through entrepreneurship. NCF has been featured in many publications and articles, including The New York Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and both the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Ford Foundation refer to NCF as a national model that should be emulated in other rural landscapes.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

For Immediate Release
September 7, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Legislative Board Members Participate in Policy Session on Rural Family Economic Success
On September 5, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s legislative board members and legislators representing rural communities throughout the state participated in a policy session, sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures, on the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Rural Family Economic Success (RuFES) initiative.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Center for Rural Pennsylvania are cosponsoring a Pennsylvania RuFES initiative in November 2007.

The legislative policy session offered information on the RuFES “Earn It, Keep It, Grow It” goals and the objectives for the Pennsylvania initiative. The state initiative includes seven regional teams, made up of about 60 participants from 18 counties, that will develop and refine practical action plans to help low-income, working rural families better connect to opportunities that improve their financial wealth and economic status.

“We have the tools in Pennsylvania to promote economic success for all families,” said Senator John R. Gordner, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. “This session gave us food for thought on how we, as legislators, can fine tune those tools to further encourage and support low-income working Pennsylvanians.”

Other Center for Rural Pennsylvania legislative board members who participated in the policy session are Representative Tina Pickett, vice chairman; Senator John Wozniak, treasurer; and Representative Tim Seip.

Legislators who participated in the policy session are: Senator Lisa Baker, Senator Michael Brubaker, Senator Michael Waugh, Representative Mike Carroll, Representative Michael Hanna, Representative David Kessler, and Representative Dan Surra.

Presenters at the policy meeting included: Miriam Shark, senior associate, the Annie E. Casey Foundation; Mary Fairchild, senior fellow, and Doug Farquhar, program director, the National Conference of State Legislatures; Angela Duran, president of the Arkansas-based Southern Good Faith Fund; Janet Topolsky and John Molinaro, the Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group; and Barry Denk, director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors Approves Research to Study Wildlife-Wind Energy Conflict Areas
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors yesterday approved a research project that will develop a statewide tool for evaluating potential conflict areas between protected or sensitive wildlife species and commercial windpower developments.

Senator John R. Gordner, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, said the research would provide municipalities who are considering permits for wind turbines in their communities with another valuable tool for siting the structures.

Dr. Brian W. Okey of Indiana University of Pennsylvania will conduct the research, which is scheduled to begin in December. The research will focus on areas of the state with Class 4 winds, which are winds that consistently flow at around 16 miles per hour, as these areas are typically sought after by energy developers. Dr. Okey will use a Geographic Information System to link a wildlife sensitivity database with Class 4 wind area data. Municipalities may then use the resulting maps to quickly identify zones, which may have the least impact on wildlife, for wind energy development.

The project was approved during the Center’s quarterly board meeting, which was held in Lock Haven, Pa. and hosted by Senator John Wozniak, Center board treasurer, whose 35th Senatorial District includes Clinton and Cambria counties, and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties.

At the meeting, Dr. Anastasia Snyder, Dr. Diane McLaughlin and Mary Ann Demi of Pennsylvania State University, updated the board on the longitudinal research project they are conducting on the education and career aspirations of rural students. The project, which is sponsored by the Center, began in 2005, and is following groups of 7th and 11th grade students through high school and beyond.

The Center’s board then toured the Wayne Township Landfill, which is operated by the Clinton County Solid Waste Authority. The board learned of the landfill’s innovative operating techniques, free tire and household hazardous waste collection events, and recycling and landscape mulch programs.

In addition to Senator Gordner, who serves the 27th Senatorial District, which includes all of Columbia, Northumberland, Montour and Snyder counties and parts of Luzerne and Dauphin counties, and Senator Wozniak, the Center’s board also includes; Representative Tina Pickett, who represents the 110th District, which includes Sullivan County and parts of Bradford and Susquehanna counties; Representative Tim Seip, who represents the 125th legislative district, which includes parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties; Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University; Dr. Keith T. Miller, president of Lock Haven University; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh; Steve Crawford, Governor Edward Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; and William Sturgis, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council.

For Immediate Release
June 4, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board Elects Officers
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors today elected Senator John Gordner as board chairman for a full two-year term. Senator Gordner, who serves the 27th Senatorial District, which includes all of Columbia, Northumberland, Montour and Snyder counties and parts of Luzerne and Dauphin counties, assumed the chairmanship in January 2006 when the Center’s former chairman retired.

Joining Senator Gordner as officers are: Representative Tina Pickett of the 110th Legislative District, which includes Sullivan County and parts of Bradford and Susquehanna counties, as vice chairman; Senator John Wozniak of the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties, as treasurer; and Dr. Nancy Falvo, the director of Clarion University's Health Science Education Center, as secretary.

The Center’s Board of Directors also includes Representative Tim Seip, who represents the 125th Legislative District, which includes parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties; Steve Crawford, Governor Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; William Sturgis, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; Dr. Keith T. Miller, president of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania; Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Pennsylvania State University: Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; and Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh.

For Immediate Release
May 24, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Increase deductibles and employee contributions, decrease coverage
Research Details Small Business Response to the Rising Costs of Health Insurance
Small businesses in rural Pennsylvania are increasing deductibles, co-pays and employee contributions, and decreasing coverage to deal with the escalating costs of health care insurance for employees, according to research sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The research, conducted by faculty from Pennsylvania State University, also found that many rural businesses are shopping for plans every year, trying to find cheaper alternative providers. While comparison-shopping is something all businesses do, constant insurance shopping is a real cost to small businesses, in terms of human resource time, and to employees, who may need to change doctors or make other adjustments.

The research also revealed that rural small businesses may take more dramatic steps to control costs by eliminating coverage of employee dependents, or, in some cases, completely eliminating health insurance benefits. As a result, working Pennsylvanians are paying more for their health insurance, or losing some or all of their coverage.

“Small business is an important part of the Pennsylvania economic landscape,” said the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Chairman Senator John Gordner. “Almost 94 percent of all businesses in the commonwealth employ 50 or fewer workers, and their insights into the challenges of providing employee healthcare coverage is one that is needed on this important issue.”

The research, conducted in 2005, is based on data obtained from a telephone survey of individuals with human resource responsibilities in 713 Pennsylvania businesses that employ 50 or fewer persons in rural and urban areas. In addition to basic background information about the business, the survey also asked the human resource representative to describe the current health insurance coverage, if any, provided to employees and their dependents and the monthly cost per employee to the business for providing health insurance benefits.

According to the survey results, as small businesses increase in size, they were more likely to provide health insurance benefits to their employees. For example, more than 91 percent of rural businesses and 97 percent of urban businesses with 26 to 50 employees provided health insurance benefits to full-time employees.

The likelihood that businesses provide employee health insurance varies substantially across industry. Overall, 97 percent of manufacturers, 96 percent of professional, scientific and technical services, and 96 percent of wholesale trade small businesses provided health insurance to employees. Industries least likely to provide health insurance to employees were administrative and support and waste management and remediation (52 percent) and accommodation and food services (55 percent).

Most small businesses offered health insurance benefits to the dependents of employees, and, as small businesses increased in size, they were more likely to provide health insurance benefits to employee dependents. Urban businesses were more likely to provide health insurance benefits to employee dependents than rural businesses, regardless of size.

Cost was, by far, the primary reason for not offering health insurance as 87 percent of rural small businesses and 76 percent of urban small businesses cited the cost to employers, and 58 percent of rural small businesses and 42 percent of urban small businesses cited the cost to employees. One interesting finding was that less than 20 percent of businesses did not offer health insurance because employees preferred higher wages to health insurance benefits. This suggests that health insurance is highly valued by employees; perhaps more so than higher wages.

Rural small businesses paid $576 per month per worker, on average, while urban small businesses paid $608. Small businesses with five to 10 workers have substantially higher costs per worker than small businesses with 11 to 50 workers. It is also interesting that rural small businesses tend to have slightly lower costs per worker than their urban counterparts, though it is significantly different only for employers with five to 10 workers.

More than 40 percent of the respondents offering health insurance benefits have seen their costs of providing healthcare increase by an average of 10 to 20 percent per year over the past five years; about 35 percent report annual cost increases of more than 20 percent per year during the last five-year period.

Overall, the research shows that the businesses least likely to offer health insurance benefits are those that are the smallest of small businesses, which pay lower wages and have a higher proportion of unskilled workers. An alternative interpretation of the research suggests that the Pennsylvanians who are most likely to be uninsured or to lose their insurance are those who are unskilled and receive low wages: the very individuals who are most unable to pay for healthcare themselves.

“The research notes that this is not simply a rural issue or an industry issue, but a Pennsylvania and national issue,” Senator Gordner said. “This is a complex issue that all policy makers need to address.”

For a copy of the research results, A Rural-Urban Analysis and Comparison of Health Insurance Benefits Offered by Small Businesses, visit the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s website at www.ruralpa.org/reports.html or call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555.

For Immediate Release
March 1, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center’s Mini Grant Program, which is for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the Mini Grant Program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

This year, the Center has targeted the following 17 research grant topics for consideration:

More information about the topics, including key expected outcomes, is provided in the Request for Proposals.

The goal of the Center’s Research Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents. While interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the PASSHE or Penn State University, the Center encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or nonprofit organizations if appropriate.

Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics in both the Grant and Mini Grant Programs. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center’s mandated research areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Monday, April 23, 2007. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray Gelenser, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letters of intent are selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for proposals is August 20, 2007 and selected projects will begin January 2, 2008.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors Approves Research Topics for 2008 Grants Program
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors today approved a list of targeted topics for the Center’s 2008 Grants Program. Senator John R. Gordner, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, presided over the quarterly board meeting.

The 17 targeted topics cover a wide range of issues important to rural Pennsylvania, including the impact of the statewide building code, an analysis of rural hospital financial conditions, the economic impact of hunting and fishing, municipal financing of road and street construction and maintenance, and emergency preparedness. The topics will be issued through the Center’s 2008 Request for Proposals, which will be distributed later this month.

The board also approved a research project to study the transfer of wealth in Pennsylvania. The research will be conducted by the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, a Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) national research and policy center out of Lincoln, Nebraska. The research will provide state and county-level estimates of the transfer of wealth over the next several decades and would identify best practices from other states regarding strategies and wealth transfer programs that benefit rural community development efforts. To date, eight states have completed similar studies.

In addition to Senator Gordner, who serves the 27th Senatorial District, which includes all of Columbia, Northumberland, Montour and Snyder counties and parts of Luzerne and Dauphin counties, the Center’s board also includes; Senator John Wozniak, who serves the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties; Representative Mike Hanna, who represents the 76th District in Centre and Clinton counties; Representative Tina Pickett, who represents the 110th District, which includes Sullivan County and parts of Bradford and Susquehanna counties; Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University; Dr. Keith T. Miller, president of Lock Haven University; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh; Steve Crawford, Governor Edward Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; and William Sturgis, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council.

For Immediate Release
January 3, 2007
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $500,000 in Grant Monies to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Faculty
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $500,000 in grant monies to five faculty members from the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and six faculty members from Pennsylvania State University to conduct one-year research projects. The projects are part of the Center’s 2007 Grants Program and are focusing on a wide range of issues including juvenile recidivism, the impact of warehousing, rural drinking water quality and farm-to-school programs. Most projects run from January 3 to December 31, 2007.
The 2007 grant projects and recipients are:

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The board then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Grant Program or the 2007 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
March 3, 2006
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Rural Research Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities Faculty
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its 2007 Research Grant Program Request for Proposals. Through the program, one-year research grants, with a maximum funding level of $50,000, are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy recommendations for our state’s rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

This year, the Center has targeted the following 18 research and 1 mini grant topics for consideration:

The goal of the Center’s Research Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents. Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or nonprofit organizations if appropriate.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Monday, April 24, 2006. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray Gelenser, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for proposals is August 21, 2006 and selected projects will begin January 2, 2007.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

Owners of Historic Barns Encouraged to Participate in Inventory
Owners of Pennsylvania barns built before 1960 are encouraged to participate in a statewide inventory of historic barns, which is being conducted by the state Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is assisting the department and PHMC with the inventory. The impetus for the inventory came from resolutions passed in the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives that recognized the importance of these historically significant structures.

Senate Resolution 190 and House Resolution 463, spearheaded by the legislative board members of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, call for the department and PHMC to inventory and catalogue historic barns in Pennsylvania and to report their joint findings to the General Assembly by November 30, 2006. The results of the inventory may then be used to promote Pennsylvania’s agriculture and tourism industries.

To assist the Department of Agriculture and PHMC with the inventory, the Center is asking owners of barns built before 1960 to contact the Center and provide their name, address, and county of residence, and to name the style or architecture of the barn, if possible, and indicate if the barn is currently being used for farming operations. Mail the information to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 200 North Third St., Suite 600, Harrisburg, PA 17101; call (717) 787-9555; email info@ruralpa.org; or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

January 6, 2006
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, (717) 787-9555

Representative Sheila Miller to Receive Special Service Recognition at Women in Agriculture Day Conference
On Tuesday, January 10, 2006, at the Women in Agriculture Day conference at the 90th Pennsylvania State Farm Show, Representative Sheila Miller (129th District) will receive special recognition for her service and leadership to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Representative Miller was appointed to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s board of directors in 1993 and became chairman in 1997. On December 31, 2005, Representative Miller retired from the board after 13 years of service to the Center.

“Representative Miller’s leadership style has mirrored her work as a state legislator – behind the scenes and focused on results,” says Senator John R. Gordner (27th District), Center board chairman.

During Representative Miller’s chairmanship, the Center sponsored research, provided data and was an effective rural voice. From the rural network of Community and Higher Education Councils and the New Communities Programs of Main Street and Elm Street, to the statewide Area Health Education Centers, and the 11-county PA Route 6 Tourist Association, the Center’s resources have helped to make a difference in these programs and in rural Pennsylvania.

As board chairman, Representative Miller advanced research making major contributions on health care, micro-enterprise development, and tourism. She encouraged the Center to expand and make more accessible the first comprehensive guide to sources for rural grants, loans and technical assistance; to develop a new definition of rural, based on population density, that would more accurately reflect Pennsylvania’s landscape to guide future research and data collection; and to conduct the first-ever current population survey of Pennsylvania’s rural residents to provide baseline data on the state’s rural households and individuals.

“While these are just a few examples of the work the Center has accomplished under Representative Miller’s guidance, they offer a clear picture of the work she values most – useful and results-oriented,” Senator Gordner says.

Senator Gordner will make the presentation to Representative Miller at the second annual Women in Agriculture Day conference in the Farm Show Complex banquet hall at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10, 2006.

For Immediate Release
January 5, 2006
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

Answer that Call: Pennsylvania Residents Encouraged to Participate in Annual Population Survey
To gather current data on Pennsylvania residents, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is once again conducting the RuralPA-CPS, the annual Pennsylvania version of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). The telephone survey, administered by the Center for Survey Research at Penn State Harrisburg, will begin in January 2006.

Residents who receive a call are asked to answer questions about themselves and other members of their household regarding topics like basic demographics, health insurance, work status, and income. Surveys will take an average of 12 minutes to complete, depending on the number of people in the household. The identification of survey respondents is completely confidential.

The results of this annual survey will provide state and local data that cannot be gleaned from the small sample in the national CPS. The RuralPA-CPS will provide yearly information on indicators like the makeup of Pennsylvania households, how many Pennsylvanians have various types of health insurance, what kinds of jobs Pennsylvanians hold, and the various sources of income.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will share the results with the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the public. With this timely information, policy makers can make more informed decisions for the present and future of rural areas in the commonwealth.

For a copy of the 2005 RuralPA-CPS results, called Rural by the Numbers 2005, visit the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s website at www.ruralpa.org. For a hard copy of the results or more information about the 2006 survey, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 9, 2005
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center Releases Results of Current Population Survey of Pennsylvania’s Rural Residents
New annual survey provides timely information on Pennsylvania’s rural households and individuals and, in the years to come, will allow data users to compare and track data on the state’s rural population.

This is just a sample of some of the new information about the state’s rural residents now available from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The Center recently completed the Rural Pennsylvania Current Population Survey (RuralPA-CPS), which provides baseline data on the state’s rural households and individuals. This dynamic database, which will be updated every year, will enable data users to get behind the numbers to better understand the conditions faced by specific populations, such as single parents, the rural elderly, and the uninsured. Information from the database will be shared with the public and with the Pennsylvania General Assembly as it considers Commonwealth policies.

The annual RuralPA-CPS is modeled after the March supplement of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). Unlike the federal survey, and the decennial census, the RuralPA-CPS focuses solely on Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents.

The RuralPA-CPS is a phone survey of rural households throughout Pennsylvania and was conducted from January to March 2005 by Penn State Harrisburg’s Center for Survey Research.

In the years ahead, as the Center for Rural Pennsylvania builds upon the data from this first RuralPA-CPS, it will be able to compare and track the data to identify special populations in rural areas and compare the data to the results of the federal CPS.

The response rate for the 2005 RuralPA-CPS was 48 percent, or 2,014 households. Here’s a look at just some of the demographic data collected from the RuralPA-CPS.

For more information on the RuralPA-CPS or data on the state’s rural residents, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555. A copy of the report, Rural By the Numbers 2005, which features results from the RuralPA-CPS, is available on the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Historic Barns Resolutions Receive Unanimous Support from State House and Senate
Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate unanimously passed resolutions recognizing the importance of the state’s historic barns and urging a statewide inventory of these historically significant structures.

Legislative board members of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative research agency of the General Assembly, spearheaded the resolutions in both the House and Senate.

Representative Sheila Miller (129th District, Berks Co.), chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, was primary sponsor of House Resolution 463, along with Representative Mike Hanna (76th District, Clinton County), Center board treasurer. Senator John Gordner (27th District, Columbia Co.), vice chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and Senator John Wozniak (35th District, Cambria Co.), Center board member, were primary sponsors of Senate Resolution 190.

“One of the most enduring icons of Pennsylvania’s agricultural and rural landscapes is its barns,” Representative Miller said. “This resolution demonstrates the General Assembly’s recognition of our state’s agricultural and rural past and the significance of historic barns to today’s agricultural and tourism industries.”

The resolution calls for the state Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission to inventory and catalogue historic barns in Pennsylvania and to report their joint findings to the General Assembly by November 30, 2006. The results of the inventory may then be used to promote Pennsylvania’s agriculture and tourism industries.

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, communications manager, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, (717) 787-9555

For Immediate Release
August 11, 2005
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania,
(717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board Members Take Blue Ribbon Passport Tour of Berks County
Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative research agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, hosted the Center’s August 10 board meeting in Berks County to showcase the county’s agritourism businesses and the agricultural richness and diversity of Berks County.

Representative Miller, who serves the 129th District in Berks County and is vice chairman of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, accompanied the Center’s board and staff to the Clover Hill Vineyards and Winery, Roadside America, Way-Har Farms and the Reading Fair, which are all part of the state’s Blue Ribbon Passport program. The pilot program is sponsored by the state Department of Agriculture to support agritourism sites along the I-78 corridor.

In addition to touring the agritourism sites, the Center’s board also received the findings and recommendations of a research project on Pennsylvania agritourism by Dr. Susan Ryan of California University of Pennsylvania. Brant Bickel of the state Department of Agriculture also provided additional information on the Blue Ribbon Passport program.

Other board members of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania are Senator John Gordner of 27th Senatorial District, which includes all of Columbia, Northumberland, Montour and Snyder counties and parts of Luzerne and Dauphin counties; Senator John Wozniak, who serves the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties; Representative Mike Hanna, who represents the 76th District in Centre and Clinton counties; Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University; Steve Crawford, Governor Edward Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; William Sturgis, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; and Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh.

For Immediate Release
March 9, 2005
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Rural Research Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities Faculty
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2006 Research Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy recommendations for our state’s rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

This year, the Center has targeted the following 13 research and 5 mini grant topics for consideration:

The goal of the Center’s Research Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 2.8 million rural residents. Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Monday, April 25, 2005. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray Gelenser, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for proposals is August 19, 2005 and selected projects begin January 2, 2006.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
February 10, 2005
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board Elects Officers for 2005-2006 Legislative Session
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors reelected Representative Sheila Miller as chairman for the 2005-2006 Legislative Session at its meeting on February 7, 2005. Representative Miller, who serves the 129th District in Berks County, has served as chairman since 1997.

Joining Representative Miller as officers are: Senator Mary Jo White of the 21st Senatorial District, which consists of Clarion, Forest, and Venango counties and parts of Butler, Erie and Warren counties, as vice chairman; Representative Mike Hanna, who represents the 76th District in Centre and Clinton counties, as treasurer; and Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University, as secretary.

The Center’s Board of Directors also includes Senator John Wozniak, who serves the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties; Steve Crawford, Governor Rendell’s secretary for Legislative Affairs; William Sturgis, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University’s Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh; and Dr. John R. Halstead, president of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

For Immediate Release
January 10, 2005
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $530,000 in Grant Monies to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Faculty
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has awarded about $530,000 in grant monies to four faculty members from the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and eight faculty members from Pennsylvania State University to conduct one-year research projects. The projects are part of the Center’s 2005 Grants Program and are focusing on a wide range of issues including emergency food assistance availability, economic development, health insurance, No Child Left Behind, agriculture, biosolids and telecommunications. Most projects run from January 3 to December 31, 2005.
The 2005 grant projects and recipients are:

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania’s 2.8 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Grant Program is open to faculty of SSHE and Penn State. The traditional Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year, while the Mini Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants are to be completed in nine months.
For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Grant Program or the 2005 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
November 15, 2004
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

Survey Reveals Rural Pennsylvania Attitudes on the Economy, Government, Environment and More

Rural residents are less satisfied with the way things are going in Pennsylvania and more pessimistic about the future of the state’s economy than they were in 1999, according to the results of a recently released study sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

For the study, 2003 Attitudinal Survey of Pennsylvania Rural Residents, rural residents from Pennsylvania’s 48 rural counties were asked how satisfied they were with the way things were going in Pennsylvania. Of the 1,737 respondents, 67 percent reported that they were satisfied and 33 percent said they were not satisfied. In 1999, 88 percent of the respondents were satisfied with the way things were going in the state.

In 2003, only 17 percent of the respondents felt the economy would get better over the next year, 44 percent said that it would stay the same, and 39 percent said it would get worse. In 1999, 33 percent believed the economy would get better in the next year and only 18 percent thought it would get worse.

In addition to determining current attitudes and perceptions of rural Pennsylvanians in relation to the economy, the study looked at perceptions about the environment, government, general social issues, and personal well-being.

Some of the results in the areas of employment, household finances, local taxes, health care, the environment, and general social issues are:

To assess changes in respondent perceptions over time, the researchers, Dr. Fern Willits, Dr. A.E. Luloff and Dr. Francis Higdon of the Pennsylvania State University, compared the results to those of a 1999 Center for Rural Pennsylvania attitudinal survey and two others.

The researchers also looked at the diversity in the views of rural Pennsylvanians by looking at various personal and county characteristics.

In general, the researchers found that the attitudes of rural Pennsylvanians are not homogeneous. Some differences in the way rural residents responded to the survey questions were linked with personal attributes such as age, gender, education, and income. Others were related to the characteristics of the local area in which they lived, such as population density, economic prosperity, and the nature of the economic base.

A sample of the results that reflect differences in personal attributes and the local and regional areas in which the respondents lived are:

• Rural respondents in the 45 to 64 year age category were less satisfied with the way things were going in the state than either younger or older residents.

Copies of the 2003 Attitudinal Survey of Rural Pennsylvania Residents are available by calling the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or emailing info@ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
February 25, 2004
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Rural Research Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities Faculty

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2005 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy recommendations for our state’s rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

The goal of the Center’s Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 2.8 million rural residents. Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

This year, the Center has targeted the following 13 research and four mini grant topics for consideration:

Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics in both the Grant and Mini Grant Programs. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center’s mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Monday, April 14, 2004. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray Gelenser, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for proposals is August 16, 2004 and selected projects begin January 2, 2005.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
January 20, 2004
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Updated Rural Access Guide Offers Grant, Loan and Technical Assistance Information to Rural Communities

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has updated and added programs to its Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide, an extensive database that includes more than 360 resources of information on state, federal, and nonprofit grants, loans and other assistance. The guide is available on the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center first published the Rural Access Guide in 1994 as a booklet. Since then, the Center has updated the guide in 2000 and 2004 and has made the entire database available on its website.

“Providing rural and small communities with the information they need to remain viable and healthy is at the heart of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s mission,“ says Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. “The Center’s board of directors believes that offering such an extensive database of basic information in one location provides an important benefit to our state’s rural communities.”

While the Rural Access Guide includes an extensive listing of information, Rep. Miller offers that it should not be the final stop for information.

“It is a starting point from which rural and small town residents might more successfully begin their journey through the maze of financial and informational sources that are available at both the state and national levels,” Rep. Miller says. “We encourage rural residents to take advantage of the programs offered in the Rural Access Guide so that they might continue to answer the needs of their communities and organizations.”

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To fulfill its mission, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

For Immediate Release
January 14, 2004
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $500,000 in Grant Monies to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Faculty

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has awarded about $500,000 in grant monies to seven faculty members from the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and four faculty members from Pennsylvania State University campuses to conduct one-year research projects. The projects are part of the Center’s 2004 Grants Program and are focusing on a wide range of issues including affordable housing, the meat and poultry processing industries, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Most of the 2004 grant projects run from January 2 to December 31, 2004. The 2004 grant recipients and their projects are:

Dr. William R. Henning, Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania Meat and Poultry Industry: Identifying Barriers and Needs for Small Processors
Dr. Henning will survey 450 Pennsylvania meat and poultry plants to analyze the existing slaughter and processing capabilities in the state, and document the barriers and opportunities for small processors and livestock producers.

Dr. Rajen Mookerjee, Pennsylvania State University – Beaver
Affordable Housing in Rural Pennsylvania
Dr. Mookerjee will examine housing in rural Pennsylvania, particularly the supply of and demand for affordable housing.

Dr. Laurie Roehrich, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Substance Abuse in Rural PA: Present and Future
Dr. Roehrich will examine rates and trends of substance abuse in rural Pennsylvania, create inventories of treatment, prevention, and model programs, perform a cost analysis summary of literature on rural substance use, and create and mail a survey aimed at rural Pennsylvania treatment providers in 12 counties statewide.

Dr. Mark Kilwein, Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Inventory and Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Support Networks in Rural Pennsylvania
Dr. Kilwein will investigate services and local support networks available to rural Pennsylvanians living with HIV/AIDS.

Ms. Susan Ryan, California University of Pennsylvania
Agritourism in Pennsylvania: An Industry Assessment
Ms. Ryan will provide a well-balanced assessment of this industry, which is a fusion of agricultural and tourism enterprises.

Dr. Thomas D. Wickham, California University of Pennsylvania
A Study of the Future of Hunting in Pennsylvania
Dr. Wickham will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and social surveys to assess the impact of residential relocation, urbanization, and higher education on hunter retention and recruitment, and hunting accessibility within Pennsylvania.

Dr. Anastasia Snyder, Pennsylvania State University
The Consequences of Educational and Career Aspirations and Attainment Among Youth in Rural Pennsylvania
Dr. Snyder will examine the educational and career aspirations and attainment of youth in rural Pennsylvania.

Dr. John E. Bodenman, Bloomsburg University
Market and Labor Force Factors in the Growth of the Wood Products Industry in Rural Pennsylvania
Dr. Bodenman will determine the market and resource orientation of the wood products industry in rural Pennsylvania, including market changes from 1987 to the present.

Dr. Marianne Hillemeier, Pennylvania State University
Childhood Asthma in Rural Pennsylvania: Building Schools’ Capacity to Optimize Health
Dr. Hillemeier will quantify the childhood asthma burden and rural schools’ capacity to meet children’s needs.

Dr. Kevin Courtright, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Prisons and Rural Communities: Exploring Economic Impact and Community Satisfaction
Dr. Courtright will measure the perception of the economic impact of and community satisfaction with state correctional facilities located within rural communities in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Donald U. Robertson, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Impact of Health Choices on Children’s Mental Health Services in Rural Pennsylvania (Mini Grant)
Dr. Robertson is expanding his prior work on the differential impact of mandatory managed care on mental health services in urban and rural counties.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Grant Program is open to faculty at SSHE and Penn State universities. The traditional Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year, while the Mini Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants are to be completed in nine months.
For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Grant Program or the 2004 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
October 7, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, communications manager, (717) 787-9555

Broadband Internet Service in Rural Pennsylvania
Research Offers Insights into Broadband Supply and Demand

In today’s communication era where instant access to people and information has become the norm, rural Pennsylvania has some distance to go before it can catch up with its urban and suburban neighbors, according to research sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. This finding and others are now available in the report, Broadband Internet Service in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania: A Common Wealth or Digital Divide?

The research was conducted by Dr. Amy Glasmeier and Lawrence Wood of Penn State University in 2002 and contains an analysis of the variations in broadband availability between urban and rural Pennsylvania.

According to the research, several of Pennsylvania’s telecommunications providers were among the country’s leaders when it came to providing broadband and deploying advanced telecommunications infrastructures. The research also indicated that many businesses in rural Pennsylvania were effectively using the Internet to conduct business. However, the research also revealed that while broadband services are virtually everywhere in the state’s metropolitan areas, there was demonstrably less availability in the state’s non-metropolitan areas and small towns, and even less availability in the more rural areas of Pennsylvania.

The research results also indicated a lack of competition for broadband services in rural areas, which may result in significant problems, such as low speeds and poor service quality. So, while some of the state’s telecommunications providers are clearly cutting-edge, others are far less so, and a deficiency of broadband deployment among some of the state’s cable and telephone companies resulted in a spotted landscape of broadband availability throughout rural Pennsylvania.

In interviews, many of the state’s rural businesses indicated that Internet use is becoming increasingly important. As the demand for and the utility of broadband for these users continues to grow, it becomes imperative that reliable broadband connections are available from a number of providers at a reasonable price. The importance of having high-quality, reliable, and cost-effective broadband in Pennsylvania’s rural communities cannot be overstated, especially considering that close to three million of the state’s residents and thousands of businesses live and conduct business in these areas.

The research involved more than 100 detailed interviews, conducted from October to December 2002, with members of the telecommunications industry, including the majority of incumbent local telephone providers in the state, as well as more than 40 cable companies that operate in Pennsylvania. These interviews involved the collection of detailed information regarding where, and the extent to which, these providers are currently offering broadband services within their given service areas. The research also included a survey of close to 200 businesses to learn the extent to which businesses were using a broadband connection and the type of provider they used.

For a copy of the report, Broadband Internet Service in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania: A Common Wealth or Digital Divide?, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bicameral, bipartisan legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 200 North Third St., Suite 600, Harrisburg, PA 1710
Phone (717) 787-9555, Fax (717) 772-3587, website: www.ruralpa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Report on Alternative Education in Pennsylvania Now Available
Alternative education programs are experiencing tremendous growth in Pennsylvania and nationwide. In 2001-2002, Pennsylvania allocated $26 million for alternative education programs serving disruptive youth: a rather dramatic jump from $11 million in 2000-2001.

In Pennsylvania, the many variations of alternative education programs include charter schools, special vocational schools, magnet schools, gifted alternatives, boot camps, and alternative schools for disruptive youth.

Since research regarding the practices in alternative education settings was limited and no research on Pennsylvania programs was readily available, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, sponsored a year-long research project to learn more about the current status of alternative programs in the state. Dr. Nathaniel Hosley and a team of researchers from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania conducted the study to generate as much data as possible about alternative education programs.

The survey findings are detailed in the report, Survey and Analysis of Alternative Education Programs.

According to the research findings, the focus of most alternative education programs in Pennsylvania included all types of classification programs, namely discipline, academics and behavior. In general, alternative education programs contained the following characteristics:

In the report, the researchers noted other specific findings related to students, personnel, and the AE curriculum, and offered recommendations on further developing and maintaining alternative education programs in Pennsylvania.

For a copy of the report or manual, contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 11, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

Acid Mine Remediation Report and Manual for Nonprofits Now Available
Passive treatment systems have the potential to treat acid mine drainage successfully and Geographic Information Systems can provide crucial information for prioritizing sites for remediation, according to a recently released report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

The report, Acid Mine Drainage: Studies in Remediation, provides details about two separate research projects: one evaluated passive treatment systems for their effectiveness and the other developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology for acid mine drainage remediation prioritization.

A manual for nonprofits on how to use GIS to prioritize remediation sites was also developed and is now available to nonprofit groups.

Andrew M. Turner, Ph.D., Terry Morrow, Ph.D., Steven Harris, Ph.D., Peter Dalby, Ph.D., Jared Dressler and Steven Seiler, all with the Department of Biology at Clarion University, conducted the first research project detailed in the report. Turner and his team of researchers used the Mill Creek Watershed in Clarion and Jefferson Counties as a study area to evaluate passive treatment systems for their effectiveness. The research project assessed the efficiency, stream water chemistry, cost-effectiveness and recovery of biological values for selected passive treatment systems in the watershed.

The researchers found that passive treatment systems have the potential to treat AMD successfully, since most of the systems in the study area helped to significantly reduce contaminants.

The second research project, conducted by John Benhart Jr., Ph.D. with the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, and Thomas Simmons, Ph.D. with the Department of Biology, both at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology for acid mine drainage remediation prioritization. Benhart and Simmons used the Blacklick Creek Watershed in Indiana County as a study area. The researchers found that the GIS developed was able to handle and manipulate spatial and attribute data in ways that provided crucial information for prioritization and decision-making.

As part of the study, Benhart developed a manual called, Building a Geographic Information System (GIS) for Acid Mine Drainage Remediation Planning: A Manual for Non-profits, to help nonprofit groups follow the same process.

For a copy of the report or manual, contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.
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For Immediate Release
February 28, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Rural Research Grants Now Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities Faculty

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2004 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy and program recommendations for our state's rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center's Mini Grant Program, which is for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the Mini Grant Program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

The goal of the Center's Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania's 2.8 million rural residents.
Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

This year, the Center has targeted the following 14 research topics for consideration:

Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics in both the Grant and Mini Grant Program. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center's mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Monday, April 14, 2003. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray Gelenser, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center's Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for proposals is August 15, 2003 and selected projects begin January 2, 2004.

For a copy of the Center's Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
January 28, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors Elects Officers for 2003-2004 Legislative Session

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Board of Directors today reelected Representative Sheila Miller as chairman for the 2003-2004 Legislative Session. Representative Miller, who serves the 129th District in Berks County, has served as chairman since 1997.

Joining Rep. Miller as officers are: Senator Mary Jo White of the 21st Senatorial District, which consists of Clarion, Forest, and Venango counties and parts of Butler, Erie and Warren counties, as vice chairman; Representative Mike Hanna, who represents the 76th District in Centre and Clinton counties, as treasurer; and Dr. C. Shannon Stokes, professor of Rural Sociology in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University, as secretary.

The Center's Board of Directors also includes Senator John Wozniak, who serves the 35th Senatorial District, which includes Cambria and Clinton counties and parts of Centre, Clearfield and Somerset counties; Jody L. Bruckner, executive director of the Pennsylvania Rural Development Council; Dr. Nancy Falvo, director of Clarion University's Health Science Education Center; Dr. Stephan J. Goetz, executive director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development; Dr. Robert F. Pack, vice provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management at the University of Pittsburgh; and Dr. Craig D. Willis, president of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.

For Immediate Release
January 17, 2003
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $470,000 in Grant Monies to SSHE and Penn State Faculty

Faculty members from five State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and three Penn State University campuses this month kicked off research projects on a wide range of issues including the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters; long-term economic viability for young farmers; adult day care; and the health and nutrition of migrant workers and their families. These projects are among the 12 total projects that are being sponsored through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's 2003 Grant Program.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $470,000 in grant monies to five faculty members of SSHE universities and seven faculty members from Penn State University to conduct one-year research or demonstration projects beginning January 2, 2003.

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania's 2.8 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Grant Program is open to faculty at SSHE and Penn State universities. The traditional Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year. If further research is necessary, grant projects may be funded for up to three years, but each grantee must meet the current year grant requirements and submit competitive proposals to the Center's Board of Directors. The Mini Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants must be completed in nine months.

Most of the 2003 grant projects will run from January 2 to December 31, 2003. The 2003 grant recipients and their projects are:

For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Grant Program or the 2003 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

For Immediate Release
September 20, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, communications manager
(717) 787-9555

Ready to talk rural? The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, will hold a series of six rural discussion forums across the state in October to determine the best way to designate counties and other entities as rural or urban according to Census 2000 data.

Through these sessions, the Center hopes to formulate a plan to identify counties as rural and urban, and is looking for as much input as possible from municipal officials, planners, hospital administrators, grant writers, and other data users around the commonwealth.

At each discussion session, the Center will explain the new Census 2000 definitions of urban and rural and compare them with the 1990 definitions. The Center will also provide information on a number of potential ways to classify areas such as counties or municipalities.
Attendees will be encouraged to share their uses of rural and urban data and their ideas on the best method of designation for their purposes.

Two of the rural discussion sessions will be hosted by Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board members. Senator Mary Jo White will host the October 10 session in Franklin, Venango County, and Representative Mike Hanna and Lock Haven University President Dr. Craig Willis will host the October 11 session at Lock Haven University, Clinton County. Other session hosts include the Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, in Greensburg; the Northern Tier Regional Economic Development Commission in Towanda, Bradford County; and West Chester University's Department of Geography and Planning in West Chester, Chester County.

There is no charge for attending the forums. However, the Center asks that participants register for the session they plan to attend so that adequate space and materials are available. To register, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email jonasa@ruralpa.org.

October 8, 2002 Harrisburg
Location: Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
Time: 9:30 AM - Noon
Hosted by the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association.

October 10, 2002 Franklin
Location: Quality Inn at Franklin
Time: 9 AM - Noon
Hosted by Senator Mary Jo White, Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board Member.

October 11, 2002 Lock Haven
Location: Hamblin Hall of Flags, Lock Haven University
Time: 2 PM - 5 PM
Hosted by Representative Mike Hanna & Lock Haven University President Dr. Craig Willis, Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board Members.

October 15, 2002 Greensburg
Location: Fireside Lounge in Chambers Hall, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Hosted by Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County, University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.

October 17, 2002 Towanda
Location: Clubhouse Dining Room, Towanda Country Club, Route 6, Wysox, PA 18848
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Hosted by the Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission.

October 25, 2002 West Chester
Location: Room 113 Boucher Building, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Hosted by West Chester University, Department of Geography and Planning.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

There are three kinds of lies, according to 19th Century British Statesman and Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli: lies, damned lies and statistics. To this day, some may wholeheartedly agree with the statesman's comment. Others, however, may counter that statistics are quite useful, offering us the information we need to describe our communities and identify emerging trends.

To support the notion that statistics are useful and necessary tools, and to help those who may not be as familiar with gathering and using data as they would like, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has developed a data users guide called, Stats for Scaredy-Cats: A How-To Guide for Rural Data Users.

Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, says the guide was developed with the novice data user in mind. "The guide will certainly be a great help to someone who is not familiar with working with data," Rep. Miller says. "It will also be helpful to anyone who just needs a quick reminder course in gathering and using data."

Stats for Scaredy-Cats offers advice on understanding data, working with data and gathering data. The guide includes definitions, an explanation of the various codes used by government and other agencies, a look at data limitations, and details on comparing variables and time periods. Finally, it offers advice on choosing data formats.

"Stats for Scaredy-Cats was also developed with the 2000 Census in mind," Rep. Miller says. "With all of the new data that has been released, and the data yet to come, the Center wanted to offer data users a type of 'cheat-sheet' for working with all of the new information."

Copies of the guide are available by calling the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or by emailing info@ruralpa.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

Welfare Reform working in rural Pennsylvania, program flexibility remains vital

Welfare reform appears to be working in Pennsylvania and flexibility remains vital to the program's continued success, according to a report released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Welfare Reform: The Experience of Rural Pennsylvania was conducted by Dr. C. Nielson Brasher and a team of researchers from Shippensburg University and set out to determine how families in rural Pennsylvania are doing under the welfare reform changes of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The study specifically focused on the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and, while it did not attempt to examine why there are fewer welfare cases, it did attempt to gauge how the families that have been touched by welfare are doing socio-economically.

According to the study, which was conducted in 2001, statewide there were 40 percent fewer TANF recipients in July 2000 than March 1997, when Pennsylvania first implemented the changes, and 55 percent fewer TANF recipients in rural counties.

The study included three survey groups: current recipients, former recipients, and caseworkers and administrators. Current and former recipients were asked about their participation in work and welfare-to-work activities, hourly wages, living arrangements, education level, quality of life factors, and barriers to self-sufficiency. Caseworkers and administrators were asked their perspectives on clients' needs and factors that helped or hindered clients from moving off of TANF.

Important factors distinguishing those still on TANF from those who have moved off included disability status, education, employment and marriage. For former TANF recipients, the key ingredients to sustaining employment were having a high school education, not being disabled and having more children to support. The study also found that many of those who no longer receive TANF benefits rely on their families and an informal network of friends for childcare, and found transportation to be a problem.

According to the survey of caseworkers and administrators, the major barriers for current TANF recipients included low paying jobs, lack of job skills, mental health or substance abuse problems, lack of motivation, and personal or family medical problems.

For a copy of the report, Welfare Reform: The Experience of Rural Pennsylvania, call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos
Communications Manager
(717) 787-9555

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the release of its latest publication, Starting and Strengthening Farmers' Markets in Pennsylvania, a how-to guide geared toward individuals and community groups looking to start or improve local farmers' markets.

Originally developed and published in 1994 by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Penn State Cooperative Extension - Lehigh County Office, the guide provides basic advice on how to get a farmers' market up and running, and how to use various promotional tools and advertising tactics to keep it going strong.

This second edition offers step-by-step points on how to form a community team to get the market started, find sponsors, develop a marketing strategy, and establish an organizational structure for the market.

"The original guide was one of the Center's most popular publications," says Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. "We know this second edition will continue to be a useful guide for our agricultural entrepreneurs who are interested in direct marketing."

For a copy of the guide, contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or email info@ruralpa.org

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2003 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy and program recommendations for our state's rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center's Mini Grants Program, which is for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the Mini Grants Program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

The goal of the Center's Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania's 3.7 million rural residents.

Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or the Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

This year, the Center has targeted 16 research topics for consideration. Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center's mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Friday, April 19, 2002. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or via email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center's Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, August 16, 2002. Selected projects will begin January 2, 2003.

For a copy of the Center's Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

For Immediate Release
January 18, 2002
Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $490,000 in Grant Monies to SSHE and Penn State Faculty

Faculty members from five State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and two Penn State University campuses this month kicked off research projects that include analyzing the supply of and demand for dental health services among Pennsylvania's indigent populations; assessing the mental health delivery infrastructure, especially as it relates to children and youth from low-income families, in six rural Pennsylvania counties; and analyzing rural Pennsylvania's telecommunications infrastructure. These three projects are among the 12 total projects that are being sponsored through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's 2002 Grant Program.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $490,000 in grant monies to six faculty from SSHE universities and six faculty from Penn State University to conduct one-year research or demonstration projects beginning January 2, 2002.

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania's 3.7 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The 2002 grant projects will address a variety of timely rural topics and most will run from January 2 to December 31, 2002.

Lisa Davis, Penn State University, Dental Service Supply and Demand for the Indigent Populations in Rural Pennsylvania;
Dr. Frank Lindenfeld and Dr. Yvette Samson, Bloomsburg University, Needs Analysis of Mental Health Services for Children and Youth in Rural Pennsylvania;
Dr. Amy Glasmeier, Penn State University, Advanced Telecommunications in Rural Pennsylvania;
Dr. Bridget Jeffery, Edinboro University, Integration of Rural Transportation Systems in Pennsylvania;
Dr. Samuel A. McClintock and Dr. Beverly Cigler, Penn State Harrisburg, Policy Recommendations for Rural Pennsylvania's Water and Wastewater Infrastructure;
Dr. William Sharpe, Penn State University, The Influence of Well Construction on Bacterial Contamination;
Dr. E. L. Shafer, Penn State University, Nature Based Tourism;
Dr. Charles E. Williams, Clarion University, Assessment of Agricultural Use and Potential of Reclaimed Mine Lands in Pennsylvania;
Dr. Wenfan Yan, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Adult Literacy in Rural Pennsylvania; and
Dr. Martin Shields, Penn State University, Rural Pennsylvania's "New Economy": Identifying the Causes of Growth and Developing New Opportunities.

Dr. Kimberly J. Husenits, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Impact of Mandatory Managed Care for Medicaid Clients on the Delivery of Mental Health Services to Children and Adolescents in Rural PA; and
Dr. Pamela C. Twiss, California University of Pennsylvania, Exploring Public Housing Use in Rural Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Grant Program or the 2002 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

Center Releases Reports on the Effectiveness of Municipal Land Use Regulations and Rural and Urban Internet Usage

Are Pennsylvania’s counties and municipalities effectively using comprehensive planning and land use tools? If so, are these tools helping to achieve the planning goals set by the community? These are just some of the questions that are answered in the report, Measuring the Effectiveness of Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulations in Pennsylvania, released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The report is based on the results of a one-year research project sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and conducted by Dr. Stanford Lembeck and Dr. Timothy Kelsey of Penn State University, and George Fasic of West Chester University. The research project focused on measuring the effectiveness of comprehensive planning and land use regulations to determine to what extent the four principal tools of planning are being used in Pennsylvania municipalities and counties; if certain tools are used, unused or underused; if community plans and regulations are achieving the planning goals set by the community; and, if comprehensive plans have been developed, if they are being used in community decision-making. The project also examined whether there are barriers to effective planning, and if so, what they are and what actions could be taken to overcome them. As part of the project, the researchers offer recommendations and actions that may be taken to improve the effectiveness of planning and land use regulations throughout the state.

A separate report, also released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, focuses on how the Internet is being used in both rural and urban areas. The report, Cybercitizens of the Commonwealth: How Rural and Urban Pennsylvanians Access and Use the Internet, is based on a nine-month research project, conducted by Dr. James Tomlinson of Bloomsburg University. The project gathered data on how Pennsylvanians are using the Internet. While there has been a growing amount of data released on national trends, little data specifically addresses the Commonwealth. In the report, Dr. Tomlinson provides base-line data for future research and policy recommendations to further enhance Pennsylvania’s position as a leader in technology.

Copies of the reports are available by calling the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or by emailing info@ruralpa.org.

Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2002 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy and program recommendations for our state’s rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center’s mini-grants, which are for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the mini-grants program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

The goal of the Center’s Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 3.7 million rural residents.

This year, the Center has targeted 13 research topics for consideration. Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center’s mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Friday, March 30, 2001. For the first time, applicants may submit the letter of intent via email or through our website at www.ruralpa.org. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, August 10, 2001. Selected projects will begin on January 1, 2002.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

Developing strategies to enhance e-commerce, determining the availability of long term care services and analyzing alternative education practices are just three topics that will be assessed through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s 2001 grant program.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $300,000 in grant monies to six faculty from the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and three faculty from the Pennsylvania State University’s main and Commonwealth campuses to conduct one-year research or demonstration projects beginning February 1, 2001.

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania’s 3.7 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s grant program is open to faculty at SSHE and Penn State universities. The traditional grant program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year. If further research is necessary, grant projects may be funded for up to three years, but each grantee must meet the current year grant requirements and submit competitive proposals to the Center’s Board of Directors. The mini grant program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants must be completed in nine months.

The 2001 grant projects will address a variety of timely rural topics and most will run from February 1 to January 31, 2002.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Releases Report on Cost of Living in Pennsylvania

The cost of living continues to be lower for most Pennsylvania rural residents than urban residents, according to a report released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The report, Differences in the Cost of Living Across Pennsylvania’s 67 Counties, is based on a one-year study conducted by Dr. James A. Kurre of Penn State University Erie, and is a follow-up to a cost-of-living study conducted by Kurre on behalf of the Center in 1992.

For the study, Kurre developed cost of living estimates for every Pennsylvania county for 1997. In addition to overall cost of living, the study looked at six subindexes including groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services. The indexes were helpful in identifying high- and low-cost locations in the state.

The key finding was that rural counties in Pennsylvania tend to have lower costs of living overall and for each of the six subindexes studied than urban counties. However, not all rural places are less expensive than all urban places. The report notes that urban Lycoming, Cambria and Luzerne counties tended to have lower costs than many rural counties and Pike and Monroe counties tended to have higher costs despite their rural classifications.

Copies of the report are available by contacting the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or at email: info@ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the release of the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide on its website at www.ruralpa.org beginning April 9, 2000. The Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide is an extensive database that includes over 350 resources of information on state, federal, and nonprofit grants, loans and other assistance.

Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says: "Providing rural and small communities with the information they need to remain viable and healthy is at the heart of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s mission. We redeveloped the original Rural Access Guide and are introducing it as part of our website so that more rural and small communities may take advantage of the wealth of information that the guide offers."

The Center first published the Rural Access Guide in 1994 as a booklet, which was a scaled down version of a much larger database of information. The booklet included a sampling of state, federal and nonprofit grants, loans and technical assistance programs and highlighted each program’s goals and objectives, funding availability and contact information. The booklet was widely distributed throughout the state and was well received by rural residents, local government officials, and community organizations. However, anyone who wanted more information about other programs needed to contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania for that information.

In this updated version of the guide, which was developed by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the entire database is immediately accessible through the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

"Being able to offer the entire database is a wonderful advantage of using the Internet," Rep. Miller says. "Another advantage is that the information can be updated more frequently and offered immediately to users, because the Center plans on updating the database at least once a year."

Recognizing that some rural residents may not have convenient access to the Internet, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania will also publish a booklet version of the guide for limited distribution. The booklet will be available in late spring.

While the Rural Access Guide includes an extensive listing of information, Rep. Miller offers that it should not be the final stop for information.

"It is a starting point from which rural and small town residents might more successfully begin their journey through the maze of financial and informational sources that are available at both the state and national levels," Rep. Miller says. "We encourage rural residents to take advantage of the programs offered in the Rural Access Guide so that they might continue to answer the needs of their communities and organizations."

To use the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide, visit the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s website at www.ruralpa.org.