by James Hunt

The following is an excerpt of remarks from NLC President James Hunt, councilmember, Clarksburg, W.Va., to the Agricultural Outlook Forum 2006, Prospering in Rural America. Hunt spoke on ?Rural America: Stakeholder Collaboration in Support of Agriculture and Rural Communities? earlier this month in Arlington, Va.

NLC represents more than 18,000 cities, towns and villages across America ? this includes both large and small cities as well as urban, suburban and rural communities. And as an advocate for cities, NLC is a key stakeholder in making sure that the future of rural communities is a vital and strong future.

Changing Face of Rural Communities
Before I get into the conversation about governance, more specifically rural governance, I want to talk a little about the changing face of rural communities.

Rural America covers more than 2,000 counties ? 80 percent of our nation?s land. It is home to almost 59 million people ? 21 percent of the U.S. population. And like their metropolitan counterparts, rural communities are increasingly diverse with a growing minority population.

Rural America is the home of a large number of Hispanics and a growing number of Asian and Native American families. One in five are racial or ethnic minorities.

When you think of the rural family, you can no longer imagine the Norman Rockwell image of a Nebraska farmer, or the factory worker from ?Walton?s Mountain? Virginia.

Today, seven out of 10 rural counties are dominated by manufacturing, health care, education, retail or other employment not related to farming.

My hometown of Clarksburg is a perfect example. Clarksburg, located in the ?rural? state of West Virginia, is not a traditional rural community. It is, in fact, a central city whose major employers include small businesses, manufacturing and professional service agencies.

It is the main commercial, health care and professional office location in the region and it is home to a large number of state and federal agencies. How?s that for rural?

And just as there are many new faces in Rural America, so too are the many different types of governing bodies that oversee their needs.

But the end result is, I hope, the same. Through various governing bodies, local elected officials like myself, are working collaboratively with their community stakeholders to develop and manage successful community programs.

To truly be the new face of Rural America, we must set turf battles aside, and create new ways of reaching decisions that allow all the various leaders to make decisions quickly and efficiently for the sake of their communities.

That is the future of rural governance.

The Power of Rural and Inclusive Governance
I have colleagues in cities around the nation who are running successful community collaborative programs in their hometowns.

In Clay County, Kan., seven cities and a water conservation district are collaborating to build a suite of websites that can be accessed in one central location. This innovative effort is allowing these cities to pool resources to expand their marketing opportunities and potential for economic growth.

In Nebraska, South Sioux City is partnering with local businesses, industries and other stakeholders to establish a rural enterprise assistance program to help citizens interested in starting new businesses.

In Illinois, the White County Development Group is bringing together local mayors, community leadership and businesses to retain existing jobs while they also work to attract new businesses in order to bolster economic development for their community.

And in Oregon, a group of four rural cities in Marion County have formed The Friends of the Family initiative with the local school district to bring social services to young families across the region.

These examples show how cities are shaping rural governance when turf battles are put aside: they are doing it by bringing people together.

Local officials understand the benefits of leveraging resources across communities and collaborating at all levels ? from citizens to government, to organizations and businesses, as well as across governments.

And one thing they all have in common is their emphasis on inclusion.

These programs bring together rich and poor, young and old, educated and uneducated. They increase citizen participation and engagement while promoting equal opportunity and fairness. And they discourage the ?Us versus Them? mentality, while embracing the power of We.

Rural Governance Is a National Issue
While many public policies at the national level are not explicitly ?rural policies,? they have substantial implications for rural communities.

The Community Development Block Grant, affordable health insurance coverage, medical liability, immigration, affordable energy and No Child Left Behind all have significant effects on rural communities.

Often people think of these issues in an urban context, but rural communities are dealing with these same challenges. And daily they are confronted with problems related to poverty, economic issues, housing, education and transportation, just as their urban cousins are.

The best way to tackle these issues is through strong, collaborative and inclusive rural governance.

And it is absolutely essential that we ensure that our rural communities have the tools they need to stay on the cutting edge.

In the area of telecommunications and franchising, we want to make sure that our rural communities are not left behind when big companies decide to pick and choose who and where they want to provide advanced telecommunications services.

We want to make sure that funds are available for community development, for job training and for assistance for our working poor.

The bottom line is simple: The health of rural America is linked to an effective local governance system.

Its success will depend on innovative programs and our ability to put aside old, outmoded ways that only tend to reinforce the status quo. It will depend on a new spirit of discovery and collaboration between local governments and their citizens.

The folks in North Carolina know this. They?ve seen what happens to their communities when the textile industry went to Southeast Asia.

So they created the Institute for Entrepreneurship, which promotes rural entrepreneurship. By providing support and guidance to small and medium-sized enterprises in North Carolina?s 85 rural counties, they will help keep these communities alive and thriving.

They understand this in Willmar, Minn., as well, where the Heartland Community Action Agency works to connect citizens across race and class lines to bolster support and aid for families living in poverty.

As President of NLC, I have made a firm commitment to promote democratic governance and inclusion as keys steps to building a nation of inclusive communities.

The National League of Cities is committed to improving the future for all of our nation?s cities ? big and small, urban and rural.

Our success as an organization, as well as our success as a nation, depends on the future of our rural communities. Rural governance is the pathway to that success.