News

Group urges preparation for the 'population tsunami' coming to North Carolina
A newly-formed coalition is urging state lawmakers to plan for and invest in major capital improvements that will allow North Carolina to meet what they called a 'population tsunami' head-on. The Partnership for North Carolina's Future held a press conference in Raleigh last week to advocate for school construction, water and sewer infrastructure, affordable housing, roads and land and water conservation. North Carolina is at a critical point in its history as record numbers of new residents move in and draw from our already vulnerable resources, they said. Population statistics indicate that North Carolina is poised to become the seventh most populated state in the U.S. by 2030 due to the influx of four million new residents. Partnership members likened the increase to adding the entire population of South Carolina to our borders in just 30 years' time. State Sen. Dan Clodfelter said lawmakers are being called on to make difficult choices about how to fund that growth, but stressed that they need to consider all the options available to them, including bonds, raising the tax on car sales and a local-option land transfer tax. Clodfelter cautioned that when North Carolina faced growth and progress issues of this magnitude back in the 1800s, state leaders failed to take action and North Carolina became known as the 'Rip Van Winkle' state. To find out more about the Partnership for North Carolina's future, click here.

Growing support for Clean Water legislation among lawmakers, local officials
Local governments and leaders from across the state say North Carolina's growing population is just one of the factors threatening the state's most precious natural resource -- water. Local leaders are lining up in support of legislation aimed at funding clean water projects statewide, saying their aging water and sewer systems can't support a good quality of life for the residents they have now, much less allow for much-needed growth and development. Two bills currently being considered in the General Assembly would fund drinking water and wastewater disposal projects across the state through the issuance of $500 million in general obligation bonds. House Bill 127 and Senate Bill 208, the Clean Water Bond Act of 2007, are being led by Sen. Walter Dalton and Reps. Bill Owens, William Wainwright and Bill Daughtridge. Both bills stipulate that about half of the bond funds would be administered by the Rural Center through its Clean Water Bonds Program, with other funds also going to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Both bills also provide a $50 million appropriation for critical needs, to include systems facing moratoria, public health and environmental emergencies. Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall says recent discussions indicate a high level of support for the legislation among lawmakers and local government officials. This is clearly not an issue we can afford to put on the back burner, Hall said, as evidenced by the fact that for every year the state does not fund clean water needs, we fall another half-billion dollars behind in needed investments to install, upgrade or replace water and sewer infrastructure. If your organization would like to add its voice to the growing number of people and groups supporting the Clean Water Bond Act of 2007, click here. To learn more about the legislation, click here.

It's official: world's population makes historic shift from rural to urban
According to research lead by N.C. State University, May 23 marked a historic day for the world's population: for the first time in history, there were more people living in urban areas around the globe than in rural areas. A team of researchers, led by N.C. State sociology professor Dr. Ron Wimberley, were able to pinpoint the date using data and estimates from the United Nations. According to the research, on May 23 the world's urban population stood at 3,303,992,253, with 3,303,866,404 people living in rural areas. In the U.S., the shift toward urban living is nothing new. In fact, American cities and metro areas have been home to the majority of the United States' population since the early 1900s. Today, just 21 percent of the American population lives in a rural setting. Still, several states including Mississippi, Maine and West Virginia, remain majority rural, while others, including North Carolina, have a fairly balanced population spread. To find out more, click here.

Meetings and Events

Sen. Dole to speak at home ownership seminar to be held June 1 in Hickory
North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole will speak at a home ownership seminar sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and federal, state and local partners to be held June 1 in Hickory. The goal of the seminar is to inform aspiring homeowners and the local organizations that help them about the various federal and state programs that can make homeownership a reality for more people. The half-day seminar includes discussions geared both to aspiring homeowners and to housing professionals. Sessions include: the home-buying process, repairing credit issues, avoiding foreclosure, HUD programs for affordable housing and USDA Rural Development housing programs. There is no cost to register, but a limited number of seats are available. To find out more, call Sen. Dole's office toll-free at (866) 420-6083. To register by email, click here.

June 11 ARDI conference to explore role of public universities in state economic transition
The Appalachian Regional Development Institute will hold its annual leadership summit on June 11 at Appalachian State University in Boone. The theme of this year's event is "Doing Our Part: The Role of North Carolina's Rural Public Universities in Economic Transformation." The conference is being held in conjunction with the University of North Carolina's five rural universities, which include Appalachian State, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, UNC-Pembroke and Western Carolina University. This day-long event will be held at the Rosen Concert Hall with a luncheon at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. The event will examine the university system's plan for economic transformation in detail, give shape to the dialogue on how our rural universities will respond to this plan, and look at specific ways North Carolina's public universities can aid in the economic transition. Lew Ebert, new president and CEO of the NC Chamber of Commerce, will present the keynote address. The fee to register is $60. Register through May 31 by clicking here. For further information on the summit, call Meredith Curcio at (828) 262-1075.

Rural Center to hold E2 Energizing Entrepreneurship workshop June 11-13 in Boone
The Rural Center's Institute for Rural Entrepreneurship will lead a three-day workshop in Boone June 11-13 that will help local leaders learn how to stimulate homegrown jobs in their communities and create an environment that allows entrepreneurship to flourish. The training employs a team-based approach, so community leaders are encouraged to recruit a diverse team of four or five individuals who will continue to work together back home. This is the fourth "Energizing Entrepreneurship in Rural North Carolina  training to be held as part of a two-year initiative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to build an effective entrepreneurship development system in the state. The training will be held at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. The fee to register is $275 and includes meals and course materials. Lodging rates at the Broyhill Inn have been quoted as $108 per night. For hotel reservations, call 828-262-2204. To find out more or to register for the training, contact Leslie Scott at the Rural Center, (919) 250-4314.

NC REAL to hold its next institute for entrepreneurship education June 18-22 in Chapel Hill
NC REAL is gearing up for its next REAL Entrepreneurship Institute to be held June 18-22 in Chapel Hill. The institute is a five-day course that prepares high school, post-secondary, and community-based organization educators to teach the REAL Entrepreneurship curriculum. The $1,000 tuition includes training and most meals. The course curriculum includes a four-volume CD designed for those setting up hands-on REAL Entrepreneurship programs in their schools or community organizations and contains over 170 group and individual activities, business planning journals, an integrated technology component, and a teaching and implementation guide. For further details and to find out how to register, visit the website.

Save the date for 2nd annual Financial Education and Asset Building Conference Oct. 8-9 in Chapel Hill
The 2nd annual Statewide Financial Education and Asset Building Conference will be held Oct. 8-9 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The event is sponsored by the NC IDA Collaborative, EITC Carolinas, North Carolina Cooperative Extension and UNC-Chapel Hill. Participants will learn how to help the working poor become financially independent. Last year's conference launched the North Carolina Saves initiative, information on asset building strategies, the role of public policy in helping the working poor achieve financial independence and financial literacy trainings for community development and human service professionals. Further details will be made available in the coming weeks and months. Call or visit the NC IDA Collaborative's website for more details or call (919) 341-6418.

Reports and Research

"Strategies for Expanding Entrepreneurship in the Rural South 
A new report outlines nine strategies to help foster and sustain entrepreneurship. The report, "Strategies for Expanding Entrepreneurship in the Rural South  is a product of the Southern Rural Development Center, which held listening sessions across Southern states in 2005 to gauge the needs of rural people, communities and organizations with regard to entrepreneurship. The center refined that feedback into nine strategies to help rural Southern communities contend with economic restructuring. Topping the list of strategies is building and supporting business skills among potential and existing entrepreneurs. Expanding access to capital, building networks and collaborations, and creating community awareness of and support for entrepreneurs are other key elements. To encourage start-up businesses, the center says local leaders should cut the 'red tape' involved in getting a business up and running wherever possible. Communities and regions also need to develop incentives for small businesses and encourage growth in niche markets. To read the full report, click here.

Funding Sources

Tobacco Trust Fund Commission announces 2007 grants cycle
The Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is now accepting grant applications for its 2007 grants cycle. The commission awards grants each year that have the capacity to boost jobs and cut unemployment in tobacco-dependent communities. The commission is putting out a call for projects that support the agricultural economy in North Carolina, especially in areas affected by changes in the tobacco industry, and is specifically looking for projects that fall under one of the following categories: diversification initiatives, natural resource and farmland preservation, skill and resource development, increasing farm profitability and community economic development. The maximum grant amount available this year will be $300,000. Priority will be given to projects based on the size of area and number of people affected. The deadline for applications is August 1. For more information, contact the commission at (919) 733-2160 or by email.

From the N.C. Press

N.C. Associated Press: Seawall bill passes state Senate
The Coastal Resources Commission would be allowed to build one seawall to protect an inlet from the encroaching surf under a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate. The pilot program would run counter to a longtime state ban on such sea groins. The wall would be removed if the commission finds it's ineffective in stabilizing the inlet or has too many adverse effects. The wall would likely be installed at an inlet near Figure Eight Island because the community is ready to help pay for it, said Sen. R.C. Soles, D-Columbus. He said Ocean Isle Beach is also interested. Environmentalists warn that such walls only lead to erosion elsewhere. "The research is clear on groins that they steal sand from the system," said Jim Stephenson with the N.C. Coastal Federation in Newport. "Some places will erode as the result of the groin." The bill now goes to the House.

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The mission of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center is to develop, promote, and implement sound economic strategies that improve the quality of life of rural North Carolinians, with a special focus on individuals with low to moderate incomes and communities with limited resources.

N.C. Rural Economic Development Center
Michelle Taylor, UPDATE editor
Courtney Tieman, UPDATE production manager
Elaine Matthews, senior vice president
4021 Carya Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610
(919) 250-4314 Fax: (919) 250-4325
www.ncruralcenter.org