Small towns

New Mexico Business Journal, Dec, 1995

RELATED ARTICLE: Rural Response Council Puts It All Together

The New Mexico Rural Development Response Council, the state's affiliate of the National Rural Development Partnership, has a mission statement that makes clear what it is expected to do.

"To develop and enhance the cooperative efforts of state, federal, tribal and local governments with the private sector in revitalize rural New Mexico."

Which is quite an undertaking. The Council, however, is taking its mission seriously. "What we're doing," said Patrick Vanderpool, the director, "is measuring our role and fine-tuning the mission. We have, we believe, a significant role to play."

Among those roles, Vanderpool said are:

Identifying and eliminating barriers to rural development, including the building of capacity of rural communities to develop strong economies, and refining and reforming regulations that have little or no public effect.

Identifying opportunities for rural development and bringing together the partners that can capitalize on the opportunities.

Participating on the national level in the development of those issues that affect all of rural America.

Since March of 1995 the Rural Response Council has adopted 26 projects, of which 14 were site-specific, 10 needed some financial assistance and five dealt specifically with regulatory barriers. Vanderpool said that 15 projects are essentially complete "or are on their way to achieving the desired outcome."

The Council is interested in reviewing additional projects that fit within its mission statement.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Patrick Vanderpool, director New Mexico Rural Development Response Council P.O. Box 20003 Santa Fe Nm 87504 Phone 505-827-0515 Fax 505-827-1645