Compiled by Deb Miller Slipek, News Finder Extraordinary &
Jane Leonard, MRP President & Editor

IN THIS ISSUE:

- Across the Field
- Meetings & Conferences
- Policy
- Funding
- Professional Opportunities
- Tools & Miscellaneous

ACROSS THE FIELD, by Jane Leonard
2006 - A Year of Sincerely, Wholeheartedly, and Gladly Working Together

Was your December overwhelming? Mine sure was. It seemed that everyone was trying to cram in as many meetings as possible so they could take a "break" between Christmas and New Year's. As I did in 2005, for 2006, I'm advocating that we all slow down, so we can actually think about things and make better decisions for the short and long-term, instead of just reacting.

Slowing down might also help us figure out ways to work better together, to focus and strengthen resources. With the blessing of its many partners, the Minnesota Rural Summit is doing just that, by joining forces this year with the Center for Small Towns at the University of Minnesota, Morris (and its many partners), to create the joint Rural Symposium on Small Towns and the Minnesota Rural Summit, June 6 & 7, 2006. We hope you will join us as we head to Morris this summer. In nine years of Summits, it will be the first time we have held the gathering in western Minnesota. It's a sentimental homecoming for me; my grandparents lived in Morris shortly after they were married. My Mom was born in Morris at the height of the Great Depression. We lost her five years ago this month to breast cancer. I know in my heart she will be watching with pride as people like her, of great intelligence and spirit, gather in Morris this June to share ideas and strategies for rural and small town Minnesota.

It will be the fourth annual Rural Symposium on Small Towns. It's a timely collaboration with the Summit, as growing attention on the 2007 Agriculture and Rural Development "Farm" Bill and the upcoming state and national elections demand that we move beyond finger-pointing blame and instead lift up the amazing grassroots ideas and innovations that can secure a bright future for rural America in these transformative times.

Throughout the past several years, the Rural Summit has brought to its participants leading edge discussion and ideas for entrepreneurship (2003 in Mankato), innovation (2004 in Hibbing) and rural-urban collaboration (2005 in St. John's). We will keep up that record of excellence for 2006 with the joint Symposium-Summit in Morris, which by geography and by inventiveness is at the epicenter of entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration not only for rural America, but all of the United States.

Last spring, the Morris-based Center for Small Towns was awarded a national Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC) grant to create a partnership between the University of Minnesota Morris and the City of Morris on a project called Adapting to Change: Managing Urbanization in Rural America. Outreach and research activities will focus on housing, economic development, and community organizing and neighborhood revitalization. It is expected that this COPC project can serve as a model for other small cities in rural settings confronting changing demographics and economic realities. UMM and Morris are also leading the way in "green" initiatives in wind energy and other renewable energy developments. The theme for the joint Symposium-Summit is still being refined (and as you can see, there's a lot to choose from with Morris as a location), but save the date -- June 6 & 7 -- and watch for more information and registration directions at our website at www.minnesotaruralpartners.org, or at www.centerforsmalltowns.org.

And speaking of ideas, innovations, and working together, especially in the renewable energy arena, Minnesota Rural Partners is co-sponsoring, with the Rural Policy Research Institute, an evening reception to help kick-off the February 22 & 23rd workshop on "Regional Integration for the Future: Renewable Energy and Land Use Planning" at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel in Morton, MN. This event is coordinated by the Southwest Regional Development Commission and hosted by the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, National Association of Counties, Association of Minnesota Counties, Minnesota Energy Office, Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, the Redwood Area Development Corporation and others partners under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For more information, contact John Shepard, Southwest RDC, at 507-836-8547, ext 103 or jshepard@swrdc.org. Registration for the two-day workshop is $50.

CONFERENCES & MEETINGS

--Public Policy 201: Advanced Advocacy - Thursday, January 19, 9 a.m. - noon, St. Paul This training on advanced legislative and administrative processes is for experienced advocates. This session will focus on details of the legislative process, including rules and procedures. Cost: $35 for MCN members/$50 for non-members. For more information visit http://www.mncn.org/event_policy.htm

--The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits will host a one-day conference on public policy and advocacy for nonprofit leaders on Thursday, January 26, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Four Points by Sheraton, 1330 Industrial Blvd., Minneapolis. The conference will address strategies for nonprofit advocacy in the upcoming legislative session. In plenary sessions and interactive breakout sessions, participants will engage in dialogue with advocates and organizers with national and local experience, legislators, and media representatives. Nonprofit advocates, policy analysts, lobbyists, board members, funders, and leaders will come together here to get ready for the 2006 session and beyond with a day to focus on building skills and understanding key issues.

POLICY

--The FY 2006 Treasury, Transportation and HUD appropriations bill has been signed by the President. $352 million was cut from CDBG which received $3.748 billion. HOME grants were pegged at $1.75 billion, about 2 percent less than last year; HOPE VI was $100 million, down from FY 2005. Section 8 received $15.6 billion, an increase over last year, but local funding levels may not reflect local needs because of the way the formula will be calculated. Rural Housing and Economic Development was cut to $17 million from $24 million; in Treasury, CDFI received $55 million, the same amount as last year. To view the entire bill, go to http://thomas.loc.gov.

FUNDING

-- The MN Office of Rural Health and Primary Care is seeking applications from rural Communities and health care providers (hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, long term care or other health care facilities) for the new Rural Pharmacy Planning and Transition Grant Program. The program is intended to preserve access to prescription medication and the skills of a pharmacist in rural areas. A total of $200,000 is available and the maximum grant amount is $50,000. Applications are due March 3, 2006. Information is available at: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/chs/grants.htm or call Mark Schoenbaum at 651-282-3859 or mark.schoenbaum@health.state.mn.us

-- The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has launched its Rural People, Rural Policy Initiative. It will hold four information meetings to provide an overview of the initiative and information about applying for grants. Locations are: Charleston, WV Jan. 9; Memphis, TN - Jan. 10; Denver, CO - Jan. 11; Albuquerque, NM - Jan. 12. Five organizations in four regions will receive grants to participate in a capacity-building networking and leadership development program that will simultaneously strengthen the capacity of the organizations, hone their policy development skills, and create alignment for policy impact. For more information, visit http://www.wkkf.org/Programming/NewsList.aspx?CID=274.

-- HUD is making it possible to register early for electronic submission of FY 2006 grant applications at www.grants.gov. It expects to post funding opportunities in early 2006. Prospective applicants are encouraged to register early since the registration can take 10 days or more. Early registration is in effect until Jan. 31. See Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 236, Dec. 9, p. 73332.

-- The CDFI deadline for financial and technical assistance has been extended to February 13th for existing CDFIs and March 1st for Native American CDFIs. For more information, contact cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov or call 202 622-6355.

-- Environmental Assistance Open Grant Round 2-page preliminary applications are due February 10, 2006. Eligible applicants: individuals, public and private entities. $400,000 available, $40,000 maximum grant; 33% cash or in-kind match required. Details at
http://www.moea.state.mn.us/grants/current.cfm#open Environmental Assistance at the MPCA requests proposals for projects or practices or loan programs related to:
-- The development or implementation of pollution prevention projects or practices. These include activities such as green building, sustainable community development, commercial/institutional projects, low-impact development, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
-- Environmental education.
-- Research, development, or implementation of waste collection, resource recovery, processing, recycling, and reuse.
-- Source reduction, and prevention of waste, hazardous substances, toxic pollutants, and problem materials.
-- Collection, recovery, processing, purchasing, or market development of recyclable materials or compost.
To discuss potential projects in the areas of sustainable community development - green building, low-impact development, ordinance development, transit-oriented development, energy, water and transportation efficiency, renewable energy, distributed wastewater infrastructure -
contact Philipp Muessig at 651/215-0204 or 800/657-3843 or philipp.muessig@moea.state.mn.us

--The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), is soliciting applications for planning and construction grants for public telecom facilities as part of the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). Applications must be received prior to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, February 7, 2006 The PTFP assists, through matching grants, in the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities in order to:
1. Extend delivery of services to as many citizens as possible by the most cost-effective means, including use of broadcast and non-broadcast technologies;
2. Increase public telecommunications services and facilities available to, operated by, and controlled by minorities and women;
3. Strengthen the capability of existing public television and radio stations to provide public telecommunications services to the public.
To apply for and receive a PTFP Construction or Planning Grant, an applicant must be:
(a) A public or noncommercial educational broadcast station;
(b) A noncommercial telecommunications entity;
(c) A system of public telecommunications entities;
(d) A non-profit foundation, corporation, institution, or association organized primarily for educational or cultural purposes; or
(e) A state, local, or Indian tribal government (or agency thereof), or a political or special purpose subdivision of a state.

--Department of Natural Resources Grants Applications Available: Applications are now available for 2006 local grants, trail grants, cooperative water recreation grants, Metro Greenways and Remediation Fund grants, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. For more information click on the link below: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/releases/index.html?id=1132684289

--Each year, the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids Grant Program awards fifty community groups and schools with $10,000 grants that support innovative programs to help children develop positive, lifelong nutrition, and physical fitness habits. The program is a partnership of the General Mills Foundation, the American Dietetic Association Foundation, and the President's Challenge. The deadline for applications is February 1, 2006. For more information, see www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.aspx

MISCELLANEOUS

--Rural Hispanics at a Glance provides the latest information from the 2000 Census and other Federal data sources about Hispanics living in nonmetro counties. This six-page brochure highlights growth and geographic dispersion, demographic characteristics, and the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions for this population. It emphasizes rapid Hispanic population growth, particularly in new rural destinations of the Midwest and Southeast, and it illustrates differences in age structure between Hispanics and non-Hispanic Whites. The report also provides data on important demographic, labor market, income, poverty, and social service indicators for nonmetro Hispanics. Using a visually interesting format that incorporates text bullets with charts and maps, it quickly provides information on key indicators of the rural Hispanic population to assist public officials, community organizations, private decision makers and others in their efforts to enhance the economic opportunities and quality of life for this rapidly growing population. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB8/

--The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City invites you to view the latest addition to our Research Working Paper Series. Jason Henderson and Sean Moore's paper "The Impact of Wildlife Recreation on Farmland Values" is now available at http://www.kc.frb.org/Publicat/Reswkpap/RWP05-10.htm Wildlife recreation - hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching - is an expanding rural industry. Wildlife recreation is fueling additional income streams for many farmers. This paper finds that farmland values are higher in places with abundant wildlife recreation attributes.

--In the October 2005 issue of The Main Street Economist, Mark Drabenstott and Jason Henderson of the Center for the Study of Rural America discuss, "Katrina and Rita: Lingering Effects on Agriculture". This article reviews the near-term effects of the hurricanes and then explores how higher energy prices and new questions about export infrastructure could affect agriculture in the period ahead. The article can be found on the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Web site at: http://www.kansascityfed.org/RuralCenter/mainstreet/MainStMain.htm

--The Farm Household Economics and Well-Being Briefing Room offers a synthesis of ERS research, analysis, and outlook on the diversity of U.S. farm operator households, including current and historical data on labor allocation (hours of farm and nonfarm work), income, consumption, wealth, farm diversity, health status, and community resources, of farm operator households; research articles; and information on current ERS projects. It also includes information on factors affecting the economic well-being of farm households, such as Federal tax and spending policies, local economic conditions, and the availability and cost of public services. Forecasts, and the analysis that supports those forecasts, are also reported. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/WellBeing/

--The Kauffman Foundation has a new website for entrepreneurs on how to start, manage and expand their businesses. The site features original content - through exclusive articles authored by entrepreneurs - and the latest information on entrepreneurship. The information is categorized into six subject areas - finance, human resources, sales and marketing, products/services, operations, and the entrepreneur (e.g. strategy, culture, leadership). Visit the Kauffman eVenturing site at www.eVenturing.org

--Summaries from Rural Entrepreneurship Listening Sessions are available. They were held by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development in Pennsylvania (July 2005) and Maryland (September 2005). Visit http://www.ruraleship.org/index_html?page=content/EshipSummaries.html

--The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Center for Community Development Investments is pleased to announce the publication of the inaugural issue of the Community Development Investment Review. The mission of the Review is to explore the most pressing issues facing the CD investment field by inviting academics and community development practitioners to present articles addressing both theoretical and practical approaches to CD investing. The Review is available online at http://www.frbsf.org/publications/community/review/122005/index.html The Center for Community Development Investments is online at http://www.frbsf.org/cdinvestments/

--Sustainable Tourism in Minnesota: In an effort to continually update and refine their educational offerings, the University of Minnesota Tourism Center wants to know your interest in and educational preferences for sustainable tourism. They have developed a questionnaire that should take fewer than 5 minutes to complete. Your responses to this questionnaire will guide educational product development and ultimately allow the University to serve both you and the tourism industry better. Please find the questionnaire at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB224SWQCZQNJ You can click on this link or cut and paste it into your web browser. All the information you provide is completely voluntary, confidential, and anonymous. If you have any questions or concerns about the questionnaire, please feel free to contact Ingrid Schneider: ingridss@umn.edu. Thanks in advance for your consideration and completion of this questionnaire.

--Anheuser-Busch and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are seeking applications from graduate and undergraduate students for the 2006 Budweiser Conservation Scholarship Program. This competitive scholarship program supports and promotes innovative research or study that seeks to respond to today's most pressing conservation issues. The 2006 program will provide a minimum of ten scholarships of up to $10,000 each to cover students' expenses for tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other direct expenses related to their studies. Awards will be made based on merit and will take into consideration the students' academic achievements and their ability and commitment to develop innovative solutions that are designed to address real and pressing issues affecting fish, wildlife, and plant conservation efforts. To be eligible for consideration, a student must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age and enrolled in an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree (sophomores and juniors in the current academic year only) in environmental science, natural resource management, biology, public policy, geography, political science, or related disciplines. The deadline for applications has been extended from January 13 to January 27, 2006. For more information, see http://www.nfwf.org/programs/budscholarship/index.cfm

Minnesota Rural Partners is a nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

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