Roundup: April 19, 2024
A regular feature of our growing online journal, The Rural Review, these roundup posts collect notable recent research, analysis, and related rural news and commentary. Feel free to send suggestions for future collections to us here. And, more details on other opportunities to contribute to the Rural Review can be found here.
Recent Publications
Society & Natural Resources published Drilling Setbacks vs Government Takings: The Case of Colorado’s 2018 Colorado Ballot Initiatives by Jonathan M. Fisk, Joseph A. Aistrup, Binita Mahato, and John C. Morris (all Political Science, Auburn University), exploring state policymaking’s influence on oil and gas related undertakings in a given state. By focusing on two 2018 Colorado ballot initiatives—one supported and one opposed by the oil and gas industry—the authors identified the variables most likely to affect the preferences of voters who will experience the benefits and dangers of proposed extraction projects.
In Engagement for Life’s Sake: Reflections on Partnering and Partnership with Rural Tribal Nations published in Rural Sociology, authors Chelsea Schelly, Kathleen Brosemer (both Social Sciences, Michigan Technological University), Valoree Gagnon (Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University), and Kristin Arola (Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, Michigan State University) share the complexities of engaging in work supporting Tribal sovereignty in decision-making for food, energy, and water systems with Anishinaabe Tribal Nations in the Great Lakes region. Their reflections suggest that engagement processes need to better support the immediate, practical needs of rural Tribal Nations.
Rachael Romsa (Judicial Law Clerk, Superior Court of Alaska), Travis Brammer (Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming), and Rachael Budowle (Honors College, Virginia Tech) published A Land Use Law Analysis to Empower Small-Scale Agriculture in Teton County, Wyoming in the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law. The authors explore Teton County’s small-scale agriculture production to illuminate potential solutions for similarly situated western counties and municipalities facing the challenge of balancing the needs of growing populations with the adverse environment, social, and economic consequences of conventional food systems.
News & Commentary
Undark published an opinion piece examining why incentives like increased payments and student loan forgiveness haven’t been able to attract doctors to rural areas, leaving almost 33 million people without adequate primary care services. Rather than focusing on financial incentives, the piece argues for highlighting the unique opportunities of practicing medicine in small communities.
An article in Capital B explored the reality of America’s eviction crisis that affects not only urban, but also rural areas. New research found that several southern Black counties have higher eviction filing rates than cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York, and that Black, rural households experience eviction rates four times higher than white households.
The Hechinger Report considered the challenges elite colleges and universities are facing when trying to appeal to and retain rural students following a long history of ignoring rural areas in their recruitment efforts. The article notes that a new consortium, the Small Town and Rural Students College Network, is hoping to help bring rural students and elite institutions together.
An opinion piece in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighted the perils of communities without local news sources. In Grove City, PA, a proposed new landfill has been dubbed a “Radioactive Trash Mountain” by concerned residents. But without investigative reporting, communities risk being left in the dark about what is happening in their own backyards.
Events & Recordings
The Public Policy Institute of California’s recent event, Spotlight on Rural California, is available to watch via recording. The event addresses the complex realities of the vast state, including the fact that its rurality is often overshadowed by its famed urban centers. A conversation between James Gallagher, assembly Republican leader, and Tani Cantil-Sakauye, president and CEO of PPIC, followed by a panel discussion with state and local leaders, delves into rural CA’s unique challenges, immediate needs, and potential paths forward. A fact sheet highlighting the state’s rural regions is available here.
The Rural Power Coalition shared a new animated short illustrating how rural Americans can learn from the past and lead a clean energy transition. The video highlights the history of rural electric cooperatives and explores how the efforts of rural Americans nearly 100 years ago might inspire later generations to consider how investing in renewable energy initiatives—from weatherizing homes to agrivoltaics—could transform rural lives. Watch “Power to the People: The Story of Rural Electric Cooperatives” here.
