Nearly 20 percent of Americans live outside urban areas. Addressing the needs of rural and frontier communities is a top priority for Governors. These populations face unique difficulties, including limited access to health care, insufficient broadband internet availability, distinct economic and workforce shortages, and transportation and infrastructure challenges. Governors are uniquely poised to create solutions cutting across policy areas to support these communities. The NGA Center for Best Practices supports Governors by sharing best practices and providing technical assistance to address these challenges and help rural communities thrive.
NGA Resources
State Energy Efficiency Policy in a New Era: A Toolkit for Governors
Governors' leadership on energy offers cost savings, job creation, reduced energy consumption, pollution prevention, and strengthened grid security. (Download) Executive Summary Governors support energy efficiency for a variety of benefits: ...
State Strategies to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Rural Communities
This papers pulls together considerations and examples of best and promising practices for Governors, including building vaccine confidence through consistent, transparent and factual communication; establishing straightforward pathways for individuals to ...
Governors Lead on Expanding Access to Affordable Broadband for Telehealth Services
The essential connection between internet access and access to health care has never been more pronounced. The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unprecedented level of need for telehealth to serve as ...
State Strategies to Increase Land Conservation and Recreational Access
A discussion of the 30x30 goal and detail how states can partner with non-profits to enhance land conservation and stewardship efforts that also provide recreational, economic and equity benefits. The ...
Outdoor Recreation Learning Network – Annual Meeting 2021
The annual meeting will discuss how states can advance outdoor recreation issues including economic recovery from COVID-19, developing partnerships to leverage limited public dollars, accessing federal economic development grants, promoting ...
The Future of State Telehealth Policy
This paper summarizes the types of telehealth policy flexibilities provided by states and the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-term considerations for Governors regarding the impact of such ...
NGA OUTDOOR RECREATION LEARNING NETWORK
Helping governors and their outdoor recreation staff explore strategies to leverage their unique natural, cultural and historical resources to improve access to and help promote economic, social and environmental benefits ...
Source Water Protection for Safe Drinking and Recreation: State Partnerships and Funding Opportunities with USDA
Communities in every state depend on clean water for drinking and for outdoor recreation but state and local budgets normally used for water quality protection have been hard hit by ...
Solutions for Rural Economies in Response to COVID-19
Summary Times of crisis often exacerbate the economic challenges faced by rural communities. Following the Great Recession, for example, unemployment in rural areas rose by 6 percent, and rates of ...
Rural Energy Affordability Solutions
Rural households typically spend 40 percent more on energy bills than urban households (ACEEE). States are working to reduce rural energy burdens by engaging rural co-operatives, municipal utilities, federal agencies, ...
