Community Action Plans
Purpose of the Action Plan
The economic well-being of many rural communities depends upon the goods and services that are derived from national forests. The economies of many of these communities suffer from a lack of industrial and business diversity. This is especially serious in communities whose economies are predominantly dependent on timber and recreation resources. It can be exacerbated where management decisions made on the national forests by Federal and private organizations may disrupt the supply of those resources. The Forest Service has the expertise and resources to promote modernization and economic diversification of existing industries and services based on forest resources. They can also provide leadership to assist rural communities to upgrade existing industries and to diversify by developing new economic activity in non-forest related industries.
The National Forest Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990 aims to provide accelerated assistance to rural communities that are faced with acute economic problems associated with Federal, State or private sector resource management decisions and policies, that are located in or near a national forest, and are economically dependent upon forest resources. This assistance is coordinated through a community action team and plan. The program provides aid to develop strategic action plans to diversify these communities' economic bases and to improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of rural areas.
The goal of the Community Action Plan is to provide technical assistance to economically disadvantaged communities. The action plan identifies opportunities to promote economic diversification and enhance local economies that are dependent upon national forest resources. The program may include upgrade of existing industries, development of new economic activity in non-forest related industries, and training and education directed towards meeting the community's planned goals. The action plan may also identify opportunities to use value-added products and services derived from national forest resources. This Community Action Plan shall be implemented to upgrade existing industries to use forest resources more efficiently and to expand the economic base of rural communities so as to alleviate or reduce their dependence on national forest resources. (Source: National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990).
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for assistance, the community must meet the requirements of the definition of "rural community" as stated in Sec. 2374 of the National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990. This act defines "rural community" as any town, township, municipality, or other similar unit of general purpose local government having a population of not more than 10,000 individuals that is located in a county where at least 15% of the total primary and secondary labor and proprietor income is derived from forestry, wood products, and forest-related industries such as recreation and tourism that is located within the boundary, or within 100 miles of the boundary, of a national forest. The term "rural community" also refers to any county or similar unit of general purpose local government having a population of not more than 22,550 individuals in which at least 15% of the total primary and secondary labor and proprietor income is derived from forestry, wood products, and forest-related industries such as recreation and tourism that is located within the boundary, or within 100 miles of the boundary, of a national forest. (Source: National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990).