Seven Public Meetings Scheduled to Discuss TMDLs

A draft of Maryland's Watershed Implementation Plan (phase 1) is posted on MDE's website at: www.mde.state.md.us. During September and October, there will be four regional public meetings to explain the plan and gather public input. There will also be three additional public meetings to discuss EPA's Plan for the Chesapeake Bay's Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Public comments will be sought from Sept. 24 through Nov. 8. For more information about the times, dates and places of the public meetings.

TEDCO Invites You to Rural Ag and Business Forum

Innovations and Technological Solutions Addressing Challenges Impacting Western Maryland Agri-Businesses (See flyer)

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) are hosting a forum to discuss current issues in farming in Western Maryland on Thursday, September 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rocky Gap near Cumberland. The Rural Maryland Council is one of the event partners assisting TEDCO with the forums.

This round table discussion will encourage active participation by the speakers, ag professionals, and farmers/growers. The speakers are scientists from ARS who have practical on-farm/nursery experience and have products in the market place that address the specific topic issues.

The goal of the forum is to get ARS, farmers/growers, extension service, rural development, funding sources, and the regulatory agencies at the table at the same time to address the issues, and to determine what additional input is needed by the farmers/growers to adopt the solutions.

Five customized forums will be held in rural areas of the state over the next year.The Lower Shore forum is scheduled for December 2 at Wor-Wic Community College. For more information and an agenda

Help Us Complete Our Statewide Inventory;
Take Our Updated Telehealth Survey

Take the Survey Now!

The RMC in partnership with the Maryland Rural Health Association is conducting a statewide inventory of telehealth/telemedicine projects in Maryland. We have updated the survey we started during the Spring to be easier and quicker for you to complete. If you are involved in receiving or delivering teleheatlh/telemedicine services, please take ten minutes (maybe less) to complete this survey. It will be available here through November 2010.

The goal of this survey is to compile an accurate inventory of projects already underway around Maryland so that we can better inform statewide policymakers about telehealth/telemedicine issues. Our ultimate goal is to find efficient, cost effective ways to use technology to increase access to quality health care in rural communities.

Note: You have to finish the survey once you start. You can't save it and come back later. To view the questions first. If you have any questions or comments please contact us at rmc@mda.state.md.us

Take the Survey Now!

Save the Date: Maryland Telehealth Roundtable, December 6, 2010 in Annapolis

Plan to attend our Rural Roundtable on Telehealth in Maryland on December 6. Learn the results of the Maryland Telehealth and Telemedicine Survey, which is being conducted through November 30. An interim report on the results, to date, has been released. In addition to survey results and recommendations, representatives of the University of Maryland School of Law will be there to discuss legal impediments to telehealth implementation. All health care facilities that are involved in either providing or receiving telehealth / telemedicine services are encouraged to take the survey .

MD Rural Health Conference Set for Oct. 21-22

Registration is now open for the Maryland Rural Health Association's 2010 Maryland Rural Health Conference, which will be held October 21-22, at Rocky Gap near Cumberland. The theme is Rural Matters! Emerging Health Challenges and Opportunities.

The Rural Maryland Council is pleased to be a sponsor of the conference, which aims to help rural health stakeholders to enter the next decade with a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities. The conference will also help set the stage for a 2011 Rural Health Legislative Agenda and increase knowledge by all participants on the health issues facing rural Maryland.

The registration fee of $235 includes breakfast and lunch on two days, and an awards dinner. (It does not include hotel room or exhibit space.) Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are also available. For complete information, a draft agenda, and to register.

For more information or questions, contact Michelle Clark at mrha@allconet.org.

Tree-Mendous Maryland Taking Orders

DNR's TREE-MENDOUS Maryland program is now accepting orders for high quality native trees and shrubs at reasonable prices for planting on public land, including parks, community open spaces, rights-of-ways, government facilities, school grounds and by homeowners associations.

TREE-MENDOUS Maryland, a program of the Maryland Forest Service, helps citizens restore tree cover on public land and community open space. To date, the program has helped more than 3,000 towns and communities, parks, and schools plant trees and shrubs to help clean the water, clean the air, and keep towns and cities inviting, livable, and environmentally viable places to live.

The Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee of the Maryland Forestry Boards offers grants of up to $1,500 for groups involved in environmental tree planting and care projects on public land. Download the grant application. For more information contact Wanda MacLachlan at 410-531-5973 or at: wtm@umd.edu.

See a TREE-MENDOUS order form and more complete information.

MRHA Accepting Rural Health Nominations

The Maryland Rural Health Association is sponsoring the 2010 Rural Health Awards and is accepting nominations for awards in four categories. The deadline for submitting nominations is September 10. Awards will be announced during an Awards Ceremony at the Rural Health Conference at Rocky Gap on October 21. The MRHA Rural Health Achievement Awards recognize individuals and organizations in rural communities and/or throughout the state of Maryland for outstanding efforts that impact the quality of rural health in Maryland. The awards to be presented are:

Outstanding Health Legislator Award
Outstanding Rural Health Program Award
Outstanding Rural Health Achievement Award
Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner Award

For more information and nomination instructions.

LEAD Maryland Accepting Fellowship Applications

The LEAD Maryland Foundation is accepting applications for the next class of LEAD Fellows through October 1. LEAD Maryland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying and developing leadership for agriculture, natural resources and rural communities. The fellowship is a two-year leadership training program which will span 2011 and 2012. Class size is between 20 to 25. Complete information and application materials are available at www.leadmaryland.org

National Rural Technology Summit Held in D.C.

(July 2010) -- The U.S. Department of Education and The Smithsonian Institution hosted the National Rural Education Technology Summit on July 21 in Washington D.C. The Summit was designed to share innovative practices and effective models for improving teaching and learning in rural schools. The presentations and discussions focused on how rural schools can use technology to overcome the challenges of distance and isolation. The RMC attended along with 150 people from 26 states. Read more.

Southern Convening Info Posted

The Rural Maryland Council and nearly 110 State Rural Development Council colleagues throughout USDA's Southern Region convened in Charlotte, North Carolina, in May to focus on USDA's key priority areas and critical issues facing the region. The goal of the meeting was to address these issues with a local and regional strategy that promotes the creation of new partnerships and regional collaboration. A complete report on the meeting will be available shortly; however, copies of all presentations and materials are now posted on the Partners for Rural America website.

MFA to Host Conference on Working Woodlands

The Maryland Forests Association will host its 34th Annual Conference on November 5 and 6 at the Gaylord National Conference Center in the National Harbor outside Washington, D.C. MFA's Annual Conference is the place for forest landowners, natural resource professionals, and forestry advocates to gather for networking, learning, and fellowship. This year's event includes educational sessions, a field trip to nearby Myrtle Gove Wildlife Management Area, and a keynote presentation on the Living Memorials of 9/11. For more information.

USDA Ready to Guarantee Loans for Rural Businesses

USDA-Rural Development in Maryland/Delaware has about $41 million available from its business and industry guaranteed loan program to promise before September 30. The program provides loan guarantees to lending institutions for businesses to retain or add jobs and improve, develop or buy land, buildings, machinery or supplies. Seventy percent of the funds that are available in Delaware and Maryland are a result of the stimulus funding that expires on September 30, 2010. The stimulus funding has the advantage of offering up to 90 percent guarantees as opposed to the standard 80 percent. It also has no annual renewal fees and has a lower guarantee fee of 1 percent as opposed to 2 percent. Any business except farms, golf courses and those that receive more than 10 percent of their revenue from gambling are eligible for the loan guarantee. The business must be in an area with a population of 50,000 or fewer. For more information, contact Bruce Weaver at (302) 857-3629 or Jeff Allen at (302) 857-3588.

Special RMC Programs

Read about the RMC's Strengthening the Well Being of Rural Maryland Families initiative, which is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The 2020 Rural Prosperity Investment Initiative (pdf) outlines a vision for Rural Maryland. A Rural Prosperity powerpoint presentation (2.3M) is also available. A PDF version (900 kb)is also available
Read about the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF).

The Rural Maryland Council is pleased to be partnering with the Maryland Department of Aging to expand the Senior Medicare Patrol program (an anti-fraud program) into six rural counties that do not currently have one. Those counties are Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Calvert, Charles and Cecil. The RMC's partnership with SMP is also working to develop innovative methods to reach isolated rural populations and finding models that work and can be replicated in rural areas across the county. The SMPI logo links to a password protected page, available to SMPI partners only.

The Mission of the Rural Maryland Council is to build a bright future for Rural Maryland by helping to address its unique concerns. The RMC works towards achieving effective solutions by bringing together a diverse partnership of federal, state, and local government officials and representatives from the private nonprofit and for-profit sectors to form a strong collective voice dedicated to addressing the critical issues facing Rural Marylanders. The success of the RMC depends on the strength of its Executive Board, membership and Working Committees. Our general membership includes several hundred people -- each of whom brings a unique perspective, background, knowledge, and skill set to the table. Any Maryland citizen is eligible to become a member of the RMC. There is no fee for joining, just fill out an application form, mail or fax it back to us and we'll be in touch. Click here for a Membership Application.