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News from 2008

Rural Families Grant Program Open for Proposals

(July 14, 2008) - The Rural Maryland Council will accept grant applications for the Strengthening the Well-Being of Rural Maryland Families Program through August 11, 2008. Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the program awards direct service grants to nonprofit organizations that help disadvantaged rural families become economically stable. The Rural Families program has awarded $300,000 in grants to 14 rural-serving organizations since it began in FY 2006. Read the Release.

Ross Elected to Chair Broadband Coordination Board

(June 16, 2008) -- Charlie Ross, president and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and chair of the RMC, has been elected to a one-year term as chairman of the Maryland Broadband Coordination Board, beginning July 1, 2008. He replaces Worcester County Commissioner Virgil Shockley, who served two terms as chairman and will remain on the Board.

Established by the Maryland General Assembly in 2006, the Rural Broadband Coordination Board is responsible for overseeing efforts to deploy broadband infrastructure in rural and underserved areas of the state. The Board is also responsible for reviewing and approving all disbursements from the Rural Broadband Assistance Fund, which was also established in 2006. During the last two years, the Coordination Board has been responsible for more than $13 million in state and federal funding. Read the complete release.

Grants Available for Rural Nonprofits and Community Colleges

(May 9, 2008) -- The 2008-09 Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF), administered by the Rural Maryland Council, is accepting grant applications through July 7, 2008 from rural-serving nonprofit organizations and community colleges. Read the Release.

Eleven Rural Communities Awarded Free Trees

(March 19, 2008) – Eleven rural communities have been selected to receive trees through a new pilot project sponsored by the Rural Maryland Council and the TREE-Mendous Maryland Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service. Governor Martin O'Malley called this partnership, "a prime example of how we are working in a more sustainable way to preserve and protect our natural resources and the quality of life that we enjoy as Marylanders." Read more

HCWC Release Review of DAC Recommendations

Impact of the Dental Action Committee’s Recommendations On Maryland’s Rural Communities, prepared by the Rural Maryland Council Health Care Working Commitee, reviews the impact the DAC recommendations will have on rural health care. (February 2008)

Pilot Project Announced: Community Tree Planting

Deadline February 14 -- The Rural Maryland Council and the TREE-MENDOUS MARYLAND Program of the Department of Natural Resources Forest Service are undertaking a pilot project to identify rural communities that want to plant shade trees. These trees can:

What's the catch?

The agency, organization or local government that receives the trees must:

Apply by February 14, 2008 for consideration for a spring planting project. As this is a Pilot Project, only 10 projects will be considered. Apply Now.

For more information, contact Terry Galloway at tgalloway@dnr.state.md.us or call 410-260-8510.

Note: These trees are provided for the purpose of creating shade, wildlife habitat, beautifying town streets and other purposes related to preserving and expanding urban and community forests. They are not provided for riparian buffers or other conservation purposes.

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Waterfront Commission Begins Meeting

(February 2008) - The Working Waterfront Commission, created by legislation enacted during the 2007 Maryland General Assembly session, is charged with studying and making recommendations regarding the protection and preservation of Maryland's commercial seafood industry's access to public trust waters. Governor O’Malley appointed MARBIDCO Executive Director Steve McHenry to chair the Commission, which has recently begun meeting. For more information about the Commission.

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Jenkins Named to State Growth Task Force

RMC Executive David Jenkins has been named to the state's 21-member Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development. The task force, which will be staffed by the Maryland Department of Planning, is charged with studying a wide range of smart growth and land use issues affecting Maryland and submitting a report of findings and recommendations by December 1, 2008. The term of the Task Force extends beyond this report through 2010, serving as an advisory board to the Governor's Smart Growth Subcabinet. The Task Force will hold its first meeting on January 28 in Annapolis. Read the official News Release

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News from 2007

Pharmacy Work Group Briefs Legislative Committees
(January 2007) The Rural Maryland Council co-sponsored three Pharmacy Matters forums around the state during the fall of 2006 to get input about pharmacy issues in rural communities. The team that conducted the forums were among those briefing the Senate Finance Committee and the House Government Operations Committee during Jan. 31, 2007. The Pharmacy Matters forums were sponsored in partnership with the Center on Drugs and Public Policy, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, the Peter Lamy Center for Drug Therapy and Aging, the Maryland Rural Health Association, the College of Southern Maryland and the University of Maryland College Park. Read a summary of the comments made by forum participants. Also see:

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News from 2006

Collaboration to Empower Older People
The Maryland Department of Aging, which was recently awarded a three-year Evidence-Based Prevention Programs grant, will partner with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, Office of Service and Volunteerism, the Rural Maryland Council, Towson University, and two health insurance companies to encourage older people to take charge of their health by providing the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) in six Planning Service Areas and the Active for Life program in one of those six. The approach is to develop state and local partnerships -- including AAAs, aging services provider organizations, local health departments, health care providers, faith-based organizations, and other agencies in their jurisdictions -- to provide the CDSMP in many settings in order to promote the program and make it available to a wide audience.

Rural Maryland Council Elects New Chairman
Charlie Ross, President and CEO of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, was elected chairman of the Rural Maryland Council (RMC) during its annual meeting on October 26, 2006. His one-year term begins in January 2007. Mr. Ross succeeds Phyllis Kilby, a Cecil County dairy farmer and county commissioner, who served as council chair for the past three years. Read more.

2006 Rural Impact Awards Announced
Nine rural leaders and organizations (including one state legislator) were recognized for their outstanding efforts to improve the quality of life in rural Maryland during the Annual Rural Awards Luncheon held during the 9th Annual Maryland Rural Summit on Thursday, October 26. Read more.

Rural Maryland Broadband Coordination Board Holds Inaugural Meeting.
A major step in the development of a statewide broadband network serving rural areas of Maryland occurred on August 14, 2006 at the Offices of the Maryland Rural Council in Annapolis when the Maryland Rural Broadband Coordination Board held its inaugural meeting. Read more.

Six Organizations Receive Grants to Help Strengthen Families
Six organizations serving Rural Maryland have been awarded grants from the Strengthening Rural Maryland Families Initiative, which is administered by the Rural Maryland Council with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This is the second year of the initiative and these are the second round of grantees to receive assistance for programs that help rural families achieve financial self sufficiency. Read more.

2020 Rural Prosperity Initiative
(January 25, 2006) RMC has issued a special report on the 2020 Rural Prosperity Initiative, Building on the Past; Investing in the future which outlines a vision for Rural Maryland through 2020. Download the Report(PDF). January 2006

RMC's December 2005 Updates
RMC has issued two end of the year updates. Read the RMC Fall 2005 Update as well as the end of the Maryland Agricultural and Resource- Based Industry Development Corporation or MARBIDCO Fall 2005 Update. Both were released in December 2005

2005 Rural Achievement Awards Announced (posted Oct. 28, 2005)
Four rural organizations and four rural leaders (including two state legislators) were recognized for their outstanding efforts to improve the quality of life in rural Maryland during the Annual Rural Awards Luncheon held during the 8th Annual Maryland Rural Summit on October 28. The Rural Awards and the Annual Rural Maryland Summit are sponsored by the Rural Maryland Council, the Maryland Rural Health Association, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, and the state’s five rural regional planning and development councils. Click here to read about the award winners.

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