The Rural Maryland Council
Read the
RMC brochure for general information about what Council does. (June 2008)
The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) brings together citizens, community-based organizations, federal, state, county and municipal government officials as well as representatives of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to collectively address the needs of Rural Maryland communities. We provide a venue for members of agriculture and natural resource-based industries, health care facilities, educational institutions, economic and community development organizations, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and government agencies to cross traditional boundaries, share information, and address in a more holistic way the special needs and opportunities in Rural Maryland.
Our goals are to:
- Enable citizens in rural communities to achieve success in employment and have access to quality, affordable health care, and other services;
- Preserve agriculture and other natural resource-based industry as an integral part of Maryland's rural economy and culture;
- Advocate for a manageable regulatory process and reasonable and effective compliance; and
- Address the impact of changing conditions on the environment, heritage and economic well-being of rural Maryland.
As a collaborative partnership, the RMC operates in a nonpartisan and nondiscriminatory manner. Policy-makers and managers from stakeholder agencies and organizations at all levels of government and the private sector are valued participants. Where practical, the decision-making undertaken by the RMC is made by reaching consensus.
The vision for the RMC is the ultimate realization that citizens living in rural communities are achieving success in education and employment, have access to affordable, quality health care and other vital public services, and live in an environment where natural and cultural resources are being sustained for future generations.
How do we Define Rural in Maryland?
Rural jurisdictions share common characteristics that set them apart from their suburban and urban counterparts, such as geographic isolation, lack of transportation, and lack of access to and availability of health care. The state definition of rural is articulated in the Annotated Code of Maryland and includes 18 of the 24 jurisdictions in
Maryland. Each is represented on the Rural Maryland Council. The following counties constitute
rural Maryland:
- Allegany
- Calvert
- Caroline
- Carroll
- Cecil
- Charles
- Dorchester
- Frederick
- Garrett
- Harford
- Kent
- Queen Anne's
- Somerset
- St. Mary's
- Talbot
- Washington
- Wicomico
- Worcester
Federally-designated rural jurisdictions are:
- Allegany
- Caroline
- Dorchester
- Garrett
- Kent
- Somerset
- St. Mary's
- Talbot
- Worcester
New Rural Stat
Rural Maryland Council :: 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway :: Annapolis, MD 21401 :: 410-841-5772
