Source: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
WESTERN RURAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER 23
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031490
Grant No.
2023-51150-41112
Cumulative Award Amt.
$704,232.00
Proposal No.
2023-07566
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2023
Project End Date
May 17, 2024
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[UU.R]- Rural Development Centers
Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Western Rural Development Cent
Non Technical Summary
The Western Rural Development Center collaborates with western land-grant universities and public and private sector partners to promote excellence in research, education, and Extension for the prosperity of western rural communities. The Center works to build capacity throughout the region's Land-Grant Universities and Cooperative Extension Service to help rural communities prosper, thrive economically, and become self-sustaining. The Western Rural Development Cetner links the science-based research and educational outreach capacity of the region's pubolic universities with communities, local decision-makers, entrepreneurs, families, farmers and ranchers to help address a wide range of development issues.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
60860503080100%
Knowledge Area
608 - Community Resource Planning and Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6050 - Communities, areas, and regions;

Field Of Science
3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
The Western Rural Development Center (WRDC) is proposing the following initiatives for its Fiscal Year 23 (September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024) Plan of Work. This work plan builds upon activities established in previous years along with new activities. These proposed initiatives and activities support several goals outlined in the USDA Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2022-2026.WRDC Initiatives that Support Strategic Goal 1: Combat Climate Change to Support America's Working Lands, Natural Resources, and CommunitiesNational Extension Climate InitiativeThe National Extension Climate Initiative (NECI) promotes climate change-related educationand research across Cooperative Extension and supports an engaged, transparent, inclusive, and ethical culture. The Initiative is open to all professionalsrepresenting Land and Sea Grant Universities and their related associations, and organizations and partnerships.Strategies/Actions - Encourage cooperation; strengthen communication; develop, sponsor, collaborate, and promote evidence-based education and training that advances climate change education and outreach; and enhance Extension's capacity for community engaged education on a full range ofclimate mitigation and adaptation issues.WRDC Initiatives that Support Strategic Goal 2: Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal CommunitiesAdvancing Rural Prosperity and Equity through the New Forest EconomyThe WRDC is a partner and sub-recipient of this AFRI grant led by Emily Jane Davis, Oregon State University Extension. The project aims to foster equitable employment and entrepreneurship through the new forest economy in the American West to create more vibrant and prosperous rural communities and Latinx populations that sustain economic growth. Strategies/Actions - Adapt research findings to clearly articulate the paths and barriers to equitable forest work for practitioner audiences in a mixed-media series of Extension publications, web-based extension, and workshops; Increase decision maker awareness of how land management decisions and policies affect equity outcomes for workers and businesses by extending new knowledge to these audiences.Land Grant Partners ProjectThe Land-Grant Partners (LGP) project aims to pursue necessary historical justice activities through the creation of formal alliances between the original 1862 land-grant institutions and those 1994 versions known more commonly as Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). To that end, we are organizing an 1862/1994 Land-Grant Summit for October 12-13, 2023 in Denver, Colorado immediately preceding the annual conference for the First Americans Land-Grant Consortium (FALCON).Strategies/Actions - The intent of this is not to seek charity, but to promote mutual benefit in concrete ways for both classes of institutions, and ultimately for society as a whole.Broadband Access and Digital Skills (ECOP PAT) and National Digital Education Extension TeamThe WRDC is participating in both the Extension Committee on Policy and Organization (ECOP) Program Action Team (PAT) on Broadband Access and Digital Skills and the National Digital Education Extension Team.Strategies/Actions - ECOP PAT Broadband Access and Digital Skills: Extension professionals recognized the importance of the digital divide andtook action to address digital equity. (See E-Connectivity in Rural America: Public Research Universities Advancing Digital Inclusion.) These actions included education programs that raise awareness about the benefits of broadband, convening stakeholders to assist with strategic planning, assessing digital inclusion, feasibility studies, stakeholder input, and technical assistance with writing grant proposals. CES also provides training for community members and businesses about how to safely and effectively use online tools to improve their economic opportunities, access resources, and improve their quality of life.Strategies/Actions - National Digital Education Extension Team: 1) Connecting Communities, Strengthening and Establishing Partnerships, Promoting Digital Literacy, and Research.National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group and Steering CommitteeThe National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group was officially launched on February 8, 2023, after members of the National Extension Tourism Design Team led an outdoor recreation networking meeting that included: Sarah Rocker (USDA-NIFA National Program Leader), Doug Arbogast(West Virginia University Extension),Jada Lindblom(University of New Hampshire Extension),Miles Phillips(Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University Extension),andJake Powell(Utah State University).Strategies/Actions - Develop a national network of outdoor recreation service providers and central location for housing the latest research and best resources. The Steering Committee has begun work to develop the working group's organizational structure with the intent to share it at the 2023 National Extension Tourism Conference.Western Extension Community Development Working GroupThe Western Extension Community Development Working Group was created in late 2019 in collaboration with the Western Extension Directors to: Share best practices; Discuss emerging regional issues; Identify gaps in research and outreach; Identify topics and funding sources to pursue multi-state grant funding and then create and submit grant proposals; Develop materials on community development response, resiliency, and rebuilding during and following a pandemic; and Provide professional development opportunities through guest presenters, and as funds are available, face-to-face subgroup meetings and work sessions.WRDC Initiative that Supports the USDA's Cross-Cutting Theme of Advancing Racial Justice, Equity, and OpportunityVirtual Rainbows SummitThe Virtual Rainbows Summit (formerly Rainbows Over the Rockies) is an annual summit for LGBTQ+ youth, families, professionals, and allies, providing resources and networking opportunities to benefit the physical, mental, emotional, and social health and wellness of all members of the LGBTQ+ community. The 2023 Summit was presented by the LGBTQ+ Champion Group of the 4-H Program Leaders Working Group Access Equity and Belonging Group. Held virtually April 27-29, the Virtual Rainbows Summit included 25 presenters from across the U.S. representing universities, Extension, National 4-H, and Native American Tribes.Strategies/Actions - Bring together a wide variety of individuals to share their own lived experiences to learn from one another and prepare and motivate them to inform and affect positive change; provide networking and educational opportunities that allow people to share their stories and form strong and lasting relationships.Environmental and Climate Justice and Equity Listening Sessions Steering CommitteeThe Environmental and Climate Justice and Equity Listening Sessions Steering Committee was formed to develop and host a series of virtual listening sessions spanning the Cooperative Extension System to gather information on current work being done in this area. The Steering Committee is still in the early planning stages and currently meets twice a month.Strategies/Actions - Host virtual listening sessions for the 1862s, 1890s, 1994s, and U.S. Territories to: 1) Gather feedback from Extension professionals regarding current local, regional, and national barriers to and opportunities for partnerships and programming. 2) Identify next steps for additional dialogues at the local, state, and/or regional level. 3) Identify initial opportunities for Extension to support traditional and non-traditional partners in making progress on climate justice efforts. 4) Identify opportunities to leverage feedback in supporting efforts to fund, develop, and deliver research, projects, and programming around environmental and climate equity and justice.
Project Methods
The methods expected to be used by the Western Rural Development Center for its FY23 projects include webinars, in-person trainings, in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and outreach and communication via the Center's newsletter.

Progress 09/01/23 to 01/25/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences that were the focus of the Western Rural Development Center's efforts were Cooperative Extension professionals, specialists, and research faculty in the Western U.S. mostly working in Community Development and/or engaged in Extension or research activities correlating to community developmennt including but not limited to: digital equity and access, outdoor recreation economies, and climate education. Changes/Problems:The Western Rural Development Center's host institution is moving from Utah State Unviersity to the Unviersity of Idaho effecive March 1, 2024. The circumstances leading up to this change in host institution and incoming director/PD are outlined below. TheWRDC's interim director, Ms. Betsy Newman, and incoming director, Dr. Paul Lewin, are working closely with their institutions' respective Sponsored Programs and the RRDCs National Program Leader Dr. Sarah Rocker to ensure the transition meets all NIFA guidelines and policies and is done in accordance with the guidelines and policies at both institutions. In Spring 2023 the retirement announcement of the WRDC's Executive Director Don E. Albrecht effective September 30, 2023, prompted the region's Western Extension Directors Association (WEDA) and Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (WAAESD) to conduct a competitive, regional search to select a new host institution and Executive Director. WEDA and WAAESD issued a Call for Proposals to the western region's land-grant institutions in June 2023. Through a review process led by a Technical Review and Selection Committee chaired by former Southern Rural Development Center Director Bo Beaulieu, in October 2023 the University of Idaho was unanimously selected by both Executive Committees of WEDA and WAAESD as the new host institution for the WRDC pending NIFA's review and acceptance of its forthcoming proposal. In their proposal, the University of Idaho recommended Dr. Paul Lewin to the WRDC's Board of Directors for consideration as the new Executive Director. In accordance with the WRDC's Operating Policies, the Board approved Dr. Paul Lewin as the WRDC Executive Director on November 30, 2023, and communicated this to the University of Idaho via letter/email from the Vice Chair of the WRDC's Board of Directors' Executive Committee. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Western Rural Development Center has provided opportunities for training and professional devleopment through the professional devleopment meetings of the National Extension Climate Initiative, the Western Extension Community Devleopent Working Group, and co-hosting regional meetings of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Details of the WRDC's initiatives and activities are shared during meetings and via emails to various listservs managed by the Center. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? National Extension Climate Initiative NECI has held monthly professional devleopment meetings, membership engagementmeetings, and executive committee meetings. New in 2024, the Curriculum Working Group will be hosting a series of webinars. Also, several members of the NECI Executive Committee, including WRDC's Betsy Newman, have been invited to attend ECOP's Cooperative Extension Climate Action Convening in Tucson, AZ Jnuary 31-February 1, 2024, to craft an Extension Climate Action Plan. This plant will provide a roadmap for Extension Directors, Administrators, and partners to leverage the entire Cooperative Extension System to address the climate crisis. Advancing Rural Prosperity and Equity through the New Forest Economy The research team is preparing two publications for journal submissions. The outreach team has built the webstie "Hands on the Land" (https://extension.oregonstate.edu/hands-land) that includes an overview of the project, published papers and other activities. Broadband Access and Digital Skills (ECOP PAT) and National Digital Education Extension Team The team successfully hosted a training in Salt Lake City, Utah in October 2023. WRDC's Betsy Newman attended the training and afterward launched the Western Extension Broadband Working Group in response to requests from regional participants at the training. This new working group meets quarterly and is currently discussing a regional Extension digital access and equity training to be held in California in 2024. National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group (NEORWG) and Steering Committee The NEORWG Steering Committee continues to meet monthly. WRDC's Betsy Newman facilitated the committee's development of its missions/vision and continues to provide leadership to the group on identifying research and Extension projects to advance outdoor recreation economies work in the region and nation. Western projects have been identified and outlined and the committee will be discussing these in more detail with USDA NIFA's contact Dr. Sarah Rocker for consideration of securing funding for one or all of these projects. Western Extension Community Development Working Group This working group met virtually each month with the goal of providing a regular meeitng place for the West's small cohort for Community Development Extension Specialist, Professionals, and Faculty to interact with one another, forming subgroups on topical areas such as health and well-being. Virtual Rainbows Summit Planning is well underway for the 2024 virtual Summit scheduled for April 25-27. The Summit webiste includes information for the 2024 Summit as well as previous years.https://virtualrainbowsummit.org/ Environmental and Climate Justice and Equity Listening Sessions Steering Committee Note: This activity was initiated by Extension Foundation and the ECOP Climate PAT. Due to competing priorities, the Extension Foundation has paused the work of this steering committee.

Publications