The FORVM's Year in Review for FY 2000
The Annual Report of Maryland’s Rural Development Council
Rural Communities, Concerns & Consensus
At the start of this new century, the Maryland economy, like
the national economy, is running full throttle. Maryland's agriculture industry
has produced a bumper crop of corn and soybeans, and the state's historically
downtrodden urban and rural regions are experiencing a positive up-tick in the
traditional indicators of success. Unemployment rates are down. Consumer
confidence is up.
Still, several counties in Western Maryland and on the
Eastern Shore have unemployment rates significantly above the statewide
average. Poor access to quality health care, the continuing loss of viable farm
and forestland, a crumbling infrastructure, and the low availability of
suitable housing and reliable transportation remain serious challenges for
Marylanders to solve.
The FORVM for Rural Maryland identifies important issues
facing rural communities and brings together diverse groups of people and
policy-makers to work toward improving the quality of life in Rural Maryland.
At the close of Fiscal Year 2000, thanks to the efforts of many of our
partners, the FORVM is better positioned then ever to help rural communities
achieve a better tomorrow. Here are some highlights of the year just concluded.
Eastern Shore Economic Development
At the request of The Eastern Shore General Assembly
Delegation, Governor Parris Glendening appointed the Eastern Shore Economic
Development Task Force late last year. More than 100 people from across the
Eastern Shore met over several months to study and craft short- and long-term
solutions to many challenging economic problems.
Eight subcommittees of the task force, composed of members
from each of the nine Eastern Shore counties, submitted individual and regional
issues, concerns, and recommendations which the steering committee outlined by
economic area. The task force's final report forms the basis of a comprehensive,
long-range regional economic development strategy, both for individual counties
and the Eastern Shore as a whole.
To preserve the integrity of the Eastern Shore, the Task
Force agreed that the following six recommendations require immediate attention.
1) Create water
and wastewater treatment systems as identified in individual county master
plans to handle current and future needs.
2) Establish
funding mechanisms, organize producer cooperatives, and promote production and
marketing alternatives to enhance the sustainability of the agriculture and
seafood industries. Use the statewide study currently underway to examine the
impact of agriculture and poultry on Eastern Shore economy
3) Implement a
high-speed fiber-optic network on the Eastern Shore to meet current and future
needs.
4) Promote the
development of an integrated regional public transportation system for the
entire Eastern Shore and Delmarva area that includes securing long-term funding
(at least five years) from the Maryland Mass Transit Administration and the
Federal government.
5) Support local
Workforce Investment Boards efforts to aid in motivating and training residents
seeking to participate in the labor force.
6) Create two
permanent regional planning organizations, charged with planning for and taking
the required steps in achieving the desired business, economic, and community
outcomes for the regions, including the timely implementation of the
recommendations of the Eastern Shore Economic Development Task Force.
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