May/June 2000
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Rural Access Guide Introduced As Part of Center's Website
With just a few keystrokes
and a click of your computer mouse, you can now access more than
350 sources of information on state, federal and nonprofit grants,
loans and other assistance through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s
newly released Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide.
In April, the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania released the website version of the Pennsylvania
Rural Access Guide at the annual convention of the Pennsylvania
State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS). PSATS, a local
government association that represents the interests of the state’s
townships of the second class, helped the Center for Rural Pennsylvania
to develop the database of information for the guide.
Representative Sheila
Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, says: "Providing
rural and small communities with the information they need to
remain viable and healthy is at the heart of the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania’s mission. We redeveloped the original Rural Access
Guide and introduced it as part of our website so that more
rural and small communities could take advantage of the wealth
of information that the guide offers."
Redeveloping an
original
In 1994, the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania first published the Rural Access Guide
as a booklet, which was a scaled down version of a much larger
database of information. The booklet included a sampling of state,
federal and nonprofit grants, loans and technical assistance programs
and highlighted each program’s goals and objectives, funding availability
and contact information. It was widely distributed throughout
the state and was well received by rural residents, local government
officials, and community organizations.
Anyone who was interested
in accessing more of the database was encouraged to contact the
Center for Rural Pennsylvania to receive a printout of the programs
that fit the request.
In this updated version
of the guide, however, the entire database is immediately accessible
through the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.
"The Center’s Board
of Directors decided that the guide should be offered on the Center’s
website so that more users would have easy, immediate access,"
says Barry Denk, director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.
Recognizing that some
rural residents may not have convenient access to the Internet,
the Center has once again published a booklet version of the guide
for limited distribution.
The Center, however,
is encouraging users to access the guide through the website to
continue getting the most up-to-date program information.
"The Center plans
to update the website information at least once a year," Denk
says, "so those accessing the website will have the most current
information about the programs listed.
"The ability to keep
information current is a big advantage of the website version,"
he says. "We encourage users to visit their libraries and schools
if they do not have Internet access at home or elsewhere so that
they may take advantage of the information available in the guide."
Some things never
change
This updated version
of the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide, like its predecessor,
is not intended to be the final stop for information, however.
"It is more of a starting
point from which rural and small town residents might more successfully
begin their journey through the maze of financial and informational
sources that are available at both the state and national levels,"
Rep. Miller says. "We hope that, with the help of the Rural Access
Guide, rural residents will take advantage of more programs that
are available to them so that they might continue to answer the
needs of their communities and organizations."
Try logging on
now!
To use the Pennsylvania
Rural Access Guide, visit the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s
website at www.ruralpa.org and select Rural Access Guide.
Chairman’s Message
Have you ever felt
totally lost and frustrated because you didn't know where to turn
for information and were overwhelmed as to where to start? To
help you avoid that experience, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania
and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors
joined forces in preparing a tool to make it easier to gather
vital information for whatever project you undertake and stay
on track.
This tool, called
the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide, is now available on
the Internet. This team effort to make information more accessible
and available to all Pennsylvanians, especially those in rural
areas, began last year and was recently unveiled at the State
Association’s 78th Annual Convention in Hershey. The guide, accessible
at the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's website and avail-able
soon in a limited number of hard copies, contains more than 350
listings of federal, state, foundation and nonprofit resources.
Check out our feature story on this latest Center publication.
You'll also want to
read some Center for Rural Pennsylvania survey results of what
downtown Main Street managers revealed about their status and
emerging issues. It was interesting to learn that the average
downtown has 100 businesses and about 40 percent of the visitors
are tourists and business travelers. In a one-year period, more
than $86 million was invested in various revitalization, development
and promotional activities. Turn to page 5 to find out more.
Recently, Pennsylvania
celebrated Tourism Week. Recognizing the fast-growing heritage
and cultural segment of the tourism industry, the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania joined with several other state agencies to sponsor
regional heritage tourism workshops. For dates and locations,
check out the conference listings on page 7. A local heritage
tourism program, the Center for Arts and Folklife in the Northern
Tier, is highlighted in an article on page 3. This successful
venture received early stage funding from the Center for Rural
Pennsylvania through a grant to Mansfield University.
This issue of Rural
Perspectives also contains information that emphasizes the
importance of an accurate Census in 2000. For the first time since
1993, Pennsylvania’s population dropped below 12 million. While
some rural areas experienced growth, other rural areas have leveled
off. The data also showed almost 90 percent of the jobs created
from 1998 to 1999 were in urban areas. During that period, 22
rural counties had either a decline or no change in the number
of jobs.
As you read this issue,
or view our electronic Rural Access Guide, you will see the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania's continuing commitment to providing rural
Pennsylvania with the tools it needs to assess the present and
improve the future. As always, we welcome your comments.
Representative
Sheila Miller
Chairman
Center for Arts and Folklife Keeps Heritage Alive in PA’s Northern
Tier
What started out as
a loose coalition of local art and history buffs to complete a
cultural inventory in the northern tier area of Pennsylvania has
grown into an organization dedicated to the continued advancement
of that area’s heritage and resources.
Over the past eight
years, the Center for Arts and Folklife in the Northern Tier,
housed at Mansfield University in Tioga County, has been working
hard on its mission to foster an appreciation of the arts, heritage,
and natural resources among the residents of Pennsylvania’s northern
counties.
One thing leads
to another
In 1992, a group of
people dedicated to the arts and history of the northern tier
were asked to help develop a cultural inventory of that area of
Pennsylvania. The inventory was being conducted as part of a feasibility
study to determine whether the region had the resources to implement
a heritage park as part of the state’s Heritage Park system.
After the inventory
was completed, the northern tier group wanted to continue its
work and find ways in which to showcase and support the abundance
of local artists who were working throughout the region. The group
decided that a special center, designed to serve as a resource
in sharing the culture of the northern tier, would be an ideal
way to fill that area’s cultural void; a void which also exists
in other rural areas of Pennsylvania.
In 1996, under the
direction of Dr. Bonelyn Kyofski of Mansfield University’s Education
Department, the fledgling Folklife Center approached the Center
for Rural Pennsylvania for support. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania
partnered with Mansfield University and the Pennsylvania Council
for the Arts and helped to develop this unique venture.
Growing into its
own
Like any new organization,
the Folklife Center had experienced some growing pains over the
years, but it has now emerged into a strong coalition of educators,
historians, artists, and cultural and tourism organizations. The
Folklife Center develops and promotes the historic and cultural
traditions of the northern tier by documenting local history and
the arts; supporting local artists; sponsoring exhibits, concerts
and events; and providing technical assistance to artists and
historical and cultural organizations in the region.
The Folklife Center
also provides information to support the establishment of the
Lumber Heritage Region and the Endless Mountains Heritage Region.
In late March, the Folklife Center held its second exhibit of
local artists and their work.
Through Mansfield
University, the Folklife Center offers a yearly summer graduate
course for local teachers. The course allows the teachers to explore,
research and prepare curriculum materials on underdeveloped or
under-documented topics of local historical interest. In 1998,
the class researched the activities of the underground railroad
in the northern tier and developed a curriculum guide called,
Northern Pennsylvania Freedom Trails: A Resource Guide for
Teaching the Story of the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania’s
North Country. The guide presents the primary research of
the class in a format that allows the curriculum to be easily
incorporated by other local educators. The 1999 class focused
its research on local industries and the year 2000 summer class
will examine the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Now supported primarily
by Mansfield University, the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts,
fees for service, and foundation and individual support, the Folklife
Center is moving toward self sufficiency.
The Folklife Center
serves as an example of what can be accomplished when local people
recognize the value of their native cultures, traditions and heritage,
and make a commitment to support, develop and share those resources
with others.
Want more info?
For more information
about the Center for Arts and Folklife, contact Dr. Bonelyn Kyofski,
Center for Arts and Folklife of Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier,
Mansfield University, 220 Pinecrest, Mansfield, PA 16933, telephone
(570) 662-4566.
Resources Help Address Land Use Issues
Pennsylvania loses
more land to development than any other state in the nation except
Texas, according to the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI), published
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation
Service. What makes this statement even more interesting is that
Pennsylvania’s population is decreasing. The loss of land to development
and population decreases have sparked a great deal of debate statewide
about the sustainability of current land use practices.
Examining PA land
use
In 1999, Governor
Tom Ridge issued Executive Order 1999-1, which directed the Department
of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Center for Local
Government Services to initiate the following:
- Develop an
inventory of sound land use practices and make the inventory available
to interested local governments and developers.
- Assist local
governments looking to implement the land use objectives of the
Commonwealth.
- Advise local
governments of the existing tools available to manage growth within
their communities.
- Encourage
local governments to work with neighboring municipalities and
their county on planning and zoning.
- Assist other
state agencies in identifying laws, regulations, practices or
policies, including the disbursement of public funds, that will
advance the Commonwealth’s land use objectives.
- Partner with
the state Department of Education to identify opportunities for
local education agencies to incorporate land use education into
curricula.
- Work in conjunction
with the Governor’s Greenway Commission to support the statewide
Greenways Plan.
- Form an advisory
committee that will help the Center for Local Government Services
develop and disseminate the inventory of sound land use practices.
- Report on
land use trends in the state and make recommendations for laws
or policies to support the state’s land use policy goals.
Other tools to
address the issues
A result of the Center
for Local Government Service’s efforts is the "Growing Smarter"
proposal in the Governor’s budget. The proposal calls for an additional
$3 million to help communities upgrade their municipal and intermunicipal
plans. For more information about the Growing Smarter proposal,
contact DCED’s Center for Local Government Services at (888) 223-6837.
The Pennsylvania General
Assembly is also addressing the issues of landuse and planning
in several pieces of legislation. Senate Bill 300, House Bill
13 and House Bill 14 all include provisions that would offer communities
protection from exclusionary challenges to their multi-municipal
comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances. The legislation includes
provisions that would direct the courts to look at the entire
area of the plan and not just the municipality being challenged.
Under the bills, the control over planning and zoning would remain
at the local level. However, if a community initiates a comprehensive
plan and zoning, it must demonstrate how it intends to preserve
both natural and historic resources.
Senate Bill 300 and
House Bill 14 would also allow for the establishment of "growth
boundaries" and the transfer of development rights programs. For
more information about any of these bills, visit the state’s website
at www.legis.state.pa.us.
In addition to the
measures mentioned above, there are a host of other programs and
resources for information on the issues of land use and sprawl.
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania has compiled a list of state,
federal, and nonprofit sources for funding, technical assistance
and other information.
To receive the list
of resources, contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717)
787-9555 or send an email to info@ruralpa.org.
Did You Know . . .
- Hospitals
and medical centers are among the top three employers in nearly
70 percent of Pennsylvania’s 42 rural counties.
- In 1996,
rural areas had 418 ambulance service providers and 955 firefighting
organizations.
- In 1997,
about 3 percent of rural babies were not born in hospitals and
less than 2 percent of urban babies were not born in hospitals.
- In 1996,
there were more than 3,800 health care establishments in rural
areas.
Downtown Pennsylvania
In the fall of 1999,
the Center for Rural Pennsylvania partnered with the Pennsylvania
Downtown Center to conduct a survey of the state’s downtown managers.
The purpose of the survey was to gather information about the
economic conditions of the state’s small downtowns; to learn more
about the issues facing these commercial and cultural centers
of small town life; and to learn more about the types of organizations
involved in helping their downtowns with revitalization efforts.
The Center for Rural
Pennsylvania mailed 78 surveys to downtown managers, who are responsible
for coordinating all aspects of their downtown commercial revitalization
strategies. The response rate to the survey was 50 percent.
Following is a sample
of the survey results.
Organizational
setup
- The average
downtown organization is about 15 years old.
- Almost 70
percent of the managers surveyed indicated that their organizations
have participated in the state’s Main Street Program, which is
administered by the state Department of Community and Economic
Development. In general, the program provides financial and technical
support to downtown revitalization organizations.
- Half of the
downtown managers surveyed said they had budgets under $50,000.
The largest sources of funding for these organizations came from
membership dues, municipal governments, and state grants.
- Half of the
managers surveyed said they are the only staff of the organization.
- The average
downtown manager has a little more than five years experience.
What’s happening
downtown?
- The average
downtown has about 100 business establishments. The majority of
establishments provide services such as dry cleaning, banking,
and entertainment. Retail establishments, such as apparel and
furniture stores, make up less than 45 percent of all downtown
businesses.
- On a typical
day, more than 54 percent of the visitors to the downtown are
local residents and about 40 percent of the visitors are tourists
and business travelers.
- From the
fall of 1998 to the fall of 1999, about 42 percent of the managers
said that employment in their downtown had increased. According
to 51 percent of the managers, there was also an increase in new
businesses.
- The average
downtown saw a loss of about three businesses over the last 12
months. The most common reason managers gave for the loss was
"business failure." Business loss due to relocation outside the
downtown accounted for less than 33 percent of the business loss.
Downtown development
- More than
50 percent of the managers rated the following three key tourism
components as poor to very poor: the link between the downtown
and other tourism sites in the area; an identifiable "gateway"
or entrance to the downtown; and the presence of a major tourist
attraction.
- Nearly 60
percent of the managers rated their community as friendly or open
to tourism. However, a majority of managers gave a mediocre rating
to the public amenities for tourism and the retail opportunities
available in their downtown.
- In total,
managers reported that more than $86 million was invested in various
revitalization projects and business development/promotional activities
from the fall of 1998 to the fall of 1999. The median amount spent
was $230,000.
- Managers
also reported that over 750 downtown revitalization projects and
business development/promotional activities were completed from
the fall of 1998 to the fall of 1999. The average number of projects
and activities per organization was 19. The majority of projects,
or 63 percent, were for business development and promotional activities.
Biggest issues
- According
to the managers, the two biggest issues facing their downtown
are absentee property owners and tourism readiness. Almost 78
percent of the managers classified the issue of absentee property
owners as important to very important. Tourism readiness received
equally high rating from 57 percent of the respondents.
- The threat
of superstores and big-box retailers moving into the area was
not a critical issue to many of the managers. About 43 percent
said that this issue was not important or even applicable to their
downtown.
- Organizationally,
the majority of managers expressed concerns about the fundamental
structure of their organization. More than 83 percent of the managers
identified the following as the top three issues: fundraising,
board participation, and cooperation among property owners.
Want more info?
For a more detailed
fact sheet on the survey, Pennsylvania Downtowns at a Crossroads,
call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or send
an email to info@ruralpa.org.
Pennsylvania’s Shrinking Population
According to the U.S.
Census Bureau’s 1999 population estimates, the number of Pennsylvania
residents has dipped below 12 million for the first time since
1993. The decline was especially noticeable in western Pennsylvania,
where over 20,000 residents left the state from 1998 to 1999.
An analysis of birth,
death, and migration data from 1998 and 1999 shows that Pennsylvania’s
population loss is a result of out-migration. More than 26,900
residents moved out of the state between 1998 and 1999. Further
analysis of age cohort data suggests that most of the people moving
out of the state are between the ages of 25 and 34.
Pennsylvania’s rural
areas are also experiencing population loss. While many rural
areas gained population between 1998 and 1999, the gain was largely
concentrated in just five counties including Adams, Butler, Monroe,
Pike, and Wayne.
In rural areas, out-migration
and low birth rates contributed to the population declines. In
16 rural counties, the number of deaths out-numbered the number
of births.
Rural Pennsylvania’s
population decline is not likely to end soon. Population projections
to the year 2020 show that most of the state’s rural areas will
grow either very slowly or not at all.
Job Growth Rates Sluggish in Rural Areas
Data from the state
Department of Labor and Industry from 1998 to 1999 shows that
45,200 new jobs or an average of 3,700 new jobs per month were
created in Pennsylvania. Almost 90 percent of these jobs, however,
were created in the state’s urban areas.
Between 1998 and 1999,
about 4,400 new jobs were created in Pennsylvania ’s rural areas,
which is an increase of only 0.4 percent. In the state’s urban
areas, more than 40,800 new jobs were created for an increase
of 1 percent. During this period, 20 rural counties had either
a decline or no change in the number of jobs.
Even with the slight
increase in the number of jobs, rural unemployment remains high.
The average annual rural unemployment rate for 1999 was 5.4 percent.
The urban rate was 4.1 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate
was 4.2 percent.
Regionally, all of
the rural jobs created from 1998 to 1999 were in eastern Pennsylvania.
Rural western Pennsylvania had no new jobs gains. The region with
the highest growth rate was the urban southeast.
One possible explanation
for the sluggish job growth rate in rural areas is the sluggish
growth in the rural labor force, which was nearly 0 percent. Between
1998 and 1999, only 1,000 people entered the rural labor force.
In comparison, over 31,900 people entered the labor force in urban
areas.
Just the Facts: Plates and Placards for People with Disabilities
People with disabilities
face a variety of challenges that people without disabilities
can only imagine. Activities like shopping, visiting the doctor
or even seeing a movie can become formidable tasks without the
necessary accessibility options like sidewalk curb cuts, ramps
or a wider parking space.
To help with accessibility
problems for people with disabilities, the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation (PennDOT) began providing disability plates
and placards in 1991, which allow people with disabilities to
park their vehicles in specially designated parking spaces.
According to data
from PennDOT’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles, in 1999, there were over
679,850 vehicles that had disability plates and placards. About
25 percent of these plates and placards were issued to rural residents.
Rural areas have a
slightly higher percentage of passenger cars with disability plates
and placards than urban areas. In 1999, almost 11.5 percent of
rural passenger cars had placards compared to 9.7 percent of the
urban passenger cars.
Regionally, western
Pennsylvania has the most disability plates and placards per passenger
vehicle, while the southeastern region has the least. The counties
with the highest ratios of placards are Lackawanna, Tioga, and
Lawrence. The counties with the least placards per passenger car
are Montgomery, Chester, and Bucks.
Statistically, counties
with a high percentage of senior citizens have a higher percentage
of passenger cars with disability plates and placards. Also, counties
with a higher number of households with low median incomes have
a higher percentage of cars with disability plates and placards.
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