Formerly part of Farmers Home Administration An agency of the Department of Agriculture that operates federal loan programs designed to finance new and improved rural housing, develop community facilities and maintain and create rural employment RD programs primarily serve communities with populations of less than 25,000
The utilization, protection, and enhancement of the natural, physical, and human resources needed to make long-term improvements in rural living conditions, provide jobs and income opportunities, and enrich cultural life while maintaining and protecting the environment of rural America In the Forest Service, rural development is accomplished through the coordinated use of available human, technical, financial, and natural resources in partnership with national, State, and local entities on initiatives for improving the conditions for citizens of rural areas
An important component of smart growth efforts One of the unfortunate side-effects of the mallification of America is the disappearance of rural lands Farms are turned into tract homes, small towns are bypassed by the interstate system, jobs paying a living wage are increasingly scarce in our rural areas Landowners in these areas, especially on the urban fringe, feel increasing pressure to sell their land to developers Not only does this mean the disappearance of a way of life for millions of Americans, but the continual opening of new tracts of land mean that developers have no incentive to stop the sprawl Organizations that are working to preserve and strengthen the rural landscape are actually working for a more sustainable society One of the more well known organizations is the American Farmland Trust