Introducing the Rural Reclamation Project
Lifting up the stories of sustainable economic transition across rural America
The Rural Reclamation Project is an Initiative exploring the diverse and interconnected ways that rural America is pioneering sustainable development efforts that are good for the economy and the environment. Through a series of diverse yet comparative case studies, the project seeks to highlight the stories of innovation, vitality, and sustainability across rural America and explore the drivers and barriers to transition efforts across the country.
“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.”- WENDELL BERRY
Rural America makes up over 70% of the land in the United States and 20% of the population. Historically, many of these communities have relied on resource-extractive industries from agriculture to mining to logging for economic success, providing essential products and services to the rest of the country. However, in recent decades, as our country moves away from these traditional models of resource extraction and dependence, many rural places have faced the strains from the loss of financial and social capital.
Across rural America, places are using innovative approaches to find solutions that are good for both their economy and environment. From the agricultural lands of the Virginia Piedmont applying new models of sustainable production to the logging towns of the Sierra Nevada building restoration-based forestry economies to the communities of Appalachia stepping forward from their coal mining legacy, our nation is scattered with stories of places turning over a new leaf while contributing to the resilience and sustainability of our country as a whole.
However, despite the important contributions of rural America to the country, these places and stories are often left out of the national narrative. Moreover, our rural communities are often painted as a monolith that highlights a single story of despair and hardship. However, rural America is full of opportunities and assets as it moves forward from their resource-extractive past. There is a need for increased awareness of the places and faces behind these efforts and communities and the implications of this transition for society as we build a cleaner, more sustainable and more resilient world.
Over the past nine months, as a 1Hotels Fellow with Environmental Entrepreneurs and in partnership with the Center for Rural Strategies, I have had the opportunity to take a deep dive into a few of these rural places and the people that are behind their efforts to build sustainable, thriving communities. Through three case studies, I have examined place-based models of sustainable development and resource conservation, digging into the stories that color these communities.
From the logging communities of the Central Sierra of California to the rangelands of the Rappahannock Region of the Virginia Piedmont to the tobacco and coal fields of Southwest Virginia, I have explored the many ways that rural people are committed to building resilience and sustainability across their communities. I interviewed over forty stakeholders in these three places about the facilitators and constraints to advancing efforts at the intersection of people, profit, and the planet.
I have heard the story of a native community that has employed over 30 tribal members restoring their ancestral lands, lowering unemployment from 80 to below 50 percent. I have heard the story of a community working together to build a shared food processing center and commercial kitchen that will provide training, produce jobs, and help retain local farmland. I have heard the story of 70-year-old retired army veteran working 70 hours a week to plan and implement over 2,000 acres of forest restoration projects. Despite being miles apart and culturally distinct, all three of these communities are working to build sustainable, resilient solutions that build upon their place’s social, cultural, human and natural capital.
This forum will examine the successes and challenges of communities transitioning from resource extraction to sustainable economies that build upon local assets in ways that strengthen environmental and economic viability. The Rural Reclamation Project seeks to amplify the innovation happening across rural America, highlighting the role of 21st Century rural America in sewing together the environmental and economic fabric of the nation.
While each case study is unique, the forum will also explore the intersectionality between the efforts of communities, examining the common themes that run through all three of the case studies and their collective teachings on the intersection of sustainable community development and resource conservation.
Have questions about the project? Want to share your rural community’s story of sustainable development? Email me at mary.sketch@gmail.com
