The president’s proposed budget for 2011 includes funding for rural economic development, health services, renewable energy, and other projects that could benefit rural communities.
Brian Dabson of the Rural Policy Research Institute outlines major provisions in the $3.8 trillion budget that could have the biggest effect on rural residents. Among them are $2.5 billion for health centers in rural and other underserved communities, $3.3 billion to finance loans to build wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, and $700 million to manage public lands to develop rural recreation and jobs.
The president also proposes a new “ecosystem-based approach to forest management” designed to improve the condition of the nation’s public forests and maintain employment.
