The efficacy of economic-development programs in forest-dependent communities

Rory Fraser

Treesearch

The efficacy of economic-development programs in forest-dependent communities

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Rory Fraser

Year:

1997

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

In: Pallardy, Stephen G.; Cecich, Robert A.; Garrett, H. Gene; Johnson, Paul S., eds. Proceedings of the 11th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-188. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station: 129

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Abstract

West Virginia is one of the poorest states in the nation and its rural communities are more hard pressed than their urban counterparts. At the same time, West Virginia is one of the most densely forested states in the USA. The combination of poverty amidst a wealth of forest suggest that economic development based on the forest resource could provide solutions for poor rural communities. However, even though decades of public programs have significantly improved the well-being of West Virginia's citizens, rural counties still tend to have the highest unemployment rates, poverty rates and out-migration (Isserman 1995).

Citation

Fraser, Rory. 1997. The efficacy of economic-development programs in forest-dependent communities. In: Pallardy, Stephen G.; Cecich, Robert A.; Garrett, H. Gene; Johnson, Paul S., eds. Proceedings of the 11th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-188. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station: 129