Produced by Sustainable Northwest. For more info: www.sustainablenorthwest.org

1. Rural Matters Conservation Matters

2. Did you know…

3. 97% of America's land area is considered rural. Source: Prof. Andrew M. Isserman, University of Illinois, 2007. 20% of Americans live in rural areas.

4. If rural America were a separate country, it would rank as the world's 23rd largest nation, Source: The Center for Rural Strategies, “RURAL REALITY vs. REALITY TV: ANATOMY OF A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN” just behind France, Great Britain, & Italy.

5. Of the 250 poorest counties in America, 244 are rural. The rural poverty rate is 21% higher than in metropolitan areas.

6. 50% of rural Americans consider themselves "conservatives." In non-rural communities this figure is around 40%. Source: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research

7. Rural communities have the highest voter registration rates in the U.S. Source: Election Data Services, Inc., 2004 Election Day Survey Report However, rural areas report the lowest voting rates in the nation.

9. So what does "rural" mean?

10. The federal government defines "rural" as counties with less than 50,000 residents, Or any area that is not defined as "urban."

11. According to the U.S. Census, The Grand Canyon is classified as “metropolitan,” Same as The Bronx, NY.

12. Urban & Rural Areas - U.S. Census

13. A few rural stereotypes…

14. "Rural Utopia" Rural life is simple. Source: Kellogg Foundation, How to Talk Rural Issues , 2005. Poverty is a virtue. They take care of themselves. They chose this lifestyle. Stereotype:

15. "Rural Dystopia" Rural communities are backward. Source: Kellogg Foundation, How to Talk Rural Issues , 2005. They are "others," separate and different from the rest of America. Stereotype:

16. "Change is the Biggest Problem" Rural America is a victim of urban encroachment and modernization. Source: Kellogg Foundation, How to Talk Rural Issues , 2005. Stereotype:

17. "Rural Needs Protection" Rural areas should be treated like museums with a no-touch, no-change policy. Source: Kellogg Foundation, How to Talk Rural Issues , 2005. Stereotype:

18. Rural areas are America's vacation land. Let’s not spoil it. "Rural Needs Planning" Source: Kellogg Foundation, How to Talk Rural Issues , 2005. Stereotype:

19. Do you agree?

20. So what's happening in rural America?

23. Percentage of Resource Extraction Jobs by County Source: U.S. Census, County Business Patterns, 2004. (from Sonoran Institute).

25. "Amenity-rich areas are growing and likely to grow more over the next decade."

26. What about the rural landscape?

27. The U.S. Forest Service manages over 190 million acres of forests and grasslands. The U.S. BLM manages 258 million acres of range, forest, and grasslands.

28. U.S. Federal Lands & Indian Reservations

31. Are public lands management issues declining in the American political agenda?

32. Source: Frank R. Baumgartner, “Social Movements and the Rise of New Issues,” 2002.

33. Source: Frank R. Baumgartner, “Social Movements and the Rise of New Issues,” 2002.

34. Some threats to the rural landscape…

36. Invasive Species Over 3.5 million acres of National Forest land are infested with invasives. Americans pay more than $138 billion per year to deal with the problem.

37. Land Conversion & Fragmentation Every day, America loses more than 4,000 acres of open space to development . That’s around three acres per minute.

38. The intersection of rural communities and environmental health is a complex issue. But there's hope.

39. How to get rural America on the national agenda, in four steps…

41. 3. Identify key members of Congress and engage them in rural development initiatives. 4. Develop a national media campaign that demonstrates rural America's diversity & opportunity.

42. And above all…