67-9002. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds that:

(1) Rural development has been given a high priority as a means of achieving a sound and mutually beneficial balance between the economies, culture, infrastructure and community vitality of rural and urban areas of Idaho.

(2) (a) During the last half century, the legislature has enacted many laws and established many programs to provide resources to rural communities;

(b) Efforts have been made, and continue to be needed, to coordinate rural development programs; and

(c) During the last decade, the national rural development partnership and its principal components, the national rural development council and state rural development councils, have successfully provided opportunities for collaboration and coordination among federal agencies and between federal agencies and states, nonprofit organizations, the private sector, tribal governments, and other entities committed to rural advancement.

(3) State rural development councils were established in 1990 by Presidential executive order as vehicles to help coordinate rural programs.

(4) The congress of the United States authorized and codified a national system of rural development coordination and cooperation with enactment of the "national rural development partnership act" (7 U.S.C. 2008m).

(5) The national rural development partnership has been recognized as a model of new governance and as an example of the effectiveness of collaboration between the federal, state, local, tribal, private, and nonprofit sectors in addressing the needs of the rural communities.

(6) Partnerships between governmental and nongovernmental entities can extend scarce funding through collaboration and cooperation.

(7) The continued success and efficacy of the Idaho rural development partnership could be enhanced through specific legislative authorization removing any statutory barriers that could detract from the benefits potentially achieved through the partnership’s unique structure.

History:

[67-9002, added 2007, ch. 238, sec. 1, p. 703.]