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How RC&D Works
The Florida West Coast Resource Conservation and
Development Council is an independent 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization that provides leadership,
coordination, partnership development and technical
assistance for projects that promote strong communities
and sustainable agriculture by bringing people together
to create healthy local community food systems in
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.
We do this by bringing people together to create and
carry out innovative and sustainable solutions to
community-identified problems, recognizing that
locally-driven economic and social opportunities are
integral to healthy, vibrant, and truly sustainable
communities.
A Unique Combination (pdf -
RCD 101)
RC&D is a unique combination of private enterprise and
Federal assistance that encourages the blending of
natural resource use with local economic and social
values. RC&D councils respond to the needs of their
local communities, both for conservation issues and
economic development.
The National RC&D Program
RC&D is a partnership between the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)-Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and local nonprofit organizations led by
local community leaders. The USDA provides a portion of
an RC&D's basic operating support, along with an
experienced staff person, called a Coordinator, to serve
as a facilitator, advisor, coach and technical resource
for the RC&D Council.
RC&D was started in the 1960s to address rural poverty
and help rural communities generate sustainable natural
resource-based economies. Although today, many RC&D
areas are no longer rural or predominantly poor, the
need for the RC&D concept is as strong as ever: local
people solving local problems. RC&D provides a mechanism
for people to partner with other community members and
organizations to identify, create and carry out ideas
which improve the community in a meaningful way.
The RC&D Area
RC&D areas are approved for national RC&D program
participation by the Secretary of Agriculture, but
initiated by local people to improve the quality of life
in their communities. The Florida West Coast Resource
Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Inc. was
formed as a nonprofit corporation in 1999 by a group of
dedicated volunteers and community leaders. The founders
worked with the USDA-NRCS to complete the rigorous
application process, and after a successful 2-year
effort, the Florida West Coast RC&D area of
Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties
was officially designated by the USDA in 2001.
The RC&D Mission Areas
The national RC&D program has established the strategic
mission areas of Water Management, Environmental
Enhancement/Land Management, Community Development, and
Land Conservation for all RC&D councils nationwide. The
Florida West Coast RC&D has added Agricultural Resources
as an additional mission area critical to our RC&D
counties.
The RC&D Area Plan (pdf
Area Plan)
Nationally, each RC&D council develops and adopts an
Area Plan, which serves as the long-term business plan
for the organization. The Florida West Coast RC&D's Area
Plan details the group's mission, vision, goals,
objectives and strategies for the RC&D area counties and
mission areas, with stated needs derived from a variety
of community sources.
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