RCRC supports the bipartisan More Opportunities for Rural Economies (MORE) Grants Package, introduced by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Steve Daines (R-MT) on August 4. The two pieces of legislation in this package aim to help small, rural communities with large amounts of federal land be more competitive in the pursuit of federal funding in key areas.
The More Opportunities for Rural Economies (MORE) from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grants Act (S. 2618) would make U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development grant funding— including grants for health care, housing, local facilities, economic development, and infrastructure— more accessible to High Density Public Lands Counties (HDPLC). This measure is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), in addition to Senators Schiff, Cortez Masto, and Daines.
The More Opportunities for Rural Economies (MORE) from Department of Transportation (DOT) Grants Act (S. 2619) would increase the accessibility of U.S. Department of Transportation grant funding for High Density Public Land Counties (HDPLC), including grants for rural roads, bridges, airports, transit, rail, and safety.
This legislation would be particularly helpful to High Density Public Lands Counties (HDPLC) in northern and western California, which are sparsely populated with high levels of federally owned, non-revenue-generating land. This legislation defines HDPLCs by the following criteria:
- The acreage of an individual county or local jurisdiction is greater than 50% owned or managed by the federal government in any form; and
- The population is less than 100,000.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Staci Heaton.