Rural Matters 2013 Issue 2 - Rural practices meet public policy as RCAP staff go to Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON—Local met federal and practice and public policy came together when RCAP staff from across the country came to Washington, D.C., Feb. 12 to 14 for their annual visits to the offices of their national legislators.

Nearly 40 staff from RCAP’s six regional affiliates made more than 200 visits to their representatives’ and senators’ Capitol Hill offices in a blitz coordinated by the RCAP national office dubbed the fly-in. A number of board members of some RCAP regions and the national RCAP board also participated in the visits.

RCAP staff come to the nation’s capital every February to inform and educate members of Congress about RCAP’s work. The visits are designed to encourage continued funding of RCAP’s programs for small, rural communities through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services.

John Crowder, State Manager for North Carolina for Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project, the Southeast RCAP, visited most of his state’s representatives and one of its senators.

“At all the meetings held, each congressman or their representative gave a positive response to our request, and all were very attentive to the information that we presented,” wrote Crowder in a report following his visits.

A large group of RCAP staff came to Washington, D.C., in February for their annual congressional visits on Capitol Hill. The occasion of staff coming together was used to celebrate the 40th anniversary of RCAP’s incorporation in February 1973 with a large cake.

Another success of the week was planting the seeds of a new program that could benefit RCAP and rural communities.

During their visits, RCAP representatives sought supporters to introduce an RCAP proposal to create a technical assistance provision in Rural Housing Service’s Essential Community Facilities program. As a result of a meeting held during the week, Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.), along with cosponsor Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) introduced H.R. 1632, the Building Rural Communities Act, which was modeled after the RCAP proposal. The language was eventually incorporated into the version of the Farm Bill that passed the House Agriculture Committee in May.

Adding to the buzz of Washington was President Obama’s annual State of the Union address, which occurred the same week as the RCAP visits.

Those making the visits gathered for breakfast before their first day on the Hill and heard remarks from representatives of RCAP’s funding agencies.

John Padalino, Acting Administrator for Rural Utilities Service in the Department of Agriculture, began his remarks by noting that he is a former certified drinking water and wastewater operator. He thanked RCAP staff for their work and the technical assistance they provide to such operators and the systems they oversee.

Padalino described a shrinking rural America and said that people in cities and suburbs do not realize the benefits of rural areas. They conserve and preserve our water, since much of our water flows through rural areas, he explained.

“We need to get our rural folks to talk about their story to other people in this country,” he said.

Peter Grevatt, Director of the EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, also noted RCAP’s important role. “I appreciate the great work that RCAP does,” he said.

And he reminded the audience of his office’s important role, saying that there is no single program that does more to protect the health of Americans and children than the one he heads.

Grevatt emphasized collaboration that should happen in various ways, such as RCAP providing input in EPA’s rule-making processes. “I look forward to working with you in the future,” he said.

The group also heard from Randy Hill, Deputy Director of the EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, who said that water and wastewater infrastructure is an issue that doesn’t get enough attention at the national level, such as in the president’s State of the Union address or in Congress.

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