Big Ideas for Small Town Economic Development: Building on Your Assets

Mikki SagerThe Conservation Fund

P.O. Box 271 Chapel Hill, NC 27514

919-967-2223 x 126msager@conservationfund.org

www.resourcefulcommunities.org

Presentation Overview• The Conservation Fund & Resourceful

Communities Program– Who We Are & How We Work

• Asset-Based Approaches to Economic Development

• Projects and Results

• Lessons Learned

The Conservation Fund• National non-profit land and water

conservation organization• Established 1985• Dual Charter: Environmental Protection

& Economic Development• Two major program areas:

– Land Protection: land acquisition & conservation easements, with a special focus on working lands

– Sustainable Programs: research, loan fund, community forestry, leadership training, Resourceful Communities Program, etc.

Resourceful Communities Program

• Where We Work: Primarily in NC, in rural socially and economically distressed communities (map)

• Support a network of over 250 grassroots organizations and 150 resource groups

• Employ non-traditional, asset-based approaches

• Address issues of poverty, racism, etc. to genuinely impact economic improvement and sustainable environmental change

• Emphasize the “Triple Bottom Line”: sustainable economic development, social equity and environmental stewardship

Where We Work:Connection Between Economics &

Environment

NC 2009 County Wage Standards and Natural Resources

Poverty & the Environment:Root Causes of Environmental

Degradation“Conventional Wisdom”: Attributes environmental degradation to landfills, hog farms, chemical plants, land conversion, etc.

“Rural Reality”: social and economic stresses are the root causes of community decisions that lead to landfills, etc.

• Poverty• Racism, class-ism,

sexism & other “isms”

• Power imbalances• Disenfranchised

communities• Low educational

attainment• Lack of diverse

leadership • Incompatible land

uses

Primary Program Areas1. Capacity Building

Direct Technical Assistance Regional Workshops Peer Learning Visits Creating New Economies Fund

(CNEF) Grant Program

2. Movement Building Building & Connecting Partner

Network E-mail Updates and Related

Communications GrassRoots Convenings (GRCs)

A Partner-Driven Approach

3. Policy & Advocacy Support local and statewide approaches to environmental protection and economic development

4. Innovation & Demonstration Support grassroots partners to become leaders in developing triple bottom line projects, including: Community Forestry Conservation-Based Affordable Housing

Tool: Capacity BuildingCNEF Grant Program

• Small grants of up to $15,000• Focus on triple bottom line projects• Technical assistance to build

community capacity– Grant writing TA session– Ongoing support

First CNEF Grantees in 2001

CNEF Results….since 2001• 188 grants totaling just

under $1.6 million• $9.1 million leveraged• Average grant size

$8,000 to $10,000

• Build on community assets to develop sustainable development initiatives instead of focusing on deficiencies

• Benefits:– Built on natural / cultural / historic / human

assets that are specific to a community or region

– Leverages the best of economic development and environmental strategies and resources

– Often entrepreneurial in nature– Create jobs that are unlikely to be “outsourced”– Jobs and small businesses are tied to protection

of resources

Asset-Based Approaches to Economic Development

• Prepare a map of your community to be inventoried

• Identify one or more leaders who will help organize an asset mapping meeting

• Engage leaders and community members

• Get community members to identify sites, businesses, events, people, stories, etc.

• Focus on natural, cultural, historic, agricultural and people assets

Tool: Asset Mapping

• SFHA established to– Preserve culture– Protect landownership– Promote sustainable economic development

• History of land loss • Countless African-American

contributions to land and forest stewardship

• Long history of oppression• Community belief that they had no

assets

Asset Mapping: Sandhills Family Heritage Association

• Old Spring Lake Civic Center

• History of Land Stewardship

• Rich African American History

• Legacy of Entrepreneurship

• Farm and Garden Heritage

Asset mapping revealed…

• Heritage Tourism• Farmers Market• Landowner

Stewardship Workshops

• Gleaning Project• Sankofa Festival• Documenting Oral

History & Traditions• Recognition

SFHA Building on Assets Results:

Tool: Asset MappingRoanoke River Partners

• Unique and rich natural resources – Largest intact

bottomland hardwood swamp forest east of the Mississippi

– Home to black bear, river otter, deer, bobcat, beaver and mink.

– Over 200 bird species • Conversely, high

economic & social distress Roanoke Region North Carolina

Median Household Income $27,438 $39,184Poverty Rate 21% 12%% Black 53% 22%Black Poverty Rate 30% 23%

Roanoke River Partners – Results!• Paddle/ camping trail

along the river and its creeks to increase awareness of the Roanoke and build infrastructure for small businesses– Extensive paddle trail– 14+ platforms– Partnerships with private

(individual, corporate and nonprofit) landowners

– Catalyst for small businesses (kayak rentals, B&Bs, restaurants, etc.)

Roanoke River Partners

(cont.)• Rosenwald School

– Visitor & education center, cultural heritage community “hub”

• Roanoke River Mayors Association – small towns are now connecting along the river

. Population Growth . High Poverty Levels

. Economic Distress

. Proximity to Fort Bragg

. Loss of Tax Revenue

Hoke Community ForestThe First Community-Owned and -Managed Forest in the Southeastern US

Challenges currently facing Hoke County:

PartnersPartnersFort Bragg / US Department of Fort Bragg / US Department of

Defense Defense Hoke County / Parks & Hoke County / Parks &

Recreation Department / Raeford-Recreation Department / Raeford-Hoke Economic Development Hoke Economic Development

Commission Commission Town of Raeford Town of Raeford

Blue Springs-Hoke County Blue Springs-Hoke County Community Development Community Development

Corporation Corporation NC Rural Economic Development NC Rural Economic Development

Center Center NC Community Development NC Community Development

Initiative Initiative NC Association of Community NC Association of Community

Development Corporations Development Corporations Sandhills Area Land Trust Sandhills Area Land Trust

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The Conservation Fund Collaboration:The Conservation Fund Collaboration:

Hoke Hoke Community Community ForestForest

17.7% of residents live in poverty17.7% of residents live in poverty

Severe economic distress from agricultural Severe economic distress from agricultural downturns and manufacturing job lossesdownturns and manufacturing job losses

33rdrd highest growth rate in the state, 2 highest growth rate in the state, 2ndnd highest projected growth ratehighest projected growth rate

Benefits of Hoke Community Forest

• Recreation: first public horseback riding trails in the county

• Economic development: converting loblolly pine stands to longleaf will enable pine straw raking / job creation and generate 10 times as much as property taxes

• Alternative energy production: potential from adjoining 160-acre closed county landfill

Funding Sources:• Clean Water Management

Trust Fund to acquire riparian (stream) buffer along Rockfish and Nicholson Creeks

• Parks & Recreation Trust Fund to acquire proportion of remaining real property interests

• US Army providing first acquisition funds ever for community forest

• NC DENR providing transaction costs

• TCF providing in-kind support to develop forest management plan, establish local management entity

• Partnership of conservation groups and agencies and communities in the 36-county Albemarle-Pamlico estuary region

• Challenge: A-P region predicted to be third most severely impacted in the US by sea level rise

• Purpose:– Leverage resources and tools of

conservation and economic development – “make lemonade”

Albemarle-Pamlico Conservation & Communities

Collaborative

• Planning / outreach effort led by Elizabeth City State University; initial funding from NC Rural Center

• Project Goals:– Encourage job creation

and business development that will reduce carbon footprint

– Create jobs and small businesses that support ecological and community adaptation to sea level rise

Regional Green Economy Initiative

Lessons Learned• Inclusivity and community leadership are key• Requires patience, flexibility and excellent

listening skills• A triple bottom line vision is essential• Adapt tools and strategies to meet the needs

of each community• Facilitate access to resources, power and

decision-making• Change takes time and long-term investments

of resources• Focus on social, economic and environmental

improvement• Need strategies that are specific to each

community’s needs