PRINTER'S NO. 2491
No. 10 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY MILLER, GORDNER, S. H. SMITH, ARGALL, MAITLAND,
MASLAND, GEORGE, ARMSTRONG, CAPPABIANCA, COLAIZZO,
CALTAGIRONE, LEDERER, BELARDI, GIGLIOTTI, LAUGHLIN, SCHULER,
PIPPY, THOMAS, FEESE, HUTCHINSON, COY, PESCI, BEBKO-JONES,
WILT, SANTONI, HERMAN, FICHTER, CHADWICK, CORPORA, MELIO,
ROONEY, NAILOR, READSHAW, HENNESSEY, DENT, HALUSKA, GODSHALL,
SCRIMENTI, DALEY, DRUCE, FLEAGLE, ITKIN, ZUG, CLARK,
ZIMMERMAN, ROSS, RUBLEY, LYNCH, ROBINSON, LESCOVITZ,
McNAUGHTON, CLYMER, DeWEESE, BATTISTO, C. WILLIAMS, MARSICO,
E. Z. TAYLOR, PLATTS, MAJOR, B. SMITH, TANGRETTI, SHANER,
TRELLO, BARD, HESS, MANDERINO, SAINATO, STABACK, KENNEY,
HERSHEY, McCALL, TRUE, TIGUE, JOSEPHS, ADOLPH, YOUNGBLOOD,
HARHART, DALLY, BAKER, ORIE, GEIST, SEYFERT, RAMOS, KIRKLAND
AND BENNINGHOFF, OCTOBER 23, 1997
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
OCTOBER 23, 1997
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the week beginning on November 17, 1997, as "Rural
2 Pennsylvania Week."
3 WHEREAS, The General Assembly enacted Act 16 of 1987, known
4 as the Rural Pennsylvania Revitalization Act, which created the
5 Center for Rural Pennsylvania and charged it with the
6 administration of a grants program to conduct research on
7 matters related to rural conditions; and
8 WHEREAS, The impact of rural life upon the Commonwealth is
9 demonstrated by the fact that:
10 (1) Pennsylvania, according to the 1990 Census, has the
11 nation's largest rural population with 3,693,348 rural
1 residents;
2 (2) rural residents represent 31.1% of this
3 Commonwealth's total population; and
4 (3) 42 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties are predominately
5 rural, seven counties are entirely rural, and only
6 Philadelphia has no rural residents;
7 and
8 WHEREAS, The vitality of Pennsylvania's rural communities is
9 evidenced by the projections of the Department of Labor and
10 Industry which indicate that this Commonwealth's rural
11 population will increase by 3.2% by the year 2000 while the
12 Commonwealth's overall population will increase by only 0.7%;
13 and
14 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's farms and rural communities represent
15 the investment of generations in terms of homes, businesses and
16 facilities, as well as civic organizations, history and culture,
17 which are important to Pennsylvania's social, economic and
18 cultural well-being; and
19 WHEREAS, Rural areas and small communities are undergoing
20 substantial social, cultural, physical and economic change which
21 varies from place to place; and
22 WHEREAS, It is important that the members of the General
23 Assembly and other Commonwealth officials be kept informed of
24 the impact of these changes on this Commonwealth's rural
25 communities in order to assist them in dealing with the problems
26 and challenges created by such changes; and
27 WHEREAS, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania serves as the
28 focal point for research and rural policy development within the
29 General Assembly in order to promote and sustain the vitality of
30 this Commonwealth's rural and small communities; and
19970H0010R2491 - 2 -
1 WHEREAS, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, as an agency of
2 the General Assembly, works regularly with other Commonwealth
3 agencies and with Federal, regional and community organizations
4 to maximize resources and strategies in order to:
5 (1) better serve the specific needs of rural clients;
6 (2) seek practical solutions that will serve locally
7 established goals; and
8 (3) preserve and nurture quality of life standards that
9 sustain rural Pennsylvania as a desirable place to work and
10 live;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania fulfills its
13 mission by:
14 (1) awarding grants for applied research and
15 demonstration projects;
16 (2) maintaining a data base on rural trends and
17 conditions and disseminating this information to those
18 empowered to make decisions affecting rural communities and
19 residents;
20 (3) producing publications to share research and project
21 results with policymakers and local community leaders, as
22 well as the general population;
23 (4) sponsoring workshops throughout this Commonwealth
24 and promoting policy forums at the national and State levels;
25 and
26 (5) coordinating programs and resources to address local
27 needs and opportunities;
28 and
29 WHEREAS, The Center for Rural Pennsylvania will mark its 10th
30 Anniversary of service to the General Assembly and the
19970H0010R2491 - 3 -
1 Commonwealth on November 17, 1997; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the
3 10th Anniversary of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania by
4 designating the week beginning on November 17, 1997, as "Rural
5 Pennsylvania Week."
J16L82DGS/19970H0010R2491 - 4 -