Illinois
COMMENTARY

Meeting rural challenges in the new century

Jill Appell

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and took electricity for granted. It's amazing to me that 65 years ago just 10 percent of rural America had electricity and the conveniences that it brought. When I married a farmer and moved to rural Knox County, my husband would refer to REA. I couldn't figure out what he was talking about—our electric company was Illinois Valley Electric. To many in rural Illinois, electric service will always be REA. It's no understatement to say that REA brought rural America to the 20th century.

We are proud of the last 65 years, but are counting on USDA's Rural Utilities Service to meet the challenges of the new century. Today rural areas need more than electricity; they need to have access to the Internet, have distance learning opportunities, have access to telemedicine and have the tools to make sure rural residents continue to have the same opportunities as do urban residents.

Our funding levels continue to be good. Last fiscal year we made more than $214 million of loans, loan guarantees and grants in Illinois. We give credit to our partners, like the electric cooperatives, for helping to make that possible. This year, we are number one in the nation in the number of single housing loans. We are getting additional national funds for our community and business programs. However, funding for staffing and administrative costs continue to decrease. The staff does an excellent job, but can be stretched only so far.

Rural water is still a high priority. Electric cooperatives have been directly involved in many projects around the state. About 2,600 rural households will get safe water as a result of projects funded last year. A recent survey in 19 Illinois counties showed a need for rural service to 39,000 households costing around $306 million. At current funding levels it could take 10 years to fund these projects.

We continue to do all we can through our Rural Business Enterprise Grant programs to create and save jobs in rural areas. We would like to see more interest on the part of electric cooperatives in the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program. Funding is limited, but this is a good opportunity to make 0 percent 10 year loans available to businesses and not for profit groups.

We all need to keep informed and be active promoters to assure that the latest telecommunications services are available in rural areas so that these areas don't get left behind.

Those involved in the development of the Southernmost Illinois Delta Empowerment Zone, including Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative, the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, Sheldon Keyser from our office, and others need to be commended. Accomplishments so far are significant. We hope that Congress will honor its commitment to fund that program for the next eight years.

I am encouraged that some members of Congress are recreating the Rural Caucus, which provided great benefits to rural Americans before being dissolved. Today, 123 members have signed on, including several from Illinois. Rural areas and residents need all the help they can get in making their voices heard in Washington.

We all need to keep an open mind on what comes out of the Rural Forums recently held by Lt. Governor Wood's Rural Affairs Council. The State appears committed to tackling some issues and we all need to work with them. Rural Development's staff members are members of task forces and committees working on housing, telecommunications, childcare, rural transportation, infrastructure funding, value-added ag initiatives, cooperative development and other issues. Community development is a journey that never ends.

I thank the electric cooperatives for their cooperation and support. I look forward to continuing to work with the electric cooperatives as together we improve the quality of life in rural Illinois.

Jill Appell, Director of USDA Rural Development for Illinois, is also the past president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. She has served on the Governor's Livestock Task Force, the Illinois Farm Bureau Task Force on Women's Role in Agriculture and the Council for Food and Agriculture Research.

The opinions and views of guest commentators are their own and may not represent those of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives or the electric co-ops of Illinois.

4 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • AUGUST 2000