Rural Natives Perceptions of Strengths and Challenges in Their Communities

Native Americans and Alaska Natives represent a vital, and growing, constituency within rural America. There are 566 federally recognized tribes, as well as many others that claim descent, located throughout the United States. They represent a diverse array of social and cultural practices, economic circumstances, and historical backgrounds. Yet, Native voices are often grouped with all rural residents in portrayals of rural places. Because the challenges and opportunities Native communities and individuals face are often unique, their perceptions on key issues facing rural places deserve more exploration

Assessing the Impacts of Federal Farm Bill Programs on Rural Communities

This report summarizes the state of scientific knowledge on the impact of federal farm and food programs on rural communities in the United States. We focus on the impacts of five specific programs of what is commonly referred to as the “farm bill.” These five include farm commodity programs; farm risk management, insurance, and disaster programs; agricultural conservation programs; food and nutrition programs; and rural development programs. Although there is extensive research on the relative merits and effectiveness of specific rural development programs and policies on rural community outcomes, the impacts of the other four main farm bill programs on rural America have received much less empirical scrutiny

Academic-Community Partnerships: Effectiveness Evaluated Beyond the Ivory Walls

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has furthered our understanding of the working principles required for academic-community partnerships to address persistent public health problems. However, little is known about how effective these partnerships have been in eliminating or reducing community-based public health issues. To contribute to the literature in this area, the authors conducted a survey of U.S. schools and programs in public health and community groups working with these academic partners to: (1) identify the most common local public health issues addressed; (2) examine the characteristics of the partnership and the actual or perceived benefits and challenges for each partner; (3) assess the perceived effectiveness of the partnership and their evaluation techniques; and (4) analyze the intent to continue or dissolve the partnership and the associated factors that influence this decision. The authors provide recommendations that can improve the development, functioning, and effectiveness of academic-community collaborations aimed at addressing a variety of public health concerns

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Residents’ and Farmers’ Views on Water Quality

Poor water quality is an issue in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). In this rapidly urbanizing landscape, both farmers and non-farm residents contribute to nutrient pollution of rivers and streams. Understanding these important stakeholders’ views of water quality problems and how to address them is essential for creating an economically thriving and environmentally beneficial agricultural system that all residents depend upon. To understand stakeholder views on water quality both locally and regionally, researchers from Utah State University and the Pennsylvania State University surveyed residents of the CBW and agricultural producers of the southern part of the CBW (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in 2021 and 2022, respectively

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Residents’ and Farmers’ Concerns and Perceptions of Water Quality

Poor water quality is an issue in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW). In this rapidly urbanizing landscape, both farmers and non-farm residents contribute to nutrient pollution of rivers and streams. Understanding these important stakeholders’ views of water quality problems and how to address them is essential for creating an economically thriving and environmentally beneficial agricultural system that all residents depend upon. To understand key stakeholders’ views on water quality both locally and regionally, researchers from Utah State University and the Pennsylvania State University surveyed residents of the CBW and agricultural producers of the southern part of the CBW (Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia) in 2021 and 2022, respectively

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Residents’ and Farmers’ Views on Urban and Suburban Growth

What the future of agriculture in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) will look like is uncertain due to issues such as the loss of farmland to sprawling suburban development. In this rapidly urbanizing landscape, tension can also arise between farmers and their non-farm neighbors due to their proximity to each other. Understanding the concerns of these stakeholders regarding the urban and suburban growth and the potential problems that are likely to occur with farmers being in close contact with their non-farm neighbors is a good step in ensuring an economically thriving and environmentally beneficial agricultural system that all residents depend upon

Utahns are Becoming More Likely to Say Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening

Scientists who study the earth’s climate overwhelmingly agree that human activities are causing rapid change1 . Most Americans also agree that global warming is happening (74%) and caused by humans (61%)2 . However, the same research finds that about one in eight (12%) of Americans do not think global warming is happening. This indicates that despite scientific consensus, some Americans remain skeptical about whether climate change is real and if humans are the cause

Air Pollution Associated With Perception of Increased Health Risks for People Living With Disabilities in Utah

Air quality is one of the top environmental concerns for Utahns today1. Health risks associated with air pollution can range from mild physiological impacts to death from cardiovascular and respiratory disease2-4. Little is known about the ways that environmental risks impact people with disabilities because they are often excluded from clinical and social science research6. Gaining a more robust understanding of air pollution’s impacts on people living with disabilities (PLwD) is particularly important considering that PLwD comprise about 32.2%5 of the U.S. population and 22% of Utah’s population, the latter of which is a younger population compared to the average1. Because of their underlying health conditions and difficulties in performing routine tasks7, PLwD may have fundamentally different perceptions about and experiences with air pollution when compared to their non-disabled counterparts. Policies and programs aimed at reducing environmental-related risks also often neglect PLwD. People with mobility impairments, for instance, may not always be able to find shelter or navigate their way inside their own shelters during air pollution-related emergencies, and those who are blind may not have equitable access to warning notifications. More so, planners ought to put forth extra effort to make sure PLwD are included in community environmental risk research and planning, yet, this is frequently overlooked8, 9. In this brief, we used data from the 2023 Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) to examine how Utahns living with and without disabilities perceive risks related to air pollution and how both population groups are able to navigate these risks. Considering the voices of PLwD in all aspects of risk reduction and collecting and publishing data on disability in research projects will aid in identifying, addressing, and preventing disparities across various population groups8

Cover-Crop Usage in South Dakota: Farmer Perceived Profitability and Future Adoption Decisions

Using bivariate ordered logit models, we investigate factors that determine farmers’ perceptions of cover-crop profitability and likelihood of future usage in the climate transition zone of the Northern Great Plains. Our results indicate that approximately 40% of long-term (10+ years) users perceived a profit increase of more than 5%. Additionally, future adoption decisions are positively affected by environment-oriented attitudes and negatively affected by prioritizing short-term profitability. More efforts can be directed toward educational programs that enhance understanding of the short- versus long-term economic benefits of cover crops

Utahns\u27 Perceptions of Climate Change and Disaster Vulnerabilities

Climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, making people more vulnerable in a variety of ways1-2. It is essential to determine if individuals believe they are susceptible to the effects of climate change in order to develop effective adaptation strategies. Climate change has contributed to extreme weather occurrences in Utah in recent years. For instance, in the summer of 2022, there was a severe or extreme drought in all of Utah\u27s counties3. Health effects of drought vary with intensity4 and can cause climate related deaths directly and indirectly, such as by worsening air quality which can increase cardiovascular and pulmonary disease5-8. According to most climate models, such events are likely to continue as temperature is expected to increase and snowpack to decrease in the western U.S. and Utah9. A recent statewide survey found that Utahns are concerned about various environmental and climatic issues including increased temperature, poor air quality, drought/lack of water etc10. Moreover, since 2020, more Utahns agree with the scientific consensus that human activities are causing climate change11. This research brief uses representative statewide survey data from the 2023 Utah People and Environment Poll (UPEP) to understand how Utah residents consider themselves vulnerable to climate change, how prepared they think they are for climate change, and if they believe they need to plan or prepare for climate change