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Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 Statement on Signing S. 670 Into Law.

September 24, 1980

I am today signing S. 670, the Rural Development Policy Act of 1980. This legislation is the culmination of a joint effort by the Congress and the administration to fashion a process for building sound and comprehensive strategies for the development of rural America. In modern times, rural and smalltown America has suffered a heavy loss of population and seen a decline in the number of family farms. Today rural America is entering a new era of opportunity for growth and progress. However, widespread need still exists for economic diversity, job opportunity, modernized housing, community facilities, and other amenities that measure up to recognized American standards.

Last December 20, I announced my small community and rural development policy. It is a plan for generating a real and productive partnership among Federal, State, and local governments and the private sector to enhance the development of rural areas and to improve the quality of rural life.

The Rural Development Act of 1972 gave the Secretary of Agriculture primary responsibility for marshaling Federal resources to support development efforts in rural areas. The bill I am signing today strengthens the Secretary of Agriculture's role in this endeavor and provides for annual reports to Congress of the Federal Government's rural development strategy and progress. It creates an Office of Under Secretary of Agriculture for Small Community and Rural Development. The Under Secretary and my Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs will serve as cochairmen of the Federal Executive Working Group that I have established to coordinate Federal participation in rural development.

The bill authorizes grants of $15 million a year through the Farmers Home Administration for planning and technical assistance and for the establishment of a circuit-rider program to facilitate the delivery of Federal programs to rural areas. It also provides for dissemination of more information to the rural public about the availability of these programs.

This bill will improve the Federal Government's capacity to meet the needs of our small towns and country areas. It will move us from a protracted period of analysis to a program of active involvement in rural and small-community development.

Finally, the bill's authorization of the WEB project, coupled with the pending deauthorization of the Oahe project, upon which completion of WEB depends, represents a major step both for rural development and for water resources policy in South Dakota. By this step, rural development prospects are advanced, and the economic insufficience and adverse environmental effects of the Oahe plan are avoided. With the guidance of Senator McGovern and Congressman Daschle, the local supporters of the WEB project worked closely with the administration to secure the authorization of this important project. The administration can now fully support the necessary steps toward economically efficient and environmentally acceptable water resources development in South Dakota.

Note: As enacted, S. 670 is Public Law 96355, approved September 24.

Jimmy Carter, Rural Development Policy Act of 1980 Statement on Signing S. 670 Into Law. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/251648

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