What is an RC&D Council?
Residents know what is best for their communities. An RC&D's goal is to encourage rural development, ensure natural resource sustainability and foster community growth. The board of directors for each Council is made up of interested city and county commissioners, local business leaders, utility representatives and farmers. Utilization of the resources at hand, both natural and human, is central to the RC&D approach. Many resources are renewable – that is, they continue to replenish themselves if managed properly. Communities can acquire immediate benefits from developing such resources and continue to receive the same or greater benefits year after year by conserving the resources as they develop them. To date, 375 areas across the nation (plus the Caribbean and Pacific Basins) have been designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as RC&D areas. They serve more than 85 percent of U.S. counties and over 80 percent of the U.S. population.