History


What is RC&D?

Established by the Food and Agriculture Act of 1962, the RC&D program began in 1964. The program helps community leaders develop rural economies by improving and conserving local natural resources.

During the 30+ year span of the program, about 26,000 projects have been completed and an additional 1,600 projects are undertaken by RC&D councils each year.


These include:

  • Encouraging investments in local communities
  • Setting up marketing cooperatives
  • Promoting tourism
  • Improving recreational facilities

They produce:

  • About 19,000 permanent jobs
  • Save 7,000 jobs
  • Create about 16,000 temporary jobs

There are over 300 RC&D areas nationwide, encompassing over 2 billion acres. Each RC&D area consists of several counties. Eight RC&D areas currently exist in Kansas.