Research and Resources

Rural Law Center

Social Issues Online Resources

Department of Rural Sociology at University of Wisconsin- Madison -- A group of faculty, students and staff in the University of Wisconsin's Department of Community and Environmental Sociology dedicated to studying issues from environmental degradation and globalization to sustainability and local food systems. The University of Wisconsin offers an exciting and flexible undergraduate major with three areas of concentration-natural resources, social science, and international agriculture and natural resources. The graduate program is equally dynamic and is offered jointly with the UW's Department of Sociology.

Wyoming Rural Development Council -- Established in 1992 as a part of the "National Initiative on Rural Development," the Council is voluntary and has the following goals:

• Assist rural communities in visioning and strategic planning.
• Serve as a resource for assisting communities in finding and acquiring grants for rural projects.
• Serve and be recognized as a neutral forum for identification and resolution of multi-jurisdictional issues.
• Promote, through education, the understanding of the needs, values, and contributions of rural communities.

Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts -- Representing Wyoming's 34 local conservative districts on the following issues: Conservation Forestry; District Operations; Education; Water Resources; Public/Private Lands; Wildlife.

The Rural Policy Research Institute  -- The Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) provides unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America. RUPRI's aim is to spur public dialogue and help policymakers understand the rural impacts of public policies and programs. Today, RUPRI is housed within the Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs at the University of Missouri-Columbia and is a joint program of Iowa State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Nebraska. RUPRI's reach is national and international and is one of the world's preeminent sources of expertise and perspective on policies impacting rural places and people.