Appalacian Regional Commission
Appalacian Regional Commission & Poverty in AppalachiaTHE APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION
AND POVERTY IN APPALACHIA
By Brent M. Pergram, Master of Arts in Sociology
I. INTRODUCTION
Appalachia, as defined in the legislation from which the Appalachian Region Commission derives its authority, is a 200,000 square mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from south New York to northern Mississippi. Appalachia includes all of West Virginia and parts of twelve other states, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Almost 22 million people live in the 406 counties of the Appalachian Region, with 42% of the regions population being rural, compared with 20% of the national population.. Appalachia�s economic fortunes were based in the past mostly on the extraction of natural resources and manufacturing. The modern economy of most of the region, is gradually diversifying, with a heavier emphasis on services and widespread development of tourism. Coal remains an important resource, but it is not a major provider of jobs. Manufacturing is still an economic mainstay, but is no longer concentrated in a few major industries (ARC-About ARC-The Appalachia Region).
The main federal organization created to deal with Appalachian poverty was the Appalachian Regional Commission. The ARC�s mission is to be an advocate for and partner with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.
The Appalachian Regional Commission was established by Congress in 1965 to support economic and social development in the Appalachian region. The Commission is a unique partnership composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states, and a presidential appointee representing the federal government. Grass roots participation is provided through local development districts- multi-county organizations with boards made up of elected officials, business people, and other leaders in the local communities.
ARC undertakes projects that address the five goals identified by ARC in its strategic plan:
1. Developing a knowledgeable and skilled population; 2. Strengthening the region�s physical infrastructure;
3. Building local and regional capacity; 4. Creating a dynamic economic base; 5. Fostering healthy people.
To meet these goals, ARC helps fund such projects as education and work force training programs, highway construction, water and sewer system construction, leadership development programs, small business startups and expansions, and development of health-care resources.
The way the ARC works is that each year Congress appropriates funds, which the ARC allocates to its member states. The Appalachian governors submit to ARC their state spending plans for the year, which include lists of projects they recommend for funding. The spending plans are reviewed and approved at a meeting of all the governors and the federal cochairman. The next step is approval of individual projects by the ARC federal cochairman. After the states submit project applications to ARC, each...
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