The Trump Administration Continues To Demonstrate Its Failure To Appreciate the Plight of American Farmers ArticleNovember 5, 2025 The Trump Administration Continues To Demonstrate Its Failure To Appreciate the Plight of American Farmers China’s boycott of American soybeans may be resolved, but the episode exposed deeper, longer-term challenges that cannot be solved with a one-time bailout or a purchase commitment by foreign buyers that can be turned off at any time. Nov 5, 2025 Ryan Mulholland, Mark Haggerty
How the Government Shutdown Affects Public Land Employees and Communities ArticleOctober 15, 2025 How the Government Shutdown Affects Public Land Employees and Communities Bipartisan efforts saved public lands from being sold off. Can Congress work together again so that furloughed public land employees in the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Forest Service are not fired? Oct 15, 2025 Mark Haggerty
After the Farm Bill: A Discussion About the Future of Farm and Rural Policy Past EventSeptember 9, 2025 After the Farm Bill: A Discussion About the Future of Farm and Rural Policy Please join the Center for American Progress for an event exploring the implications of federal policy for agricultural communities. 1333 H St NW, Washington, DC, 20002 Sep 9, 2025
Congressional Republicans’ Big Shift on Public Land Payments to Counties ArticleAugust 21, 2025 Congressional Republicans’ Big Shift on Public Land Payments to Counties While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act may have stopped short of selling off public lands, it did end some public land payments that rural communities have relied on since 1908—diverting those funds to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. Aug 21, 2025 Mark Haggerty, Jenny Rowland-Shea
Resource-Rich New Mexico Plans To Diversify Its Economy ArticleMarch 24, 2025 Resource-Rich New Mexico Plans To Diversify Its Economy New Mexico is rich in oil yet remains relatively poor compared with other U.S. states, so its new economic strategy could be a road map to prosperity. Mar 24, 2025 Mark Haggerty
Trump Quietly Plans To Liquidate Public Lands To Finance His Sovereign Wealth Fund ArticleFebruary 20, 2025 Trump Quietly Plans To Liquidate Public Lands To Finance His Sovereign Wealth Fund President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund requires that the United States come up with heaps of cash quickly, which may make selling out and selling off public lands irresistible. Feb 20, 2025 Mark Haggerty, Jenny Rowland-Shea
Investing in the Nation’s Future: Why Congress Should Emulate Energy States’ Sovereign Wealth Funds ReportFebruary 18, 2025 Investing in the Nation’s Future: Why Congress Should Emulate Energy States’ Sovereign Wealth Funds States save and invest fossil fuel revenue to build wealth and pay for essential services that benefit current and future generations—and Congress should take note when designing a federal sovereign wealth fund. Feb 18, 2025 Nathan Brooks, Mark Haggerty
Revitalizing the Snake River Basin ReportJanuary 29, 2025 Revitalizing the Snake River Basin An agreement between four Native American Tribes, two states, and the U.S. government unlocks investments that can restore salmon runs and meet growing energy demands in the Snake River Basin—and will do so in ways that reinvest in rural communities and honor treaty obligations to Native American Tribes. Jan 29, 2025 Mark Haggerty, Scott Bischke, Alia Hidayat
Protecting Public Land Revenue-Sharing Governments From the Fiscal Risks of Economic Transitions ReportDecember 9, 2024 Protecting Public Land Revenue-Sharing Governments From the Fiscal Risks of Economic Transitions The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of state, local, and Tribal governments’ dependence on payments tied to resource extraction on public lands. The Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund offered a temporary solution and a framework for a permanent one. Dec 9, 2024 Sharon Ferguson, Mark Haggerty
Achieving Federal Program Coordination Through a National Transition Corporation ReportJune 27, 2024 Achieving Federal Program Coordination Through a National Transition Corporation Interagency coordination and investments in community capacity remain challenged by siloed and complex federal assistance programs, demanding a more coherent transition vision and aligned strategies. Jun 27, 2024 Sophia Corridan, Mark Haggerty
Rural Communities Can Benefit From Infrastructure Funds—if Rollout Is Done Right ReportApril 24, 2024 Rural Communities Can Benefit From Infrastructure Funds—if Rollout Is Done Right The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s nearly $1.8 trillion marks a profound boost in infrastructure spending; but to make the most of new resources, the federal government must address communities’ wariness of projects because of past treatment. Apr 24, 2024 Grete Gansauer, Mark Haggerty
Victory in Montana! Children, the Constitution, and the Climate Crisis Past EventNovember 29, 2023 Victory in Montana! Children, the Constitution, and the Climate Crisis Please join the Center for American Progress and Our Children's Trust for an online event discussing the climate crisis and the constitutional rights of youth. Online only Nov 29, 2023
Matchmaking for Community Benefit: The Rural Partners Network Connects Rural Leaders With Federal Resources ReportNovember 6, 2023 Matchmaking for Community Benefit: The Rural Partners Network Connects Rural Leaders With Federal Resources The Rural Partners Network places community liaisons in underserved rural areas that have historically faced challenges accessing and managing federal grants and resources. Nov 6, 2023 Jenny Tran, Mark Haggerty
Leveraging Renewable Energy Investments for Rural Development ReportNovember 6, 2023 Leveraging Renewable Energy Investments for Rural Development The U.S. Department of Energy requires developers applying for all the agency’s grant and loan programs to craft a community benefits plan, with the goal of leveraging public investments into broadly shared benefits in the communities where projects are sited. Nov 6, 2023 Mark Haggerty, Anastasios Chryssikopoulos
Guide to Rural and Tribal Capacity-Building Programs ReportNovember 6, 2023 Guide to Rural and Tribal Capacity-Building Programs These 10 federal programs are designed to expand capacity and bridge the gap between federal resources and the rural and Tribal communities that need them most. Nov 6, 2023 Mark Haggerty, Chéri Smith
Sustainable and Reliable: Securing Resources for the Clean Energy Future ReportSeptember 28, 2023 Sustainable and Reliable: Securing Resources for the Clean Energy Future The United States must act quickly, in concert with its allies, to secure an economically and environmentally sustainable supply chain of battery minerals that benefits and respects the rights of workers and front-line communities. Sep 28, 2023 Nicole Gentile, Anne Griffin, Robert Benson, 3 More Mark Haggerty, Mariel Lutz, Michael Clark
A Framework for Federal Mining Reform: Impact Planning, Benefits Sharing, and Asset-Based Revenue Management ReportJune 22, 2023 A Framework for Federal Mining Reform: Impact Planning, Benefits Sharing, and Asset-Based Revenue Management Building a new clean energy economy will require mining for minerals used in renewable energy technologies, creating a mining boom that policymakers should leverage by helping affected communities build resilient and equitable economies. Jun 22, 2023 Mark Haggerty, Jackson Rose, Toni Ruth
How FEMA Can Build Rural Resilience Through Disaster Preparedness ReportOctober 6, 2022 How FEMA Can Build Rural Resilience Through Disaster Preparedness The Federal Emergency Management Agency is vital to the nation’s climate resilience, but pre-disaster resilience funds are not reaching the rural communities most vulnerable to climate risk and least able to prepare. Oct 6, 2022 Kevin Manuele, Mark Haggerty
President Joe Biden’s Historic Infrastructure and Climate Investments Will Require Building Rural Capacity Fact SheetOctober 6, 2022 President Joe Biden’s Historic Infrastructure and Climate Investments Will Require Building Rural Capacity Federal wildfire and flood resilience dollars are not reaching the rural communities most vulnerable to climate risk and least able to prepare. Oct 6, 2022 Sofia Garcia George, Kevin Manuele, Mark Haggerty, 1 More Nicole Gentile
How To Improve Community Wildfire Defense Grants To Build Rural Resilience ReportOctober 6, 2022 How To Improve Community Wildfire Defense Grants To Build Rural Resilience New Mexico’s 2022 wildfire season and its aftermath reveal the limits of federal resilience funding, but the new federal Community Wildfire Defense Grant program is an anchor point from which to advance reform. Oct 6, 2022 Sofia Garcia George, Mark Haggerty
Quitting Fossil Fuels and Reviving Rural America ReportSeptember 1, 2022 Quitting Fossil Fuels and Reviving Rural America Fossil energy communities need a legacy fund to build capacity and resilience. Sep 1, 2022 Mark Haggerty, Nicole Gentile
Innovating Fiscal Policy To Power Enduring Rural Prosperity In the NewsDecember 16, 2021 Innovating Fiscal Policy To Power Enduring Rural Prosperity Mark Haggerty discusses the shortcomings of current fiscal policy design and explores the potential for policy redesign at all levels of government to better sustain rural communities reliant on natural resource industries. Dec 16, 2021 the Aspen Institute Mark Haggerty
State Budgets Tied to Fossil Fuels Are Slowing the Energy Transition and Leaving Workers and Communities Behind ArticleDecember 7, 2021 State Budgets Tied to Fossil Fuels Are Slowing the Energy Transition and Leaving Workers and Communities Behind Oil and gas lobbyists have spent decades working to entrench dependence on fossil fuels. Solutions require a new model that builds wealth and empowers rural communities. Dec 7, 2021 Mark Haggerty, Nicole Gentile
Build Back Rural: New Investments in Rural Capacity, People, and Innovation ArticleNovember 23, 2021 Build Back Rural: New Investments in Rural Capacity, People, and Innovation A net-zero and equitable economy requires the participation and leadership of rural communities, enabled by foundational rural investments in the Build Back Better Act. Nov 23, 2021 Mark Haggerty, Mike Williams, Lily Roberts, 1 More Mikyla Reta