13 



to engage In activities which, while perhaps available, were previously 

 inaccessible. 



Also, attention needs to be given to the natural resources of this 

 area. Every effort must be made to identify, preserve and protect critical 

 environmental areas of this region. The public must be encouraged to push 

 for the maintenance of places of regional, state and local historical sig- 

 nificance. Further efforts are needed in the scientific forest management 

 of forestland. When addressing housing shortages, efforts need to be taken 

 which support housing development that accommodates environmental limita- 

 tions. Policies need to be formulated which discourage random housing de- 

 velopment so that the preservation of open space becomes a reality. All 

 new residential construction should be encouraged to be energy efficient. 

 Because the nonmetropolitan Northeast's environment is apparently an im- 

 portant reason for its population growth, efforts must be made to provide 

 a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. The region's shoreline 

 land must be increased and preserved for use by the public. At the same 

 time, the availability of adequate outdoor campsites and facilities must 

 also be encouraged. Attention needs to be given to preserving the 

 Northeast's agricultural heritage and the artifacts of the colonial arti- 

 sans — covered bridges, historical buildings and the like. 



It is recognized that the above suggestions are directed toward issues 

 relevant to nonmetropolitan areas in a predominantly metropolitan Northeast 

 Region of the nation. However, this Region has led the nation by a full 

 decade in its dynamic growth of nonmetropolitan areas and has the potential 

 to continue to lead this nation in the development of policies tailored to 

 the unique needs of its rural nonfarm population. Recognizing that there 

 are different policy Implications within nonmetropolitan areas of each state 

 and between nonmetropolitan areas adjacent and not adjacent to SMSA boundar- 

 ies, the above suggestions are by no means exhaustive. Nor, for that matter, 

 are they presented in a rank order from the most to least Important. On 

 the contrary, what is suggested is the interdependency of these various com- 

 ponents (people, job opportunities, educational training, transportation, 

 housing and environment) and the necessity for policy makers to maintain "a 

 big picture" of the nonmetropolitan Northeast. Further, It is strongly sug- 

 gested that coordination of efforts between and among local, state and 

 federal agencies be encouraged. The nonmetropolitan Northeast is a vital 

 part of this country's heritage. Its future should not depend solely on 

 administrative decisions made in another area of the region or country. 

 Through efforts such as the Northeast Agricultural Leadership Assembly, 

 government officials, businessmen. University research and extension person- 

 nel, and concerned local citizens can gather, listen and discuss their 

 mutual concerns over the fate of this area. Whether or not these efforts 

 bear fruit will depend largely on the ability to move beyond the mere recog- 

 nition of problems to active decision making and implementation. 



