Rural Community Network Competitors

The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres (780,000 km2). Major divisions of the agency include the National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, and the Research and Development branch. The mission of the Forest Service is "To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations." Its motto is "Caring for the land and serving people." As the lead Federal agency in natural resource conservation, the US Forest Service provides leadership in the protection, management, and use of the Nation’s forest, rangeland, and aquatic ecosystems. The agency's ecosystem approach to management integrates ecological, economic, and social factors to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment to meet current and future needs. Through implementation of land and resource management plans, the agency ensures sustainable ecosystems by restoring and maintaining species diversity and ecological productivity that helps provide recreation, water, timber, minerals, fish, wildlife, wilderness, and aesthetic values for current and future generations of people.

The Nebraska Rural Electric Association (NREA) is the private non-profit trade association for 34 rural electric systems that provide electric service to consumers in most of the rural areas and many of the small towns in the great State of Nebraska. Together, the more than 1,000 dedicated employees of our member-systems serve over 249,000 meters across more than 87,700 miles of line. In the 1930s, rural leaders took on the enormous task of building the electric utility infrastructure in Nebraska that would provide themselves and their neighbors with reliable and affordable electricity. The Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was created by executive order of President Roosevelt on May 11, 1935 and NREA was formed in October of that year to help these early leaders deal with problems of standardizing line construction and obtaining wholesale power supplies. Over the years, NREA's mission has evolved to include a broad range of activities to assist our member-systems as they face the many challenges of providing low-cost, reliable electric service to the rural regions of Nebraska. Today, the quality of electric service in the most remote areas of the state equals or exceeds the electric service available in our largest communities. This achievement continues to be a source of pride for the directors, managers, and other employees of our member-systems. This accomplishment has not been without its challenges, and as we work through the 21st century and the challenges posed by rising wholesale power costs and possible climate change legislation, we will face many new technical, economic and political challenges in the future. Nebraska's rural electric leaders will meet these challenges and will continue to be guided by their customer's desire for reliable, high-quality electric service at affordable rates. We are confident that Nebraskans will continue to see the value in maintaining their locally-owned, controlled, and operated rural public power districts and electric cooperatives.

NCBA CLUSA is the primary voice in the United States for people who use cooperatives to build a better world. NCBA CLUSA provides cross-sector support, advocacy and international development that helps co-ops thrive, ultimately building resilient communities, providing economic opportunities and strengthening cooperatives to build a more inclusive economy. NCBA CLUSA continues to advance and protect cooperative enterprises, highlighting the impact that cooperatives have in bettering the lives of individuals and families.