2015 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VCE-596-104NP

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator,

1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.

Situation Analysis Report

Westmoreland County

2013

Westmoreland County Extension Staff Wendy Herdman, Unit Coordinator, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Stephanie Romelczyk, Extension Agent, ANR Leslie Schoolfield, Program Assistant, EFNEP Youth Amy Brizendine, Unit Administrative Assistant Belinda Johnson, Chair, Westmoreland County ELC

Westmoreland County Extension Leadership Council Bruce Beahm Kathleen Beane F.F. Chandler, Jr. Chris Jett Karen Lewis James Wise

Introduction

In 2013, the Westmoreland County Extension Leadership Council (ELC) conducted a comprehensive Situation Analysis. The ELC met twice to discuss the Situation Analysis, as well as determine the best method of conducting a needs assessment in the community. The ELC determined that an online survey could potentially reach the most respondents with ample time to summarize results; however, extra effort would be needed to reach residents without access to the internet at home. Members of the ELC were provided with data from two Westmoreland County profiles: one developed by Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) and one developed by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). From this data and their knowledge of the county, members were asked to identify key issues in the community. Using the provided template as a guideline, an online survey was constructed. ELC-identified issues were incorporated into the list of issues from which respondents could rank in importance. The ELC and Extension staff used professional and personal networks to deliver the survey to people who live and/or work in Westmoreland County. Information about the survey aired on the local cable channels in both Westmoreland County and Colonial Beach. In addition, key informants were identified and directly contacted to encourage participation. In order to best reach people without internet access, information about the survey was provided at all local libraries. Additionally, access to the survey was provided on a computer in the Extension Office. The internet survey was online for two weeks during which time 95 people ranked their top issues in the county. Data from the survey was aggregated and key issues were identified. The final report is presented here.

Unit Profile

Age of Residents Westmoreland County is home to a large number of people in the 65-74 year old age bracket. The percentage of residents in that age bracket is 12.14. The rest of the state weighs in at 6.9% and the nation at 7.1% In contrast, the numbers of residents in each age bracket 44 years old and under are less than state and national percentages. Agriculture & Forestry Agriculture (crops and livestock) is a $25.4 million industry in Westmoreland County. Approximately 57% of the land is forested and 31% is in cropland. Top commodities include soybeans, corn, wheat, barley, vegetables, and nursery. Average age of a farmer is 56. Since

the last Agricultural Census, there has been an increase in Latino farmers which is estimated to be 9% of the farming population. 98% of woodland in Westmoreland County is privately owned The economic impact of forestry in the county is close to $88 million (including direct, indirect and induced economic impacts - based on 2003 IMPLAN data through Department of Forestry). 6.9% of forested land was lost between 2001 and 2010, remaining land is being broken into small fragments which makes sustainable forestry practices more difficult. The total number of farms increased although the average farm size decreased. The growth was seen in farms less than 180 acres and greater than 1000 acres. Health Summary Physical inactivity of residents is 7% higher than the state and 10% higher than the nation. Although down 1% from last year, excessive drinking in Westmoreland County is double that of the national percentage. The reported number of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) increased by almost 200% in one year and is 485% higher than reported nationwide. The ratio of primary care physicians to county residents is 1:8728. That translates to roughly two doctors in a county of 17800. There are a large number of children living in poverty (29%). This is an increase of 8% from the previous year. The Virginia Department of Education statistics and local school administrations indicate the following percentages of students eligible for free/reduced lunches for the 2012-2013 school year are: Colonial Beach School Division 67% Cople Elementary School 83.5% Washington District Elementary School 63.02% Washington & Lee High School 67.08% Montross Middle School 64.01% Unemployment in the county is at 7.5%

Business and Employment Summary The top categories of employment based on number of employees in 2012 are: Ag & Mining Construction Manufacturing The top service related employers based on number of employees in 2012 are (in decreasing order): Education Manufacturing Government Agriculture Construction

Community and Resident Perspectives Comments from the online survey and emails include:

There needs to be some incentive for county development...maintaining an area for people only as a retirement community is not sustainable. The retirement population is inherently

older, and this age bracket has the money to invest in itself, but not the incentive to invest in the community. Ergo, there are vastly overpriced houses available on the market, but there is

not a full-service YMCA program.

Need more recreational oppurtunities for young citizens.

My rankings are based on how I feel Va. Cooperative Extension Service should act, not necessarily overall. Individuals, groups and other parts of government may very well be

involved in some important issues that I didn't rank highly on this survey. One example is Parenting. It's incredibly important but it's not a governmental function.

Need for FCS to continue sharp focus on Agriculture, not diverge into other areas which may be important but are outside FCS charter.

need for controlled development of land, ie bring more people into the County. Improve education for professional blue collar jobs. Invest in Tourism as a profitable business.

Teaming with Churches and civic groups will be key to accomplishing many of the above.

In order for Westmoreland County to grow and thrive, we cannot keep blocking businesses that want to open in our county. While we do not want to run our mom and pop small

businesses out, or grow too fast, we need the right amount of healthy competition to ensure job growth and growth of county revenue. There are towns smaller in population than us that

have more to offer there community than this town does. Look at some of the towns in the mid-west like New Hampton, IA for example.

More understanding of the impacts of land based activities on the effects on the waterways is critical

The quality of our public school buildings.

Westmoreland County should be a place where young families can raise their children, and older residents can live in peace. We should jobs that we can count on. Jobs that will allow us

to pay our bills and have a little left over. Young people leave here because there is nothing here for them. No entertainment, no jobs, no anything. Grants should be available to help people start viable businesses and to help businesses that are already operating to say in

business.

The quality of the available medical care is of great concern as the population ages. Many of the area hospitals have a high rate of infection among their patients after admission. So, the

patient doesn't die from the disease, but rather, the infection contracted while hospitalized. Public needs to be made more aware of the environmental consequences of

everything they do on their yards: control of water runoff; control of fertilizers, pesticides, etc.; organic use of garbage, trash, leaves; importance of maintaining healthy trees.

Allowing unsupervised rental properties. How many individuals allowed to live in rental properties. Community and emergency preparedness Westmoreland Tax Funds being used to support undocumented workers Community nuisances whether it is uncleaniness or noise,

etc.

Access to Health Care is NUMBER ONE!!!! How do we attract young doctors to practice medicine here? Promoting new business VERY important. Again, how to attract new

business, which will, in turn, increase the tax base, improve schools, roads, encourage young folks to stay or return.

More professionalism in law enforcement. I am in law enforcement in Northern Virginia and there is a huge difference between the two. I am in support of your local sheriff but done see

much of them.

Apparent lack of cooperation between the different political districts in WC

Street signs are not replaced in an appropriate time frame from when they are damaged/removed. Hunting is done in rural areas on streets where there are a number of

houses. Leaf burning is done in unsafe locations and conditions.

Illegal drug use and dealing may be increasing in our community.

Our county has a serious problem with decaying schools, let alone an adequate education that prepares our youth, upon graduation, to enter college. I worry that the community-at-large has a laissez-faire attitude of thinking what the kids are getting is "good enough" and therefore they

do not adequately support the school by recognizing the need to bolster funds to the school such that the children receive a top notch education on par with their peers from other areas of

the state, let alone local area. Business leaders and scientists or really anyone who has a

skillset to share should be actively recruited to engage with schools via volunteer opportunities.

all of these issues have some importance but I'm not sure that extension should be involved--and maybe that is not what is being suggested. It is hard to put health issues and ag

education in the same category.

Some of the above could be grouped together - for example, I think environmental issues cover a broad spectrum, from water quality to agriculture to recycling. And there are simply

many issues of which I'm not aware.

More focus on infrastructure (roads, sidewalks, sewer systems, beach replenishment and protection, pollution control, rainwater management, etc.) in the Town of Colonial Beach.

One of the biggest issues I see is the number of parents who commute outside of our area for work and the ensuing ramifications of their prolonged daily absence. The distance and time away from home makes it difficult to have quality family time and supportive involvement in school and community activities. It has become increasingly incumbent upon agencies and

schools to raise children and teach values along with required curricula. If the trend continues for parents to leave the Northern Neck to earn a living because there is very little employment

in the area, agencies and schools will be expected to provide all of life's lessons.

I think the biggest concern is the quality of living for children. Many in Colonial Beach are considered homeless. The type of program run by the schools, the 21st century learning

program, would help enormously. (program funding was not renewed.)

Gardening

Tourism

Clean streams

Library support

Vocational Training

Priority Issues Access to Medical Care Access to medical care was identified as a “top five” issue. This issue was identified in the 2004 Westmoreland County Situation Analysis and still remains a priority issue. As noted in the County profile, the ratio of primary care providers to residents is 1:8728 and translates to 2 doctors in the county. Local access to primary care is a challenge and access to specialists on the Northern Neck is impossible. The high population of people ages 65 years and up was noted in our unit profile and as this population continues to age, medical needs will increase without the infrastructure to support it.

This issue is outside the scope of VCE to address, but should be addressed. Extension can help with this issue by providing healthy living education for youth and adults so as to prevent and perhaps alleviate some chronic health conditions. Availability of In-County Jobs Availability of in-county jobs is a “super issue” that was identified as both a “top five issue” and as “important but not a top five issue”. Low per capita income was identified in the 2004 Situation Analysis and the concern is much the same. Availability of in-county jobs is closely related to the issue of economic development also identified in this situation analysis. The main employers in Westmoreland County are agriculture, manufacturing, construction, government and education. That limited offering makes this community less appealing to young professionals and their families. Many residents commute outside the county to higher paying jobs which lead to other community issues. This issue is outside the scope of VCE, but should be addressed. Economic Development Economic development was identified as a “top five” issue. Many survey respondents also wrote in comments related to economic development and the county’s sustainability. The County has hired a consultant to conduct an economic development assessment and make recommendations. This issue is related to many other identified issues such as medical care, small businesses and availability of jobs just to name a few. Addressing it could help to address others. This issue is outside the scope of VCE, but should be addressed. Opportunities for Youth and Teens Opportunities for youth and teens is a “super issue” that was identified as both a “top five issue” and as “important but not a top five issue”. It was also identified in the 2004 Situation Analysis. Residents want youth to be involved in constructive, educational, character-building activities. Activities such as these do exist and many of them are volunteer-driven. Youth do not all have equal access to participate and transportation is often cited as a barrier to participation. Activity buses do not support out-of-school activities. Parents who commute to work are not always available to drive. Cost can also be a barrier to participation. This issue is currently being addressed with VCE resources. There were over 1000 youth enrolled in 4-H programming in the previous year. That programming is delivered by a 4-H Extension agent who is shared with Richmond County.

Quality Public Schools Quality public schools was identified as a “top five issue” by the overwhelming majority of survey respondents (67%). This issue was also identified in the 2004 Situation Analysis. Only two schools out of six in Westmoreland County and Colonial Beach were fully accredited for 2013-2014 by the Virginia Department of Education; the other four did not meet SOL benchmarks in math. In addition, the public school systems in Westmoreland County and Colonial Beach suffer from a high teacher turnover rate due in part to low salaries compared to the Virginia average (14 – 20% less than the state average). The Northern Neck area lacks amenities that are attractive to young professionals, some of which have also been identified as issues. In addition, some school buildings have not been properly maintained and provide a poor learning environment for students. This issue is outside the scope of VCE, but should be addressed. Extension does conduct in-school and after-school programs to address SOL subject matter through the 4-H and EFNEP programs administered by the 4-H Extension Agent and the EFNEP Program Assistant. Agriculture Education for Youth Agriculture education for youth was identified as an “important, but not top five issue”. Agriculture and forestry are major industries in Westmoreland County as evidenced in the county profile; however, the average age of a farmer in the county is 56 (very similar to the national average). There is a huge need to prepare and encourage young people to enter the agriculture field, yet there are few opportunities to gain knowledge and experience locally. Additionally, every young person should have an awareness and appreciation for agriculture, regardless of the field they enter. None of the schools in Westmoreland County have an FFA program. This issue is not currently being addressed by VCE in Westmoreland County, but could be appropriately addressed given adequate resources and support. The Northern Neck Technical Center in nearby Warsaw, VA recently hired an Agriculture teacher to provide agricultural training to high school students. The Tech Center serves students from Westmoreland County. In addition, Stratford Hall is in the early phases of an agricultural education program geared to youth and the ANR Extension Agent has been involved with the planning process. Emergency Preparedness Emergency preparedness was identified as an “important, but not top five issue.” Severe weather has the potential to impact the lives of Westmoreland County residents each year. The County, along with the other three counties in the Northern Neck, maintains a regional emergency operations plan with details about responding to natural disasters. The county government also employs highly trained public safety personnel. However, emergency preparedness, as well as the knowledge of how to respond during and after a disaster is always important knowledge for the public.

This is an issue currently being addressed by VCE in Westmoreland County, as well as other state and local agencies. The ANR Extension Agent maintains close contact with county emergency management personnel before, during and after a natural disaster to assist with agricultural damage assessments. In addition, VCE fact sheets about emergency preparedness are available to all residents. Land Use Planning Land use planning was identified as an “important, but not top five issue.” This issue is tied to economic development and creation of in-county jobs as the county will need to balance development with current land use, such as farming and forestry. Smart growth is important as Westmoreland County plans for the future. This issue is outside the scope of VCE and is better addressed by county government and the Northern Neck Planning District Commission. Seafood Production/Profitability Seafood production and profitability was identified as an “important, but not top five issue.” This issue was also identified in the 2004 Situation Analysis. Due to Westmoreland County’s close proximity to the Potomac River, the Rappahannock River, and the Chesapeake Bay, seafood production and profitability is important for the livelihood of local residents and businesses. The industry continues to decline due to many reasons including weather, water pollution, disease, species cycles, and labor shortages. This issue is not currently being addressed by the local VCE office, but is currently being addressed through work at the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (part of Virginia Tech) in Hampton. The local VCE office does support the industry with water quality programs targeted to farmers and homeowners. Small Business/Entrepreneurs Small business/entrepreneurs was identified as an “important but not a top five issue”. Although closely related to the issues of economic development and availability of local jobs, small business owners and operators need different types of support such as tax incentives, support networks, business management/leadership training and loans/grant opportunities. This issue is not currently being addressed by VCE but could be appropriately addressed by VCE and more specifically Community Viability (CV) resources and personnel.

Survey Sample