Challenges common to rural counties across the nation are the subject of a conference in Ouray County, Colorado this week.

Larry Hicks, Geary County Commissioner, is attending the Fall 2015 Rural Action Caucus Symposium,     presented and supported by the National Association of Counties.

There are strategy discussions. “Examining ways to make the National      Rural Action Caucus more relevant in federal legislative policy and arenas. Caucus members are going to be taking an in-depth look at an annual calendar of events in order to try and determine how officially and much more effectively address key county priorities throughout rural action caucus engagements all over the nation.”

Some challenges range from substance abuse trends and drug trafficking occurring more frequently to dealing with an aging rural population and combatting rural childhood poverty.