Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has reappointed Hamilton County Supervisor Rick Young to the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Task Force — ERI.

This will be his 3rd two year term.

The ERI Task Force focuses on the 88 least populated counties in Iowa, recognizing challenges of declining population, aged housing, lack of affordable childcare, rural food deserts and underserved emergency services.

The ERI has had success in creating BroadBand coverage in rural areas along with an incubator Emergency Services program called the Iowa United First Aid — IUFA — program.

IUFA is a concept of recruiting volunteers to serve as entry level response members. Currently three Iowa rural counties have adopted the new program.

The 25-member team is challenged to identify rural Iowa issues, then move forward to create a pathway for a remedy, which encompasses creating grants and grant rubrics that are effective and equitable.