The First Statewide Legislative Symposium on Rural Development assessed New York's rural business, economic development, and employment potential. Growth in the economic potential of communities, favorable quality of life, and geographic accessibility have supported a decade-long influx of new residents to New York's 44 rural counties. The state has experienced a shift from an industrial to a service-oriented employment base and a restructuring of public/private partnerships in which business, government, and educational institutions play decisive roles. The biggest problem faced by rural New York is a lack of information and coordinated use of facts and programs tailored to its unique requirements and opportunities. The chief goal should be to develop and implement a "Rural Quality of Life Strategy" that focuses on rural New York's human, natural, and community resources including access to financial and information resources, fertile soil and favorable topography, extensive road network, quality educational institutions, pervasive work ethic, and diverse economic structure. Key public policy issues include determining whether further growth and development is intrinsically "good" for rural New York and if institutions will respond to rural problems with appropriate policies, rather than by adopting urban-oriented solutions. Supporting graphs and outlines are appended to the report. (NEC)