Rural regions suffer from a relative deficiency of reliable research on which to base planning decisions. Compounding problems around insufficient data collection resources are challenges with assembling research from various distinct sources, and making that research available to a geographically disperse audience. Through the State of the Environment project, the RDI sought to improve the quality and accessibility of environmental research in the rural Columbia Basin-Boundary region of British Columbia, and to build the capacity of stakeholders to make use of this research.