COLLEGE STATION – Communities near the Texas Gulf Coast can take advantage of a new regional economic development initiative offered by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development.
Stronger Economies Together is a program that will help rural communities capitalize on the strengths of the region to create jobs, wealth and economic development, said Rebekka Dudensing, AgriLife Extension economist.
“This program offers technical assistance to help communities develop and implement strategies to take advantage of a region’s specific goals and assets,” she said.
The program began one year ago in eight states. Due to its success, it is now available in an additional 11 states — including Texas. Since it began, 22 multi-county regions have received technical assistance to accomplish their regional projects, she said.
“Many rural communities need new methods and strategies to ensure they survive and thrive in the future,” said Dr. Greg Clary, AgriLife Extension economist. “Leveraging local resources through regional collaboration is often an effective strategy to increase effectiveness of economic development efforts. It also positions rural communities to take advantage of new opportunities and to manage growth in spite of facing limited resources.”
Applications from Gulf Coast rural regions are currently being accepted. Completed applications must be submitted electronically to Ronald.Lawrence@tx.usda.gov by May 26. To qualify, the regional team must have members from a minimum of three counties and at least one of the counties must border the Texas Gulf Coast.
To receive an application, contact Dudensing at rmdudensing@tamu.edu, 979-845-1719 or on the web at http://communities.tamu.edu/set/index_set.php or http://srdc.msstate.edu/set/phase2.html (scroll down to the Texas application). There is no application fee. However, selected applicants should be prepared to provide some minor local logistical support for workshop meetings. Two regions will be selected in Texas and announced by June 30.
A free webinar has been scheduled for 10-11 a.m. May 13 to provide an overview of the program and to answer questions from those interested in how the program will benefit communities in their region. Contact Clary at gclary@ag.tamu.edu, 903-834-6191 for details on how to access the webinar, or visit http://communities.tamu.edu for more information.
Regional teams will receive the following: an understanding of the critical drivers of their region and the emerging growth sectors and regional competitive advantages; help in developing innovative approaches to strengthen regional economic development; technical assistance and educational support from USDA Rural Development staff and economic development specialists with AgriLife Extension; and opportunities to share information with program participants from other states.
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