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<title>USDA Invests $110,000 to Fuel Economic Recovery in Five Rural Oregon and Washington Counties</title>
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<p class="MsoNormal">You might recall that Rural Development Initiative (RDI) applied for a USDA Rural Community Development Initiative grant to provide enhanced Economic Vitality assistance to main street hub communities and surrounding areas last year. It
was close but the project wasn’t funded. RDI moved forward with other funding to pilot the workshop series and assistance in two hubs, Stayton and Coos Bay which included other communities in their region, this year. It was scheduled to kick-off in spring,
but due to Covid moved to a virtual roll-out in early summer. RDI applied once again for the USDA grant which has been awarded (see press release below). The hub communities for this round are:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Chiloquin<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">La Grande<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Milton-Freewater<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Ontario<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Stevenson (WA) but will capture our communities in the Gorge area<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The workshop series will help build the capacity of the local main street organizations to undertake economic development activities. Each workshop builds on the concepts from the previous session and at the end, communities have the tools
to formulate their own economic enhancement plans.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hooray for the great partnership with RDI!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best, Sheri<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> USDA Rural Development Oregon <ruraldevelopment@public.govdelivery.com>
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 16, 2020 8:01 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> STUART Sheri * OPRD <Sheri.Stuart@oregon.gov><br>
<b>Subject:</b> USDA Invests $110,000 to Fuel Economic Recovery in Five Rural Oregon and Washington Counties<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:white">Investment will support business retention and growth in Klamath, Malheur, Skamania, Umatilla, and Union counties
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">USDA Rural Development<br>
1220 SW 3rd Avenue<br>
Suite 1801<br>
Portland, OR 97204<br>
<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDEwMTYuMjg4NTU2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5yZC51c2RhLmdvdi9vciJ9.Jr-PEKgrcasoIZskWxcdA85olXNJ0_JCC0YgyCYElK0/s/671392863/br/86994603415-l" target="_blank"><span style="color:#005CC1">www.usda.gov/or</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Contact:<br>
<a href="mailto:erin.mcduff@usda.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:#005CC1">Erin McDuff</span></a> (503) 414-3304<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#16254B">USDA Invests $110,000 to Fuel Economic Recovery in Five Rural Oregon and Washington Counties<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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<em><span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#295A8F">Investment will support business retention and growth in Klamath, Malheur, Skamania, Umatilla, and Union counties</span></em><span style="font-size:16.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#295A8F"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
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<strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 16, 2020</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development
is investing $110,000 to help the nonprofit <a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDEwMTYuMjg4NTU2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3JkaWluYy5vcmcvIn0.zVx2ZGJYfOsQGsetrSGtdZ2Bk7q4N1FNn6QT-SQYl9U/s/671392863/br/86994603415-l" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#005CC1">Rural Development Initiatives (RDI)</span></a> fuel the economic recovery in rural Oregon and Washington communities, announced State Director John Huffman today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">"Rural Development is committed to working with our partners to help rural areas recover from the economic downturn spurred by the pandemic," said Huffman. "With this grant, we are supporting
a local nonprofit's efforts to increase economic vitality in the rural Pacific Northwest."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Rural Development Initiatives will use the grant to establish a program to build the capacity of community main street organizations and equip them to serve key functions in the local
business support ecosystem. This technical assistance will give them greater resources and support, help them build more productive relationships among businesses, and assist communities with implementing economic vitality initiatives in their downtown areas.
The program will span multiple states, and the USDA funding will be used to enable five main street hubs based in Klamath, Malheur, Umatilla, and Union counties in Oregon, as well as Skamania County in Washington State, to provide technical assistance to multiple
rural communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Overall, this project will help rural communities in Oregon, southern Washington, and southwestern Idaho increase economic prosperity and recover from the current economic crisis by supporting
business retention and growth, increasing the diversity of businesses, and strengthening business clusters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="gdp" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:0in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%">
<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The funding is being provided through USDA's
<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDEwMTYuMjg4NTU2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5yZC51c2RhLmdvdi9wcm9ncmFtcy1zZXJ2aWNlcy9ydXJhbC1jb21tdW5pdHktZGV2ZWxvcG1lbnQtaW5pdGlhdGl2ZS1ncmFudHMvb3IifQ.wGCPgGNhFFwL36qHhBOOPY_RQVdQYeCNG8rVB12ZJSg/s/671392863/br/86994603415-l" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#005CC1">Rural Community Development Initiative Program</span></a> and is contingent upon the recipient meeting the terms of the grant agreement. Additional funding is being provided by the Ford Family Foundation in the amount of $50,000
and by Pacific Power in the amount of $60,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Rural Community Development Initiative Program helps public bodies, nonprofits, federally-recognized Tribes, and qualified for-profit organizations support housing, community facility,
and economic development projects in rural areas with a population of 50,000 or less. One application window is typically announced each year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development;
housing, community facilities such as schools, public safety, and health care facilities; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. Learn more at
<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDEwMTYuMjg4NTU2MzEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5yZC51c2RhLmdvdi9vciJ9.t6bN02T7vtrV341F7Uddyf-KowAIVROP3cm5CYky4jo/s/671392863/br/86994603415-l" target="_blank">
<span style="color:#005CC1">www.rd.usda.gov/or</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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