Appalachian Regional Commission’s distressed county plan guarantees $10 million in funds for economy-building activities.

Monday, October 30, 2000

Appalachian Regional Commission’s distressed county plan guarantees $10 million in funds for economy-building activities.

"The $10 million already appropriated is basically there for a variety of reasons," said Joy Padgett, director of Ohio’s Governor’s Office of Appalachia.

"We’re looking at capacity building and grants to jump start local initiatives quickly," Padgett said.

The funding is linked to different areas of the ARC’s mission. Those areas meet five points:

– Strategic development, leadership planning and technical assistance grants for specific community projects, $1.1 million.

– Headquarter activities, like best practices workshops, identifying technical assistance partners and meeting other needs, $200,000.

– An online clearinghouse, like a catalog of funding resources, information on writing grants and building technical assistance resources, $300,000.

– A special opportunity fund for public-private partnerships, $100,000.

– Telecommunications strategy development, $300,000.

The money will help communities compete in a global economy, Padgett said.

In short, the funding challenges the nation’s government, private and business sectors to share in a vision that places Appalachia into the digital economy, she said.

Written in part two of the ARC’s proposal is the key: The estimated $75 million initiative could transform Appalachia from a region apart into a region fully connected to international commerce, with a culture that warmly embraces technology.