USDA Announces Over $194 Million in New Projects to Increase Economic Opportunities Through Rural Partners Network

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Dec. 4, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new round of investments totaling more than $194 million to support local economic development plans and projects in Rural Partners Network (RPN) communities and other neighboring communities across 14 states and Puerto Rico. USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden highlighted today’s announcement at the Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation 2024 Seminar in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Biden-Harris Administration launched RPN in April 2022 to ensure people in historically underserved rural and Tribal communities receive their fair share of funding from federal agencies. RPN is an all-of-government collaboration supported by 25 federal agencies and regional commissions.

Since its inception, federal agencies have invested over $8.5 billion across the 36 RPN community networks. That includes more than $1.5 billion in USDA investments in locally driven projects that improve local infrastructure, health care, housing, and connectivity. RPN has facilitated almost 4,000 new partnerships and the launch of the Rural.gov website.

“The Rural Partners Network has broken down barriers so underserved rural communities and families can access the resources they need to prepare for the future,” Secretary Vilsack said. “Today, we’re celebrating several more examples of how aligning those resources with local blueprints for success will keep rural and Tribal communities across the country thriving for generations to come.”

Today USDA is awarding more than $194 million in grants and loans to support 118 projects that will help rural and Tribal communities address immediate needs and create sustainable economic growth. Many of these projects are the direct result of collaboration between community networks and federal staff living and working in the communities.

The funding will support RPN communities in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Puerto Rico. Projects will also benefit rural communities in Minnesota, Ohio, Virginia and Washington.

Projects will lower costs for families, create jobs and grow businesses in rural areas that have been a bedrock of the country’s economic success for decades despite high rates of poverty and lack of opportunities in their own communities. Additionally, projects will help communities transition to clean energy and modernize critical water and sewer infrastructure.

For example:

In southeast Alaska, a hydroelectric plant will make improvements to increase the power it generates on Prince of Wales Island. A program to strengthen biobased economic development will help sawmills and other local businesses create new jobs and opportunities around Thorne Bay.

In southern Georgia, a technical college will buy a simulation system and other technology to train heavy equipment operators and welders, addressing labor shortages and workforce needs in the region.

In Kentucky, Appalachian communities will upgrade sewer systems and help small businesses create and save jobs in communities that have endured poverty for generations. Funding will also help businesses save on energy costs by installing solar technology.

In North Carolina, investments will be used to revitalize a bakery in Fair Bluff, which has been devastated by multiple floods. A loan will facilitate the sale of an auto shop in Whiteville so it can continue to be a mainstay in the community for years to come.

In West Virginia, communities will use funding to upgrade water and sewer systems; provide services to local businesses and entrepreneurs; and purchase video conferencing equipment to provide telehealth services to people in remote areas. Investments will also help family businesses save money by transitioning to clean energy.

In Wisconsin, funding will help homeowners in rural and Tribal communities improve household water and well systems, as well as save an agricultural supply business thousands of dollars each year with solar power.

As part of today’s announcement, USDA Rural Development is also highlighting its ongoing work to determine how best to streamline its grant programs through an effort called Better Grants Better Service. Through this initiative, the agency is working to reduce barriers and improve access to its programs, the grant filing experience, and efficiency of the application process.

During Phase 1 of the initiative, USDA received 33 recommendations from customers and staff on how to make these improvements. For more information on this critical initiative and Phase I recommendations, visit the Better Grants Better Service home page.

Background: Rural Partners Network

Launched in April 2022 and expanded in November 2022, RPN is now active in 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico.

Community networks receive support from full-time USDA staff who live and work locally. These staff members provide technical assistance based on each community’s needs, helping them navigate federal programs, build relationships and apply for funding. In addition to USDA staff, there are staff at more than 25 other federal agencies dedicated to making resources across the government easier to access for people in rural communities.

RPN communities also benefit from coordination through other federal efforts such as the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization and President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative and Investing in America agenda. The Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and USDA, advises the RPN program and ensures rural voices are heard and reflected in national policies that will benefit all people in rural communities.

RPN also benefits from new partnerships with philanthropic organizations to addresses barriers to accessing federal programs with a specific focus on advancing equity and prosperity in rural America. These partnerships will enhance RPN’s work by helping communities develop applications, plan projects, and leverage pre-development expenses and matching funds.

For more information on RPN, visit Rural.gov.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber Page.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.