Tioga in rural area pilot project

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Apr 02, 1999

OWEGO--Tioga County has been designated a Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zone, one of only three in the U.S. The designation qualifies this rural county in New York's Southern Tier for special economic and planning assistance made available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Program.

In addition to the planning assistance provided to Tioga County, the REAP Zone designation means that additional priority points will be applied to financial-assistance applications from the county, making it more competitive for USDA funds for rural development projects. USDA funds a wide range of rural development projects, including new or improved rural housing, new or expanded community facilities, new or improved rural utility services, and support for rural businesses and cooperatives.

The other two REAP Zones are in North Dakota. Tioga County's designation will serve as a pilot program for the Northeast. The county's progress may be tracked via the Internet at wwwezec.gov. The designation is slated to last 10 years.

Being designated as a REAP Zone differs from other government interventions. "This isn't a program where the government comes to us, tells us what our issues are, and then allocates money to fix things," says Mike Morse, director of Tioga County Economic Development and Planning. "This is a grassroots process by which the members of the community come together to identify problems and develop solutions that will work for this county and its residents."

The strategic planning process, which identifies the strengths, weaknesses, and future economic direction for Tioga County, is under way. Some plans are already completed and others are nearing completion. Officials will hold public meetings over the next few months, to further fine-tune these plans and develop a clear picture of the community's needs, to be used in setting short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals.

USDA Rural Development will help Tioga County develop and finalize those plans. From there, USDA will work as Tioga County's advocate in Washington, helping to search for public and private resources necessary to turn the plans into reality.