FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 12, 2023
CONTACT: [email protected]
One Country Project Proposes Inclusion of GROWth Plan Grants in the Next Farm Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, One Country Project (OCP) unveiled its proposal for the creation of new Growing Rural Opportunity and Wealth (GROWth) Plan grants under the office of Rural Development within U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These grants would be awarded to help rural communities, counties, and regional authorities develop comprehensive master plans to guide development across multiple areas. OCP announced its call for the establishment of this program as part of a new round of proposals for Farm Bill policies to drive rural economic growth and prosperity.
Congress has the opportunity to use this landmark legislation as an agenda for rural America and address the most pressing issues that rural communities face today. As residents move away to larger cities and counties have yet to recover from pandemic job losses and decreased economic activity, there is an urgent need to economically empower leaders in rural communities with expertise and resources. Today’s proposal is the second installment of a series related to OCP’s three policy pillars for the Farm Bill, focused on farm economics, local prosperity, and rural quality of life.
“Years of underinvestment in rural America have moved economic opportunities out of the heartland, and rural residents have followed them out. The Farm Bill presents a chance to reverse trends that have long plagued rural communities, including workforce retention and transportation accessibility, and will provide rural communities the necessary resources to create opportunities in Americans’ hometowns,” said members of the OCP Board of Directors. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, which is why a GROWth Plan grant would provide rural communities access to tools essential to build and develop according to each community’s particular need.”
In Growing Rural America, OCP officially calls on Congress to establish a GROWth Plan grant that would:
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Target municipalities, non-profits, and private entities in public-private partnerships in categories 4 through 8 as defined in the U.S. rural urban continuum, and
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Support rural communities in creating a master plan for rural revitalization, including development of housing, neighborhood as well as commercial district rehabilitation, transportation programs, energy programs, and other economic development entities.
Greater access to planning and development tools will help level the playing field for competitive bids for economic development, reduce sprawl, and create regional plans to lift rural communities that have faced stagnation and decline.
Read Growing Rural America here.
See OCP’s Farm Bill priorities here.
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About One Country Project
Rural America holds an essential role in moving the United States forward and the One Country Project is dedicated to ensuring Rural America’s priorities and values are heard and reflected in policy at the federal level. To learn more, visit us at www.onecountryproject.com or on Twitter or Facebook.