Mid-March Extra 2004 – So Much News We Had to Print It! - Volume II, Number 2
(Thanks to Deb Miller Slipek for Great Content Gathering!)

In this issue:

- STATE RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL NATIONAL GATHERING
- SPOTLIGHT ON THE MINNESOTA DESIGN TEAM
- Policy Happenings
- Funding Options – deadlines APPROACHING
- Training/Conferences

MINNESOTA RURAL PARTNERS at NATIONAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP CONSULTATION in WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS WEEK

MRP Chair Madonna Peltier Yawakie and MRP President Jane Leonard are in Washington, D.C. this week with other state rural development council leaders from around the nation to consult with the various federal agencies that manage and/or fund rural development programs, from Commerce to Health and Human Services, to the Federal Communications Commission, and more (over 17 separate agency consultations and a Congressional Briefing). We’ll make our notes available on the MRP website when we return. Look for a “Rural Competitiveness Report” to be coming out of the Department of Commerce later this year, written by Harvard’s Michael Porter, and the USDA-SBA collaboration on the Rural Business Investment Program to be getting underway before the end of the federal fiscal year.

SPOTLIGHT: MINNESOTA DESIGN TEAM (MDT) WANTS TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY!

MDT is currently looking for communities interested in having the MDT visit your town. They are a volunteer group of architects, landscape architects, and planners who at the end of an intensive, interactive weekend visit produce 15-20 large sheets of community planning maps, perspectives, and ideas. The MDT would be happy to come out and talk to you about the MDT process. Contact Judith Van Dyne at 612-336-6763 or e-mail her at vandyne@aia-mn.org. For more information, see MDT’s website – http://www.minnesotadesignteam.org.

Editors Note: In the mid-1980s a much younger Jane Leonard helped support the then-new “Governor’s Design Team (GDT)” as a public-private volunteer program when she worked with State Planning and the old Department of Energy and Economic Development Department. The GDT changed into the Minnesota Design Team. Over 20 years later it is still volunteer-based, innovative and community-oriented. Community design is a key cornerstone in MRP’s Entrepreneurial Community Champion efforts and essential to 21st Century economic development strategy. We want to lift up the good works of MDT and other design assistance programs (such as the University of Minnesota’s Center for Rural Design). Support these resources and use them to make wise decisions about current and future growth for your community.

POLICY HAPPENINGS

--In a recent paper, Progressive Policy Institute Vice President Rob Atkinson offers a radically different approach to rural policy. He suggests a multilateral phase down of farm supports and the creation of a quasi-public Rural Prosperity Corporation to support innovative domestic rural economic development. To read the paper, “Reversing Rural America’s Decline,” go to the site.

Tom Rowley, RUPRI Fellow, also addresses this paper in a recent commentary at www.rupri.org/editorial/Default.asp?edID=74&ACTION=READ. Send us your commentary. Let’s get the discussion going!

--The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines will be sponsoring a landmark symposium -- “Capitalizing on Rural America” -- to explore the economic future of rural America April 15-16, 2004 in Des Moines, Iowa.

The symposium will include a Socratic Dialogue led by legendary Harvard Law Professor, Arthur Miller who is best known for moderating the Emmy award-winning PBS Media and Society series. Three in-depth sessions will address policies and strategies to remove barriers to regionalism, the role of technology as a resource for new rural economic strategies, and innovative ways to increase the flow of capital into rural America. A “The Capital Communities” reception will highlight the Minnesota communities of Wells and Detroit Lakes. For more information please contact Madge Cremer at 1-800-544-3452 x 1071 or by email at MCremer@fhlbdm.com

--The Center for the Study of Rural America at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will hold its Fifth Annual Rural Policy Conference May 17-18, 2004 in Kansas City, MO.

The conference -- “New Governance for a New Rural Economy: Reinventing Public and Private Institutions” -- will explore how innovations in governance can help rural regions build new economic engines. Governance--how regions think and act regionally--is critical to future economic success. The conference will highlight regions that are innovating governance, and identify promising steps that leaders in government, education, and business can take to improve their region's prospects for success. The agenda and registration information can be found at the web site

FUNDING OPTIONS

--USDA Rural Development announces $325 million available for Distance Learning and Telemedicine loans and grants to rural communities to strengthen rural America. Telemedicine technology makes it possible for doctors to examine and direct the treatment of patients without being physically present. The distance learning program finances equipment to expand educational resources to students and educational institutions in isolated rural areas.

Applications for $15 million in grants must be submitted by April 30, 2004 and will be scored and awarded on a competitive basis. Applications for the grant/loan combinations and loans can be submitted through out the fiscal year and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional information on the program is available at http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm

Contact USDA’s Rural Development Community Program Office at 651-602-7811.

--Building Social and Economic Capital Implementation Grants are now available. These grants will support community economic development partnerships involving at least one institution of higher education and at least one community-based organization that engage students and other institutional resources to meet locally defined needs. Proposals may be submitted requesting $25,000 to 40,000. Approximately 5-7 grants will be made for activities taking place during a one-year period, from October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005. Preliminary proposals are due May 28, 2004. For the full RFP go to http://mncampuscompact.org/

or contact Julie Plaut at julieplaut@mncampuscompact.org or 651-603-5084.

--US Commerce Department’s Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) Announces $12.9 million available for FY2004 grants. The Technology Opportunities Program, a matching grant program of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, promotes the use of advanced telecommunications and information technologies. It is accepting proposals involving the deployment of broadband infrastructure, services, and applications. The deadline for applications is April 27, 2004. For more information, go to their site.

--$45 Million in FY 2004 Funding Now Available Through Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. The CDFI Fund invests in and supports community-based organizations, known as community development financial institutions - or CDFIs, that provide financing and related services to communities and populations that lack access to credit, capital and financial services. The CDFI Fund has certified over 650 CDFIs that operate in all 50 states.

Important changes made this round include a sub-component aimed at small and emerging CDFIs, inclusion of criteria enabling rural areas to be eligible due to county population loss and net out-migration, and a much more user-friendly version of our electronic application. The CDFI Fund expects the electronic application to be available March 5, 2004. The application deadline is April 28, 2004. For more information visit http://www.cdfifund.gov/docs/FA/2004/FA_NOFA04.pdf

TRAINING/CONFERENCES

--University of Minnesota Extension Service is sponsoring a series of workshops entitled “U and Your Economy” March 25, 2004, in Rochester; April 1, 2004, in Montevideo; and April 8, 2004, in Moorhead. Rural economic development programs and research will be featured in these day-long workshop designed for economic development professionals, local government officials, and community leaders. Topics include the Minnesota economy, industry clusters in Minnesota, business retention and expansion, rural health works, strategies for small stores in a big box world, access e-information, and community tourism.
For more information, see http://www.extension.umn.edu/uandeconomy or contact one of the Regional Extension Educators: (Southeast) Bruce Schwartau at bwschwar@umn.edu or 888-241-4536; (Southwest) David Nelson at Nelso417@umn.edu or 888-241-4532; (Northwest) Michael Darger at darger@umn.edu or 612-625-6246.

--The University of Minnesota is sponsoring Classes without Quizzes on Saturday, April 3, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The “Classes Without Quizzes” program is open to the public. These very citizen-oriented seminars cover topics ranging from “Ending World Hunger” to “Renewable Power” to “Plants and Chronic Diseases.” Complete seminar information and registration is available on the web at http://alumni.coafes.umn.edu/cwq or by calling 612-624-3009.

-- The Center for Small Towns and the Minnesota Association of Small Cities
will sponsor the Second Annual Symposium on Small Towns “Rural Communities Adapting to the New Century” on June 8 - 9, 2004 in Morris, Minnesota. With a unique focus on small towns and rural areas, this event features opportunities to learn and discuss our political framework and issues, showcase the best practices of small town projects, actively engage participants in project development, and celebrate towns and rural living. This symposium is a part of the President's 21st Century Interdisciplinary Conferences Series of the University of Minnesota. For more information, visit http://www.centerforsmalltowns.org and click on "Symposium" or call the Center for Small Towns at (320) 589-6451 or contact the Minnesota Association of Small Cities website at http://maosc.homestead.com/home.html

--Share & explore RURAL INNOVATIONS in COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT at the 2004 RURAL SUMMIT – AUGUST 18-20, HIBBING, MINNESOTA. More info to come……If you are interested in helping with planning and/or financially supporting the 2004 Summit, please contact Tina Panitzke in the MRP Redwood Falls office at tpanitzke@minnesotaruralpartners.org.

Check out our calendar of events

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