SCHUMER ANNOUNCES $70,000 COMING TO THE SOUTHERN TIER CENTRAL REGIONAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that a grant of $70,000 was awarded to the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration.  Federal funds will be used to support the development of a coordinated plan to increase private investment in Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties in the Southern Tier.   

"The key to the Southern Tier's economic recovery begins with private sector investment in our communities and these federal funds will help make that possible," Schumer said. "The plan that will be developed will allow The Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Economic Board to assist businesses in coming to the Southern Tier and lay the groundwork and infrastructure for the kind of broad based economic growth that creates good paying, family sustaining jobs."

The Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board works with local governments, private businesses and nonprofit organization to increase private investment in Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben Counties. The Board will use these funds to develop a coordinated plan to market the Southern Tier region to private companies in order to encourage the kind of investment that will lead to long term job and economic growth.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was established under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to generate jobs, help retain existing jobs, and stimulate industrial and commercial growth in economically distressed areas of the United States. EDA assistance is available to rural and urban areas of the Nation experiencing high unemployment, low income, or other severe economic distress.  In fulfilling its mission, EDA is guided by the basic principle that distressed communities must be empowered to develop and implement their own economic development and revitalization strategies. Based on these locally and regionallydeveloped priorities, EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes. EDA helps distressed communities address problems associated with longterm economic distress, as well as sudden and severe economic dislocations including recovering from the economic impacts of natural disasters, the closure of military installations and other Federal facilities, changing trade patterns, and the depletion of natural resources.