News – Page 19 – Western Nevada Development District

USDA Invests $1 Billion to Improve Community Infrastructure in Rural Towns

January 26, 2022/in Economic Development, News, Uncategorized/by JM@dmin

Funding Will Increase Access to Health Care, Education and Public Safety in Rural Communities

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that USDA is investing $1 billion to build and improve critical community facilities in 48 states, Puerto Rico and Guam. This infrastructure funding will increase access to health care, education and public safety while spurring community development and building sound infrastructure for people living in rural communities.

USDA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Jewel Bronaugh, stated that investing in infrastructure improvements is a top priority of the current administration. This announcement makes loans and grants available to assist rural communities invest in facilities and services that are deemed vital such as: health care facilities, schools, libraries, and first responder vehicles and equipment.

The announcement highlighted 731 projects under five over-arching programs:
• Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants
• Community Facilities Loan Guarantees
• Community Facilities Technical Assistance Training Grants
• Community Facilities Disaster Grants
• Economic Impact Initiative Grants

Nevada Congressman, Mark Amodei has been integral in securing $8.1M of the Community Facilities Direct Loan for the Elko Institute for Academic Achievement.

Learn More

WNDD Economic Recovery Update – Winter 2021/2022

January 19, 2022/in Economic Development, News/by JM@dmin

WNDD LAUNCHES NEVADA SPEED TEST FOR IMPROVED INTERNET ACCESS

Happy New Year and welcome to the Winter 2021/2022 edition of the Economic Recovery and Resiliency Update from the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD)!

This newsletter is part of WNDD’s effort to build a more resilient economy in our region. The activities and progress of WNDD and the Action Teams will be reported to help WNDD members and other businesses and organizations plan and implement their recovery and resiliency efforts.

This publication is part of a Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Supplemental Award for the United States. It intends to help troubled areas attract industry, retain and develop businesses, and create long-term sustainable private-sector jobs and investments.

We look forward to sharing new information with you each month.

Sheryl Gonzales

Read the Update!

USDA ReConnect Program

January 6, 2022/in CARES Act, Industry, News/by JM@dmin

2022 Application Workshops Announced

The USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is providing two, three-day virtual workshops for those interested in applying for ReConnect Program funding. The ReConnect Program offers loans, grants, and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in areas of rural America without sufficient access to broadband.

Both workshops will present the same content. Register for the dates convenient for you. Workshop content will be posted on the ReConnect website as well.

Workshop Webinar 1: Tuesday, January 18th – Thursday, January 20th.

Workshop Webinar 2: Tuesday, February 8th – Thursday, February 10th.

Workshops will explore the ReConnect program application system and program requirements for FY2022.

Topics will include:

• Program Eligibility
• Evaluation Criteria
• Live Demonstrations of the Application System
• Overview and deep dive sessions on financial, network, environmental, and mapping requirements
• Compliance and Post-award Reporting

Space is limited. Register Today!

ReConnect Program Information

Workshop 1: January 18 thru 20, 2022

Workshop 2: February 8 thru 10, 2022

EDA Announces 60 Finalists for $1 Billion

December 15, 2021/in COVID-19, Industry, News/by JM@dmin

“Build Back Better Regional Challenge”

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) $1 billion “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” the main component of the EDA’s American Rescue Plan programs.

The 60 finalists were selected from a pool of 529 applications and will receive a grant of approximately $500,000 each. Applications were received from 45 states and Puerto Rico. Additionally, the finalists will move on to Phase 2 of the challenge which will award a select group of 20 to 30 regional coalitions up to $100 million to implement 3 to 8 projects that support an industry sector.

The “Build Back Better Regional Challenge” seeks to boost economic pandemic recovery and rebuild American communities, including some that have been grappling with decades of disinvestment.

Build Back Better Regional Challenge

All Finalists

New Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

December 10, 2021/in Brownfields, Economic Development, News/by JM@dmin

Allocates More Than $1.5 Billion to Brownfields Program

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law last month, will dedicate more than $1.5 billion to the U.S. EPA Brownfields program. The Act includes hundreds of millions of dollars allocated to Multipurpose Grants, Assessment Grants, Cleanup Grants, Revolving Loan Fund Grants, and technical assistance and is intended to improve equity, stimulate redevelopment and reuse, create jobs, and mitigate environmental degradation.

U.S. EPA released an outline of how it will distribute the funding, including key information about funding limits for multi-purpose, assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund grants, plus upcoming grant timelines.

Check out the outline to the funding allocation below and join the National Brownfields Coalition for a conversation about opportunities arising from the Act and the state of brownfields nationally on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. (PT).

Registration: State of the Redevelopment Field

Read the funding breakdown here: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: A Historic Investment in Brownfields

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Take the Nevada Speed Test Today!

Infrastructure Act Broadband Grants

December 7, 2021/in Economic Development, News/by JM@dmin

Public Listening Sessions Set for Infrastructure Act Broadband Grants

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host its first Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Broadband Programs Public Virtual Listening Session on:

Wednesday, December 15, 2021
11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)

There are five new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act:

• Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program
• Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program
• Digital Equity Act Programs (Includes the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program)
• State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program
• Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

Listening sessions will be hosted via NTIA’s virtual platform and conducted as a live public listening session. Registration information is required. The public virtual listening sessions are designed to collect stakeholder input to help inform program development and implementation. NTIA will hold additional public virtual listening sessions throughout January and February of 2022.

Registration: Public Listening Sessions

Nevada Speed Test

Without You, We Can’t Close the Digital Divide!

December 6, 2021/in CARES Act, Economic Development, Industry, News/by JM@dmin

Take the Nevada Speed Test!

Reliable, affordable broadband connectivity is vital to the development and well-being of all residents in the Western Nevada Development District (WNDD) region. However, not all communities are equally-well served with broadband connectivity.

The Nevada Speed Test is counting on fellow Nevadans to pinpoint those locations by logging on to NevadaSpeedTest.org, a mapping tool which measures internet speeds. By analyzing home and business connectivity, strategies can be identified and funding solutions pursued that improve regional broadband infrastructure.

The Nevada Speed Test may be performed on any device that has an internet or cellular connection and takes less than one minute to complete. No personal information will be collected. Repeated speed tests are encouraged during the one-year initiative to better capture variations in internet speeds and collect more statistically valid data.

If you haven’t taken the test, please log in today. If you have, please share with your friends, family and business colleagues. To help you help us, below is a copy/paste blurb ready for sharing on your social media platforms or e-mail outreach.

Nevada Speed Test

Copy and Paste Blurb Below to Help Spread the Word!

Please join me in being part of the Western Nevada Broadband Initiative, a coalition of local governments working to improve broadband connectivity. Your help is needed to pinpoint the region’s most unserved and underserved homes and businesses. By logging on to NevadaSpeedTest.org, a mapping tool which measures internet speeds, we can analyze home and business connectivity to identify strategies and funding solutions to improve our regional broadband infrastructure. It takes less than a minute and thanks for your help!

Latest News

USDA Invests $1 Billion to Improve Community Infrastructure in Rural Towns

WNDD Economic Recovery Update – Winter 2021/2022

USDA ReConnect Program

EDA Announces 60 Finalists for $1 Billion

New Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Infrastructure Act Broadband Grants

Without You, We Can’t Close the Digital Divide!

Recent Posts