WASHINGTON, D.C.
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| NEWS RELEASE WASHINGTON, D.C. |
Contact: State Director Ben Higgins (530) 792-5800
USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT DELIVERS IN TULARE COUNTY
VISALIA, Calif., August 15, 2006--Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr today joined Congressman Devin Nunes, USDA Rural Development State Director Ben Higgins, and the Tulare County Board of Supervisors to jointly recognize the unprecedented investment made by USDA Rural Development in Tulare County communities in recent years.
"Rural America enjoys tremendous opportunities, and I'm always pleased to see where USDA Rural Development is working with community leaders to turn those opportunities into realities," said Dorr. "Our investments in this region represent a significant commitment by the Bush Administration in these communities' economic base and quality of life."
Since the start of the Bush Administration, USDA Rural Development has invested in Tulare County nearly $14 million in business development, $26.5 million for infrastructure and community facilities, and nearly $39 million for affordable housing. Dorr and Nunes presented the Tulare County Board of Supervisors with a ceremonial check in the amount of $79 million to reflect this total investment.
"Numbers, however, don't tell the whole story," Dorr said. "Our success is measured by water lines laid, hospitals built, and broadband connections made. Success is businesses started and jobs created. It is families moving into new homes, and affordable rental housing in small towns. Whether it is an ethanol plant or industrial park, a day care center, a critical care medical facility, or a mainstreet business, investments made by USDA Rural Development are building a better future for rural residents in Tulare County and throughout the nation."
Dorr and Nunes also presented checks totaling more than $7 million to six communities in Tulare County for critical water infrastructure and children's health projects. Among these projects is one which will allow children in the Cutler-Orosi, Lindsay, and Woodlake Union School Districts to receive world-class dental treatment via video link from experts at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development has invested more than $72 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. As a result, more than 1.2 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.
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USDA Rural Development is an Equal Opportunity Lender, Provider, and Employer. Complaints of
discrimination should be sent to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
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