Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that the full Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies FY08 Appropriations Bill, which includes SUNY Fredonia’s Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance as a project to be considered for funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Office at a later time. The bill will now proceed to the Senate Floor as the next step in the appropriations process. Schumer and Clinton worked closely with members of the Appropriations Committee to include the project in this year’s spending bill.

“This is great news for Chautauqua County,” said Schumer. “SUNY Fredonia’s Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance will provide job growth and business development opportunities for community entrepreneurs and existing businesses in the region, as well as SUNY Fredonia graduates and alumni. This green light from the Committee signifies that the project has cleared a significant hurdle and we are now a giant step closer to making the High Technology Incubator a reality.”

“This funding for the SUNY Fredonia Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance promises to provide a much needed boost to the Incubator and to the local economy as we work to create a new, expanded resource for local business and the community,” said Senator Clinton. “The Center is already an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs as it fosters creative ideas and supports innovative projects and these funds will help it go even further with the High Tech Incubator to assist local businesses that want to develop or invest in the high-tech sector.”

The Committee has designated the SUNY Fredonia Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance, a High Technology Incubator, as a project to be given consideration for funding by USDA’s Rural Development Office. Modeled after the University of South Florida’s award-winning incubator program, the Fredonia incubator will assist high-tech startups in the city of Dunkirk and the Chadwick Bay Region Champion Community by providing business coaching to local entrepreneurs. This new focus on technology ventures will help refocus the Dunkirk economy, which like many American towns’ has lost thousands of industrial jobs over the past three decades. By its second year of operation, the incubator will host 12 start-up companies for terms of 12-18 months, as well as 3 established and expanding high-tech anchors. This incubator will serve as a one-stop facility, promoting business development and mentoring space for start-up high tech companies, community development, and educational and workforce training initiatives for local communities.

Now that the bill has been approved by the full Senate Appropriations Committee, it will be sent to the Senate floor. Following approval by the Senate, the bill will move towards Conference with the House and then to the President for signature.

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