Welcome to North Dakota
The State of North Dakota has been the best kept secret in the nation. What is most exciting is that it has demonstrated the capacity to build a strong bridge to the future: the State of North Dakota won the highest Vice Presidential award in advanced technology. For those of you who watched the captivating PBS series "The West," North Dakota also continues to retain the characteristics of tranquility which is the bridge to the past.
Today the United States is wrestling with two major issues: moving from a National Economy to becoming a Global Economy, and moving from the Industrial Age to the Information Age as the world glides into the next century. North Dakota is marching right along and making history from its capitol, Bismarck.
Bismarck sits right on Highway 83 and I-94, in the middle of the Trade Corridor. History has taught us that cities originated as places of commerce where goods were bought and sold. An opportunity now exists to create a river of commerce flowing both north and south connecting western Canada and northern Mexico with Highway 83. In addition, Bismarck also marks the divide between the Central Time and the Mountain Time Zones and is a gateway from east to west.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development State Office in Bismarck delivers programs to Rural North Dakota in housing, business and industries, community facilities and community development.
Despite many changes in recent months to make the government smaller and at the same time to continue to deliver the same number or more services, the North Dakota Office's professional staff has made historical strides. The Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP), a program similar to the Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities, has been launched in North Dakota's rural communities, and the Initiative has made tremendous progress in recent months.
We strongly support the Rural Development vision statement: "Sustainable communities in rural America, where all people can live, work and prosper." Please review our programs. We are here to help Rural America, particularly North Dakota. We are committed to ensuring North Dakota shares in the economic growth of America. A listing of our state office, field offices, addresses, and telephone numbers, is included. Please give us a call!
Clare A. Carlson
State Director
Please send any comments or suggestions to:
jane.grant@nd.usda.gov