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Western Governors’ Association report offers ideas for western communities to take advantage of economic opportunities

July 2, 2020 /

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The MDT Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program encourages and supports the participation of companies owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals in transportation contracts.

The Western Governors’ Association has released the Special Report of the Reimagining the Rural West Initiative. The central policy effort of WGA Chair and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, was launched in July 2019 to help western rural communities tap into the opportunity that abounds in economic trends and technological innovation. The Special Report includes a dozen recommendations that, in part:

Address expansion of broadband access in rural communities and tribal lands;
Advocate for federal assistance to communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Improve the efficacy of federal and state programs to support critical infrastructure in the rural West.
Educate and train rural citizens for the jobs available in their communities.

Read, download the Special Report

Governors approve new resolutions on Broadband Connectivity, Rural Development

Western Governors have formally approved policy resolutions:

Rural Development: Policies to ensure that programs delivering state and federal resources to rural communities are efficient and accessible, and recommendations to mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19 in rural areas. Read More

Broadband Connectivity: Recommendations to address broadband data and mapping, investments in scalable infrastructure, and strategies to help connect tribal communities across the region’s vast distances and unforgiving terrain. Read More

Western Agriculture: The Governors, in this renewing resolution, highlight benefits of precision agriculture technologies and provide recommendations to support the sector, while also offering strategies to address agricultural and food network supply chain challenges associated with the pandemic. Read More

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