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COORDINATING U.S. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE IN THE FREELY

ASSOCIATED STATES

RURAL DEVELOPMENTHawaii/Western Pacific/American Samoa

March 7, 2014

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REGION OF RESPONSIBILITY“Over 4.3 Million Square Miles”

State of Hawaii

Guam

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

American Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Republic of the Marshall Islands

Republic of Palau

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Over 40 Grant, Direct and Guaranteed Loan and Technical Assistance Programs

Rural Housing ProgramsCommunity Programs

Rural Utilities ProgramsRural Business and Cooperative Programs

Rural Energy Programs

Providing Access to Capital and Credit for Rural Communities

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIES

The Republic of Palau

Housing – Over $300,000 in loans and grants to assist 17 very low and low income families to renovate or remove

safety and health hazards in their homes.

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIES

The Republic of Palau

Community Facilities - $32,000 grant to Hatohobei State Government for the purchase of a security patrol boat.

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIESThe Republic of the Marshall Islands

Housing – The Mutual Self Help Housing Program managed by the Marshall Islands Development Bank

provided $720,000 in loans and grants to 12 new families for technical assistance and home construction. Since the project’s inception in 2005, over $1.2 million in Technical Assistance grants and $4.0 million in construction loans

assisted 82 very low income families.

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIESThe Republic of the Marshall Islands

Community Facilities – A $171,700 grant was made to the College of the Marshall Islands for the purchase of

library furnishings.

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIESFederated States of Micronesia

Housing - Over $300,000 in loans and grants to assist 43 very low and low income families to renovate or remove

safety and health hazards in their homes.

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FY 2013 SUCCESS STORIESFederated States of Micronesia

Community Facilities – Economic Initiative Impact grants: $45,937 to purchase police vehicles and

machinery.Community Facilities Grant - $41,250 for security

fencing for the Lukop Elementary School.

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FY 2014 PRIORITIES

Community Economic Development

Food Nutrition – Local and Regional Food Systems

High Poverty Communities

Bio-Based Economy/Alternative Energy

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COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRIORITY

An approach of assessing the needs that are specific to each community – Community Economic Development (CED) Assessment

Avoids a “one size fits all” approach and enables more strategic program delivery.

Area Directors Joseph Diego and Gary Bloom playing key roles in making these assessments.

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FOOD NUTRITION PRIORITYSEC Goal: “Creation of 100 new local/regional food market opportunities,

annually.”

Funding support for local and regional food systems infrastructure and technical support.

All phases of food life cycle – production, processing, marketing, nutrition (cooking), and consumption.

Value added activities, farmer’s markets, agriculture cooperatives, etc.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) website resource.

Collaboration with other federal, state, and local agencies.

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HIGH POVERTY COMMUNITIES TARGETING PRIORITY

SEC Goal: “20% of all Rural Development funding invested in High Poverty communities by 2016.”

Mapping of High Poverty communities – CED assessment.

“High Poverty Tool Kit” – Inventory of RD programs.

Impacts - Investments made in High Poverty communities, investments made benefitting High Poverty communities, and education on “moving out of poverty.”

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BIO-BASED ECONOMY/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Products derived from bio-based materials/activities.

Tie in with local and regional food systems goal.

Alternative energy supporting a bio-based economy.

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RURAL DEVELOPMENT’S MISSION

“IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AN INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL

COMMUNITIES”