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RC&D SUMMARY – February, 2010 Two Rivers RC&D is currently investigating participating in the USDA Intermediary Relending Program to expand their Revolving Loan Fund. This is not a grant, but a loan program. Highlights from the Coordinator’s Report The La Moine River Ecosystem Partnership held their annual meeting in Rushville. The EPA 319 grant for $120,799 on this project is progressing. WISAS promoted local products at the Quincy Mall of Feb. 6th, co-sponsored a Small Acreage Workshop on Feb. 13th, and will participate in the Gardener’s Pallette on March 6th at JWCC in Quincy. An AgroForestry Workshop is planned for March 5 in Kampsville. Topics include: Agroforestry, Timber Management, Shitake Mushrooms, Silvopasture/Goats/Controlling Woodland Invasives. The afternoon session will be held at McCully Heritage Project and include: Shitake Plugging Demonstration, Sawmill Demonstration, and Timber Management Walk, weather permitting. The Orr Corporation Board will hold their annual meeting on March 8 at the Orr Center. Access Illinois Outdoors Highlights Twenty five new members have joined the program since the last meeting and and one new landowner has joined. Access Food Final deliveries of processed meat were made to the food pantries. There were 238 deer donated in Pike County for a total of approximately 12,000 pounds of processed meat; 44 deer donated in Brown County for a total of 1,736 pounds of meat; 91 deer donated in Schuyler County for a total of 4,574 pounds of meat;and 5 deer donated in Scott County for a total of 350 pounds of meat for a grand total of 378 deer donated and 18,496 pounds of processed meat delivered to the food pantries. The program had to end prematurely in Schuyler County due to lack of donations. Final grant reports will be written and then the application process will begin again for 2010. Tours The Christmas Lodge Tour was a huge success. The Jacksonville Charter Company has already booked for next year as well as Peoria Charter Company. Two of the lodges received bookings for stays during the tour and another individual on the tour is scheduling a business retreat for his company. Illinois Stories aired coverage of the Christmas Lodge Tour the week prior to the tour. Publicity/Promotion An Economic Development & Tourism Roundtable was held that included a panel of Warren Ribley, Director, IL DCEO, Pat Davis, IL DCEO, Gabriel Sanders, IL DCEO, Rob Maschhoff and Jeff Seefeldt from USDA Rural Development, Dick Smith, IL DOT, Richard Breckenridge, IL EPA, Marc Miller, Director, IDNR, Sen. John Sullivan, Rep. Jil Tracy, Rep. Jim Watson, Jan Kostner’s representative from the Bureau of Tourism, Therese McMahon, IL DCEO, Blanche Shoup, Director of Local Workforce District 14, Delayne Reeves, IDOA, Lisa Bralts, City of Urbana Economic Development Specialist and Director of Market at the Square and Hal Smith, Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area. The panel in the morning session from IL DCEO, USDA Rural Development, IL DOT and IL EPA shared economic opportunities and potential funding assistance from their agencies. Community and Economic Development Directors were invited to bring potential projects that could be reviewed and discussed with the panel for potential stimulus funding. The afternoon session shifted focus from traditional avenues for economic development to building upon what we have available in tourism opportunities for economic development and creating more tourism opportunities by working on a regional basis. New Projects A new project for a Solar Energy Information Workshop was adopted. |
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