11/15/2010

News / Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Multi-Agency Initiative to Aid Appalachia

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement today in support of the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative (ARDI), an unprecedented partnership between several federal agencies and the Appalachian Regional Commission to energize economic development in 13-state region.

"Education is a critical piece of any economic development strategy and the only sure path out of poverty. For this reason, we are committed to working together across agencies and state lines to ensure every child and adult has access to a great education that prepares them for college and the career of their choice. We have a unique opportunity to accelerate the progress being made by the commission and support the people of Appalachia, as they build an innovative and prosperous model for economic growth that could be followed in other parts of the country."

Federal Agencies Join ATC in New Initiative to Aid Appalachia

Abingdon, Virginia, November 12, 2010 — Six federal agencies have joined the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in formalizing the Appalachian Regional Development Initiative (ARDI), an unprecedented partnership to energize economic development in Appalachia.

Led by USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Ann Merrigan and ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl, representatives of the agencies gathered in Abingdon, Virginia at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center on November 12 to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the initiative.

The MOU lays out an action plan to bolster interagency collaboration in strengthening and diversifying the Appalachian economy. It outlines short-term goals to assist with immediate capacity needs in the Region as well as long-term goals that build new funding strategies for a variety of development projects in physical infrastructure, education, civic capacity, and health. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Ann Merrigan welcomed the initiative.

"The families, businesses and communities of the Appalachian Region deserve a government that is unified and committed to improving the economic opportunity and quality of life for everyone," said Merrigan. "Today, we are reaffirming that commitment, with a special focus on economic development and job creation."

ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl stated that the initiative was "part of the Obama Administration's ongoing commitment to create jobs and to make sure Appalachia is a part of America's economic recovery."

As a first step in implementing the MOU, the assembled federal officials announced a series of technical workshops in the Region to begin this spring that will assist communities in accessing new funding sources to spur economic growth.

The agencies signing the MOU in addition to the Appalachian Regional Commission include:

* United States Department of Agriculture
* United States Department of Education
* United States Department of Health and Human Services
* United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
* United States Environmental Protection Agency
* United States Department of Commerce

An economic assessment prepared for the signatories noted that Appalachia remains below the national average on a wide range of key indicators, including high rates of unemployment, disability, health disparities, and poverty, coupled with low per capita incomes and college graduation rates. The assessment concluded that the combination of these challenges has greatly hindered economic development in Appalachia.

Abingdon, Virginia was selected to host the signing of the MOU as it is in the heart of Appalachia and is a growing center of the kind of regional approaches to economic development underscored by the ARDI—whether in telecommunications, physical infrastructure, or workforce development. It is also one of the sites of the Crooked Road: Virginia's Music Heritage Trail, an Appalachian tourism project that owes its success in generating income and jobs to collaborative efforts across ten counties, three cities, ten towns, five regional planning districts, four state agencies, two tourism organizations, and a large number of music venues.

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/statement-us-secretary-education-arne-duncan-multi-agency-initiative-aid-appalac

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