U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Oklahoma State Director Kenneth Corn announced today that USDA will invest $100,000 in the City of Atoka to support adding infrastructure that will support the community’s growing tourism. This investment is part of approximately $1.9 million the Biden-Harris Administration is making available via the Rural Development Community Facilities grants program to support rural Oklahoma schools, community infrastructure and roads, police departments and other essential safety services in rural areas.
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.
“President Biden recognizes that small communities like Atoka, can provide an economic engine to the region beyond the traditional means of agriculture,” Corn said. “The City of Atoka and its surrounding areas has seen an exciting growth of investments from popular entertainment figures and the Choctaw Nation that has seen tourism grow at exponential pace in Southeast Oklahoma. This investment by the Biden-Harris Administration allows the community to help facilitate that growth, so the city can be an important economic resource for Oklahoma.”
Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses. Examples of essential community facilities include:
- Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities
- Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements
- Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing
- Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment
- Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools
- Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment
- Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to providing our rural communities and tribal communities in Oklahoma with the tools to grow our rural economy from the middle out and bottom up,” Corn said. “I would strongly encourage small communities, county officials and tribal nations to speak with our staff on how Rural Development can be a part of their growth too.”
For more information on how to apply call 580-889-2554 ext. 116.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/ok.