Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
ROSWELL — On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Tom Udall visited Roswell to kick off the first of six planned Rural Resource Roadshows, which he is holding in rural communities across the state..
A second roadshow is scheduled for 9 a.m. today at Mesalands Community College. The first took place at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell. Future roadshows are planned in Las Vegas, Farmington, Truth or Consequences, and Los Lunas.
The events are an opportunity for elected officials, their staff, and others in the community to hear directly from federal and state agencies and nonprofits that support economic development and infrastructure initiatives in their area, learn about grants and other funding and support opportunities and how to apply for them.
“As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I work hard to do everything I can to connect New Mexico’s rural communities to critical federal funding sources — like grants — for everything from broadband internet to downtown development to wastewater treatment plant construction and repairs. Lots of resources are available to help rural communities make big improvements in their communities, but it can be difficult and very time-consuming to find the resources and apply,” Udall said in a release from his office. “I have learned that we are strongest when we work together, and that’s why I’m bringing local, state, federal, nonprofit and economic development officials together to share information about needs and funding resources. My goal with these Rural Resource Roadshows is to make sure communities know what opportunities are available from federal agencies, strategies for successfully applying for them, and how to leverage those resources to boost the economy in New Mexico's rural communities."
Participants at the events will hear from the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the N.M. Finance Authority, Grow New Mexico, and the National Center for Frontier Communities.
The Tucumcari roadshow will be co-hosted by the Eastern Plains Council of Governments.
For information on the Rural Resource Roadshows, call 505-346-6791.