Chairwoman Heitkamp Turns Senate Committee's Attention to Boosting Rural Economic Development

Press Release

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today led a Senate hearing that highlighted challenges as well as proven tactics for sparking economic development in rural America.

As Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee overseeing rural development, Heitkamp is using the position to strengthen economies in communities across North Dakota. Heitkamp brought Dawn Keeley of Grafton to testify about what she has learned in the more than 23 years she has spent focused on rural economic development, including as the current executive director of the Red River Regional Council.

"Leading this Subcommittee offers a unique opportunity to focus the discussion on our state's priorities, and to make sure we're standing up for rural communities to help them grow," said Heitkamp. "Growing up in a very small community, I have a keen understanding of how challenging it is to build and maintain economic opportunities in rural America. This perspective helped guide my efforts to write and pass a long-term Farm Bill, and now I'm making sure these programs work for North Dakota. By building on the strengths in rural communities, we can target initiatives that will best support economic development."

During the hearing, Keeley spoke about how good regional strategies can help solve local issues while also preparing communities for growth. She has also been closely involved with organizations working to respond to the rapid growth in the western part of the state and plan for the future.

"It was an honor to be invited by Senator Heitkamp to testify before her subcommittee, which plays a crucial role in North Dakota's economic development," said Keeley. "It is my personal and professional mission to ensure my elementary and middle school children and their friends have quality opportunities to reside and thrive in our rural area in northeastern North Dakota. With thoughtful planning and collaboration, we can build on the successes we have had in rural America and make sure our communities prosper for decades to come. The new focus on the regional strategies in the Farm Bill will be a great help to our efforts."

The hearing also featured testimony from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O'Brien and Mark Tilson, CEO of Native American Natural Foods in South Dakota. Tilson and Keeley spoke about how they have collaborated with USDA to spur economic development.

USDA Rural Development has played a key role in recent years supporting local North Dakota economies through regional planning. These include: the financing of the $52 million Jamestown Regional Medical Center; major water projects in Emmons, Logan, and McIntosh Counties; and bringing fiber-optic high-speed Internet service to about 16,000 businesses and homes in south central North Dakota.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Heitkamp played a key role in writing the 2014 Farm Bill. The legislation, which Heitkamp is now overseeing to make sure it works for North Dakotans, makes, for the first time, targeted federal investments for projects that support long-term regional strategies. Regional strategies more efficiently and effectively target resources to where they will have the greatest impact. They not only address weaknesses in a region, but support the strengths of the area.

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