USDA Rural Development State Director Vicki Walker today announced a $29,000 grant to the Illinois Valley Community Development Organization (IVCDO) for the creation of a new Community Strategic Plan for the Illinois Valley region. The announcement took place at the Business Entrepreneurial Center (BEC) in the Belt Building of the Rogue Community College in Kerby.
“There’s a current wave of planning underway by Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI), Josephine County, the City of Grants Pass, the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Valley Network of Nonprofits, the Illinois Valley Fire District, and others,” said grant writer and BEC Business Development Manager Kenny Houck. “We see this as a timely and significant opportunity to help coordinate the various plans into a unified and coherent whole.”
Houck explained that the strategic plan, informally termed “2020 Vision,” will help guide local decision making and help the community prioritize and compete for project funding over the next five years, and possibly longer.
“USDA Rural Development is committed to helping small, rural communities identify and capitalize on emerging economic opportunities, innovative ideas, new technologies, and collaborative regional projects that will enhance the local quality of life,” Walker said. “To do so effectively requires active participation from local residents. I encourage folks from across the Illinois Valley to get involved in this process and help define the future of your region.”
The planning process will involve active input from community leaders, residents, and businesses from across the region over the next year and will cost $47,500. In addition to the USDA Rural Business Development Grant, financial support includes $4,500 from the IVCDO and $500 from each of the following: the Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, and the Rogue Community College Small Business Development Center. The IVCDO is currently requesting funds from other partners.
The history of the IVCDO dates back to 1994 when rural Josephine County was designated a federal Enterprise Community, one of 36 selected nationwide and the only one designated in Oregon. At that time, the IVCDO was known as the Illinois Valley Community Response Team (IVCRT) and was awarded a $1.3 million federal grant to implement the community’s strategic plan. The name was changed to Illinois Valley Community Development Organization in 2005.
Over the past two decades, those federal dollars have been leveraged to attract additional public and private monies, multiplying available funds by a factor of seven. Current goals of the strategic plan include economic development, tourism, infrastructure improvements, educational support, and projects to improve the quality of life for residents. The strategic plan includes four to six strategies to accomplish projects in each of these major areas of focus.
Some of the larger construction projects the IVCDO has participated in include the Cave Junction Water Filtration Plant and Sewage Treatment Plant, the Kerby Community Drinking Water District, the Siskiyou Community Health Center, the Illinois Valley Airport Industrial Park, and the Business Entrepreneurial Center wing of the Rogue Community College Belt Building. An extensive chart of projects and spin-off organizations can be found on the IVCDO website: www.ivcdo.org.
Today, the IVCDO is self-sustaining. Current projects include managing the Chateau at the Oregon Caves National Monument and the Illinois Valley Visitors’ Center under the title Oregon Caves Outfitters. The IVCDO / Oregon Caves Outfitters is the only nonprofit concessioner for the National Park Service.
The organization also collaborates with Rogue Community College to operate the Business Entrepreneurial Center. The IVCDO helps manage Forks State Park through an Adopt-a-Park agreement with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the Bureau of Land Management. In addition, the IVCDO was the local coordinating agency for the Ford Family Foundation Leadership Institute Program over the past five years, which has resulted in the development of the Jubilee Park playground, a bioswale at Evergreen Elementary, and a new disc golf course at Forks State Park.
The IVCDO and Business Entrepreneurial Center created the Cave Junction Farmers’ Market, their fuels reduction program helps lessen the danger of wildfire, and they manage micro-loan and savings programs benefiting businesses and individuals.
The IVCDO is overseen by a board of volunteers and employs four full-time and two part-time staff members. During tourist season, that number increases with an additional 45 to 50 staff members at the Chateau.