U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Sam Rikkers today spoke at the Oglala Sioux Lakota Housing Summit and the Oglala Lakota Veterans Association Meeting. He also visited with Oglala Lakota officials and will tour the Pine Ridge Promise Zone.
“It’s exciting to witness firsthand the progress of the Oglala Lakota Tribe,” said Rikkers. “Conversations with Tribal leaders and members are key to better understanding how USDA can best support Pine Ridge’s success.”
Pine Ridge was designated as a Promise Zone in April 2015. The Promise Zone designation confers 10 years of significant Federal support to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. USDA will lead the Federal effort to help Pine Ridge increase economic activity, improve educational opportunities, leverage private investment, reduce violent crime, enhance public health and address other priorities.
The Promise Zone Initiative was launched by President Obama in 2013 to target federal and private resources to high-poverty urban, rural and tribal communities. A Federal community liaison and desk officer provide the Tribe with technical assistance, and five AmeriCorps Vista members help with the Promise Zone’s work. Projects in the Promise Zone receive preferences for competitive federal grant programs and new Promise Zone tax incentives.
Since receiving its Promise Zone designation, Pine Ridge has received more than $15 million in Federal investments.
Since 2009, USDA Rural Development (@USDARD) has invested nearly $13 billion to start or expand nearly 112,000 rural businesses; and invested $38.2 billion in 1,057 electric projects that have financed more than 198,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines serving 4.6 million rural residents. USDA also helped 1.1 million rural residents buy homes; funded nearly 9,200 community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care facilities; and helped bring high-speed Internet access to nearly 6 million rural residents and businesses. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/results.