2010 Arkansas Rural Development Conference

Dates Announced

The 2010 Rural Development Conference will be held May 25-27

in Eureka Springs at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks. 

Click here to download registration form and agenda!

GIF Grant Applications Available

GIF Grant applications are now available from the department of rural services.

You may download an application here or request one by calling 1.888.787.2527.

The deadline for Fiscal Year 2010, Cycle I has passed. 

Check back for Cycle II deadline.

Johnnie Bolin Receives Rural Advocate of the Year Award

Pictured left to right: ARDC Vice-Chair Wayne Nichols, DRS Director Butch Calhoun,

Rural Advocate of the Year Johnnie Bolin, and ARDC Chair Mellie Watson

     HOT SPRINGS, AR—Arkansas Good Roads and Transportation

Council Executive Director Johnnie Bolin of Crossett received the Rural

Advocate of the Year award at the Arkansas Rural Development

Conference held June 2-4, in Hot Springs. The Rural Advocate of the

Year award is one of the most prestigious awards in the state and

recognizes Arkansans who provide exemplary service to rural areas.

The Rural Development Commission selects an honoree each year,

and past recipients of the award include Senators David Pryor and Dale

Bumpers, former state legislators James Scott and Phil Jacobs, and

former members of the ARDC, Bruce Leggitt and Senator Larry Teague. 

In addition to be honored with the Rural Advocate Award, Bolin, participated

in the Rural Development Conference as a speaker on the “Good Roads

and Transportation” panel.

     Bolin has been Executive Director of Arkansas Good Roads

Transportation Council since 2006.  There, he has excelled in the promotion

of better roads for all of Arkansas.  He is an advocate for better city streets,

county roads, state highways, and interstates. He is a former member of the

House of Representatives where served on many significant committees,

including 4 years as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee.  He

also served 2 years as the Chairman of the Transportation and Culture Affairs

of the Southern Legislative Conference which is comprised of 16 southern

states and for a time as County Judge for Ashley County.   Bolin has been

recognized across the state and country as a lender in both transportation

and forestry issues. 

     For more information regarding this award, the Arkansas Department

of Rural Services, or the Arkansas Rural Development Commission call

1-888-RURAL-AR.

The Department of Rural Services helps preserve the rural

values and way of life through a variety of grants.

Two such grants are the Rural Community Development Grant

Program and the Rural Community Fire Protection Grant Program.

Under these programs, the Department of Rural Services with assistance

from the Arkansas Rural Development Commission fund projects

such as baseball/softball fields, community parks, walking trails,

community centers, fire stations, fire trucks and other fire protection

related equipment. DRS accepts and funds applications three times

each fiscal year. Our next deadline for the Rural Community Grants

is August 21, 2009.

In July 1999, DRS added two additional programs to assist rural

communities. The first is the County Fair Building Grant Program.

As we all know, the county fair is an integral part of life in rural

Arkansas, but they need money to stay viable. The County Fair

Building Grant Program has been established to help meet some

of these monetary needs. Fair associations located in counties

with a population of 55,000 or less are eligible to apply for up to

$4,000 per year under the program. Communities must provide

50% of the cost of the project as match to qualify for the grant.

The next deadline for this grant is August 21, 2009. We strongly

encourage all counties/county fair associations to apply.

The second is the Rural Services Block Grant Program. The

Rural Services Block Grant Program was established through

a partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development

Commission. Unlike the other DRS grant programs, the source

of funding is federal dollars from Housing and Urban Development.

Under the Block Grant, communities with a population of 3,000 or

less and whose population is 51% low to moderate income are

eligible to apply for grants. Applications for this grant program

are currently available. This fiscal year's deadline is December 11 ,2009.