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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Guest View: Residents Can Use Federal Funds

By Ryan Gleason
State Director, USDA Rural Development
    It's hard to believe how quickly time passes. We have almost made it through the first decade of the new millennium and we're already through the first month of the new year.
    For those of us whose lives are driven by the federal fiscal year, we're more than one quarter of the way through FY 2008. While Congress did not quite get the annual appropriations bills to the president in time for the start of the fiscal year, that is now all behind us as President Bush recently received and signed the legislation to fund the federal government's activities for this year.
    For those of us at USDA Rural Development, it means our doors are wide open for business. Our staff is ready to help you with your financial needs whether you want to buy a home, open or expand a business or have clean water running in your home.
    For those of you who might benefit from our programs, it means now is the time to contact our area offices to talk about buying a new house, building a new business or expanding an existing one, or upgrading your community's water or wastewater system.
    Last year, our Rural Development team funded more than $50 million in various projects around the state. I am firmly convinced that we can do even better by the residents of New Mexico.
    If you talk to some of the folks in rural New Mexico who were successful funding recipients, they will tell you how the Rural Development programs have improved their lives and their communities.
    Caroline Vega from Belen applied for and received the money to fix up her home, which included the installation of a new roof. Ms. Vega will tell you that it was worth filling out the paperwork to complete this major construction on her home.
    Part of the $50 million we spent last year went to finance an important biomass study in Roswell. The money was awarded to the Pecos Valley Bio-Mass Dairy Co-op to build a facility that will house researchers who will determine the feasibility of converting dairy waste into electricity. This project will not only create jobs but will also help our country become less dependent on foreign sources of oil.
    In Chaparral, a new wastewater treatment plant will be built. The good folks in this community will no longer have to worry about health problems coming from contaminated water.
    I could go on and on with stories like this but since the editors only let me have 550 words I will just say how proud I am of our Rural Development staff. They work hard to meet our mission to increase economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for all rural New Mexico.
    I encourage you to take advantage of the financial help that Rural Development offers. Please come by one of our field offices and make an application. The sooner you submit a financing request to one of our offices the sooner we can begin the review process. We look forward to serving you in 2008.