WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off National Small Business Week by highlighting USDA's actions to help rural small businesses create jobs, get access to capital and spur economic growth.
He also announced the selection of recipients for USDA's Rural Business Enterprise Grants.
Vilsack announced 54 awards under the Rural Business Enterprise Grants program in 21 states. In Nevada, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe (PLPT) in northern Nevada and Ely Shoshone Tribe in eastern Nevada competed successfully for the grant funding.
Over the past two years, Nevada's Native American tribes have garnered over $208,700 in funding from the national level Native American set-aside for Rural Business Enterprise Grant funding.
"We are very pleased that Nevada's tribes are competing so well at the national level for these funds and making progress toward sustainable economic development," said USDA Rural Development State Director Sarah Adler. "More Nevada tribes are building travel plazas, looking at ways to develop businesses and create jobs, and we are glad to be a key partner supporting that effort."
Pyramid Lake Tribe will use $70,000 for a feasibility study and business plan on developing a tribally owned Internet service provider.
The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe has nearly completed over 44 miles of fiber optic cable with 29 anchor sites; now the goal is to identify the feasibility of developing a PLPT Telecom service to provide Internet service to tribal residents and enterprises.
The feasibility study would also review whether the PLPT telecom service could expand to serve other areas, such as Fernley.
The Ely Shoshone Tribe received $20,000 for a feasibility study on the tribal economic development opportunities associated with the Ely Shoshone Conservation District program.
The Tribe will use the funds to investigate the feasibility of business opportunities associated with pine nut gathering, wood cutting operations and other woodland projects.
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