DECATUR – The Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association has released a video promoting funding and investment opportunities from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
“The overall purpose of the ‘Investing in Appalachian’ video is to serve as a promotional tool of the benefits of the ARC to the state of Alabama, as well as to help educate the public that Alabama is a part of the Appalachian region,” said AMLA President and CEO Tami Reist.
The ARC is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments across the Appalachian region. Its mission is to innovate, partner and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia.
Each year, investments from ARC support hundreds of economic development projects across the region, which includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Produced by AMLA, “Investing in Appalachian Alabama” is a 10-minute video featuring success stories in the following Alabama communities: Woodstock, West Blocton, Oakville and Scottsboro. The video leads off with Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban, who stresses the importance of creating opportunities for success and helping others who may be at a disadvantage.
To view the video, visit https://www.northalabama.org/
Thirty-seven of Alabama’s 67 counties are located within the Appalachian region. The counties are: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Macon, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.
“ARC invests with local, regional and state partners to transform Appalachian communities, create jobs and strengthen the economy,” Reist said. “Appalachia has long been stereotyped as a dying culture, but through this video, we want to shine a light on the vibrant growth within Alabama’s communities that the ARC has been able to help facilitate. The end goal with this video is to leave the viewer inspired.
“We want them to be excited about the opportunities that the ARC can bring to their communities and inspired to take action to address the challenges that their communities face.”
From 2013-22, ARC has invested $79.5 million in 479 projects across Alabama’s Appalachian region. Those projects attracted another $105.8 million in matching funds and leveraged $1.03 billion in additional private investment to benefit students, workers, businesses and the 3.1 million residents in Alabama’s 37 Appalachian counties.
“Even with this progress, there’s still much more work to be done in our communities,” said Reist.
ARC’s goal is to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. All projects must meet one of the following goals established by ARC:
- Invest in entrepreneurial and business development strategies that strengthen Appalachia’s economy.
- Improve the education, knowledge, skills and health of residents to work and succeed in Appalachia.
- Invest in critical infrastructure- especially broadband, transportation, and water/wastewater systems.
- Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by leveraging the region’s natural and cultural heritage assets.
- Build the capacity and skills of current and next generation leaders and organizations to innovate, collaborate and advance community and economic development.
For more information, visit www.arc.gov/alabama.
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