For Immediate Release
Contact: Rusty Cheuvront or Gwenda Bond (502 ) 564-2611
August 28, 2000

Governor Patton Announces CDI for Tri-Cities Area in Harlan County

Lynch, KY ---- Joined by the mayors of the Tri-Cities and local leaders at Portal 31 Mine Park, Gov. Patton announced that the cities of Benham, Lynch, and Cumberland in Harlan County had been selected for a Kentucky Appalachian Community Development Initiative (CDI). 

Governor Patton told the large crowd, “We’re going to be a partner in helping your community develop a strategic plan to provide the people of this region with a long term sustainable economic base.”

The CDI is aimed at helping Appalachian Kentucky communities develop a sustainable economy through resources and assistance targeted to fulfill plans and needs identified by the people in the community.

One of eight communities that applied to be selected in this second round of CDI’s, the Tri-Cities area will now receive $100,000 in state funds to provide a multi-discipline area planning team to review a development concept formed by the community, and to assist the community in preparing a dynamic action plan that can lead to the communities realizing it’s advancement goals.

The Tri-Cities initial proposal envisions an economic future for the community that is based in part on the rich coal culture, heritage, and history of the area, and on the expansion of business and industrial activities especially those linked to the skills, knowledge, and traditions of the local population.

The Tri-Cities have already, through the work of many private citizens, proceeded in developing the regions into a Kentucky Appalachian coal culture center through such projects as the Portal 31 Mine Park in Lynch and the Kentucky Coal Mine museum in Benham.  The Tri-Cities will focus on developing 2 main segments of business activities; the production of products that use indigenous natural resources, such as wood products, fabric productions, pottery and ceramics, and technology services, such as engineering development and design, computer assemble and repair.

“I’m talking about a collaborative plan that will preserve the area, the history of the area, a plan that will provide jobs right here in the Tri-Cities, so that our children and their children will have the opportunity to stay here and enjoy what I believe is one of the greatest heritages in our country,” said Governor Patton.

In 1997 the first CDI’s were granted to Hindman and Jenkins, both now in the execution phase of their action plan.

Governor Patton also announced that an additional community would be designated for a CDI in the near future.