In 1995, USDA Rural Development established the Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones Initiative as a collaborative and citizen-led effort to enhance rural economic development and to develop a model for building a new rural economy for other areas.
The REAP Zone status offers access to reserved funds from USDA Rural Development for new and developing projects. In 2000, USDA Rural Development designated the NEK region in Vermont as the fifth REAP Zone.
The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development by ensuring that applicant projects address the goals/needs outlined in a community developed multi-jurisdictional plan.
Members of the NEK Collaborative review the proposed projects and endorse those aligned with the Strategic Plan. The Collaborative encourages partnerships and the use of local and regional resources in the proposed project, helping to identify the potential partners and connections.
