Monday, Feb 28 2011 1:07AM
The California Water Institute will be one of several groups to partner with the new Rural Development Center at California State University, Fresno.
The Small Business Communities Network has announced the creation of a Rural Development Center at California State University, Fresno in an effort to improve living conditions for outlying communities in the San Joaquin Valley.
Officials say the center will help provide rural community development services to many of the states rural areas, with a focus on providing help with infrastructure projects and technical assistance.
"With the Rural Development Center, rural communities now have a menu of service providers that are committed to assisting them with their community needs," said Ismael Herrea, project manager at the Office of Community and Economic Development at California State University, Fresno.
The school will also give the center access to resources from the Center for Economic Research and Education of Central California, College of Health and Human Services and California Water Institute, among others, to further assist those rural communities.
According to the school, there are more than 40 unincorporated cities in the San Joaquin Valley, which house more than 50,000 people. In addition, there are more than 1 million people in 200 other lower-income communities in the valley.