The agency that made collaboration a hallmark of Clallam County civic enterprise has received two grants totaling $68,500 from the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.
The Clallam County Economic Development Council will use the money for more collaboration — with its sister agency in Jefferson County, combining as the Peninsula Development Association.
The group will create business clusters in the areas of marine/aquaculture, agriculture/food, forest/wood products, technology and tourism.
The work will be funded by a $50,000 state grant.
“The state is really pleased with the two counties working together under the [Peninsula Development Association] umbrella,” Linda Rotmark, Clallam County EDC executive director, said.
Marine business grant
The EDCs will receive an additional $18,500 economic development grant to pursue marine/aquaculture opportunities in partnership with their counterpart in Skagit County.
Rotmark said the Peninsula agencies will use the money to mine data about target industries and to leverage grants to develop infrastructure, transportation facilities and technology, and to provide employment training.
The EDC will match the smaller grant with $4,000 of its own resources.
The state development department has multiple motives for spending the money in Clallam and Jefferson counties, Rotmark said.
“They want some really measurable success stories so they can go back to the Legislature and say, “See what we’ve done? Please give us more money.”‘
