FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 22, 2002
Contact: Kara Keeton, Communications Director
Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy
404 Ann Street, Frankfort
(502) 564-4627

Agricultural Development Board Approves $39,500 for the Natural Resource and Leadership Institute

UK Department of Forestry received $ 39,500 in KCADE funds to support the Natural Resource and Leadership Institute, NRLI. NRLI is a leadership development program for individuals in agriculture and natural resource fields. The program includes training in interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, policy-making, networking, and collaborative problem solving to enable participants to be more successful in their business and community activities.

KCADE funds awarded shall be determined by the total number of approved agriculture-related participants and shall be calculated on a pro-rated basis. Agriculture-related participants used in calculating award of KCADE funds shall be Kentucky residents.

Kentucky has made a historic effort to diversify away from tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing 50% of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. To date Kentucky has invested over $97 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises. The Natural Resource and Leadership Institue represents just one of the over 780 projects that have been funded through Agricultural Development Fund, since the inception of the program in January 2001.

For more information regarding this project, contact Don Graves at the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry or the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.

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