Regional partnership, rural perspective

Address: Badlands Bad River Region

c/o First National Bank PO Box 910

Philip, SD 57567 www.badlandsbadriver.com

Partner With Us!

Be Part of the Change!

Have a Voice!

Who Are We?

Badlands Bad River

Regional

Economic Development Partnership

Haakon Jackson

Eastern Pennington

Publish Date: February 2016

The Badlands Bad River (BBR) Region is composed of Haakon, Jackson and eastern Pennington counties in southwestern South Dakota. The region is home to the communities of Philip, Kadoka, Wall, Midland and Interior.

The area is known for the beauty of the Badlands National Park, the sweeping prairie of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, agriculture, hunting and the richness of Native American culture.

Residents of the BBR Region recognize the importance of working across community and county lines to ensure future prosperity.

The Badlands Bad River Region is an open collaboration for anyone who desires to support businesses and growth in Haakon, Jackson and eastern Pennington counties.

What Do We Want to Do?

In 2012, the region of Haakon, Jackson and eastern Pennington counties applied for and was accepted into the Stronger Economies Together (SET) program. SET is a national program now in 28 states across the nation, sponsored by USDA Rural Development in partnership with the Cooperative Extension Service. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of communities in rural America to work as a region in planning and implementing an economic development blueprint that builds on current and emerging economic indicators. Throughout 2012-2014, over 40 regional leaders and residents met to learn about and share ideas that could benefit the region. This collaboration led to creating the newly named “Badlands Bad River Region.” Participants committed to the fact that each community alone could not achieve the economic growth required to keep the region vibrant, but by combining resources, their energy could be spent on helping the region thrive. In 2015 the

region received the designation of submitting a High Quality Plan to USDA, along with funding to begin working on projects within their goals. SET has become a catalyst for regional thinking and planning. The group invites new voices to help design strategies to keep the region flourishing for generations to come. JOIN TODAY! Contact information on back of brochure

“SET has become a catalyst for regional thinking and planning…to keep the region flourishing for generations to come.”

-Dave Hahn, 45-year BBR Region Resident

• Create a recognizable Badlands Bad River Region brand

• Establish an active online presence

• Promote tourism

• Support entrepreneurship

• Establish a business development support network

• Help create at least 10 new businesses

• Retain or expand 95% of existing businesses

• Provide networking events

• Share regional success stories

• Create a rural business incubator