Western Upper Peninsula Regional Prosperity Plan Funded

The Western Upper Peninsula Planning & Development Region (WUPPDR) has been awarded funding by the State of Michigan to develop a Regional Prosperity Plan.

The State of Michigan developed the Regional Prosperity Initiative (RPI) to encourage regional collaboration of organizations in a time of dwindling resources, overlapping goals, and competing priorities. Competitive funding of $2.5 million was made available statewide to regional and metropolitan planning organizations that chose to apply.

In receiving funding under RPI, WUPPDR has taken on the responsibilities to facilitate communications and explore how to consolidate resources among private, public, and nonprofit organizations. This effort will empower leaders in the western six counties of the Upper Peninsula to achieve economic prosperity through regional collaboration and efficiencies.

 WUPPDR’s application received broad support from a variety of entities within or directly affiliated with the six-county region. Over a three-week period in October, over 70 businesses, organizations, public agencies, local governments, and state and federal legislators submitted letters or resolutions of support and commitment.

Over the next nine months, WUPPDR will host a number of meetings that will give representatives the opportunity to shape and mold the Regional Prosperity Plan. Targeted participants will be contacted at the appropriate stages.

By February 1, WUPPDR will have a section of its website, www.wuppdr.org, dedicated to RPI.  It will include information about the project, pertinent documents, opportunities for public comment, and later a performance dashboard with measurable annual goals.

For more information about the Regional Prosperity Initiative, visit www.michigan.gov/dtmb. For specific information from WUPPDR, contact Kim Stoker, Executive Director, at (906) 482-7205, ext. 316 or kstoker@wuppdr.org.