ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Local communities have some new tools to help officials secure federal resources.

This was one matter discussed during the third annual Appalachia Forward conference hosted by Belmont College on Wednesday and put on by the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association, Ohio University, the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, and the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization through the Department of Energy.

The federal government is forming a rapid response team aimed at connecting state and local leaders with funding sources from the numerous federal agencies.

Brian Anderson, executive director of the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization through the Department of Energy, said the team covers multiple federal agencies and is led by the Economic Development Authority.

“The way that the federal government is funded by Congress doesn’t always align with the kind of visions the communities have for economic redevelopment projects, so the rapid response team can work and will work directly with the community leaders here in Appalachian Ohio to take the project and identify what type of federal funding is available,” he said.

Anderson said one issue is the remediation of abandoned mine lands and orphaned and abandoned gas a oil wells, as well as economic development and rural development that could be funded by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce.

“Navigating four or five different agencies for one project is where the mismatch of the way the federal government’s organized with the way a private sector developer or a community leader might be envisioning a project.”

Anderson said his agency has been working with local stakeholders prior to Wednesday’s announcement of the rapid response team.

“We’ve been laying that groundwork, and now that we’ve launched the rapid response team they’ll be having regular meetings with the stakeholders,” he said. “We’re starting to work immediately.”

He said teams have been set up and working in several other states.

“Our philosophy in the Interagency Working Group has been to really transform the way we do business at the federal level,” he said. “Business at the federal level with local and regional communities has often been at arm’s length, and we’re really changing that philosophy.”

He commended Belmont College’s support of the workforce by providing training and retraining, which will be valuable as the nation explores transitioning from the fossil fuel energy sector.

Craig Buerstatte, deputy assistant secretary for Regional Affairs with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, said his focus is building capacity in communities for economic prosperity.

“We do that through strategic grant-making,” he said, adding that this involves bringing together the public and private sectors to design projects and initiatives to create jobs. He said the rapid response team will be a valuable tool. “Economic development is a team sport.”

He said he foresees the area being a leader in new waves of energy and looks forward to working with local leaders.

“We want to identify the best place-based, bottom-up solution for a community’s future,” he said. “It can be somewhat intimidating or confusing, the amount of federal resources out there.”

Guests included Appalachian Regional Commission ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin, who is touring sites in Appalachian Ohio in order to see ARC grants “in action.”

“We have given grants to Belmont College,” she said, emphasizing collaboration between local, state and federal agencies. “It’s a pleasure for me to be here to see some of the projects that we have been a part of in this partnership.”

Manchin commended the diversity of industries touched by the college, including agriculture, maritime programs for people wanting to work on the water, and opportunities to work in the various energy sectors including oil and gas and hydrogen.

“I think the future’s very bright in this area, and energy has always been a player in our region, and I think energy will continue to be a player,” she said.

She added that one of the major concerns she has heard during her tour is about the migration of the area’s young people away from home in search of opportunities. She said the Biden administration has been active in bringing industry back to the United States.

“We’re going to see a turnaround,” Manchin said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic attracted people interested in outdoor activities to the area and spread word of all the Ohio Valley offers.

Jeannette Wierzbicki, executive director of OMEGA, saw opportunity in the announcement.

“A lot of our communities have difficulty accessing federal funds, and I think the deployment of those rapid response teams will enable our communities to tap into those resources.”

Belmont County Port Authority Director Larry Merry welcomed the initiative.

“A lot of the times when you interact with these agencies it’s with an email or a phone call, and to be able to just sit down and maybe explain your project a little better helps them understand on the other side how to direct you or how to help you,” Merry said.

Mead Township Trustee Ed Good said help would be welcome as local leaders seek different grants.

“It’s good that these federal partners here in Belmont County, in Appalachia, it’s good for Belmont County to be able to host this event,” he said.

Susan West of the Ohio Valley Farmers Market agreed.

“It’s good to feel like somebody notices us and knows we’re here,” West said.