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| South Dakota Association of Regional Councils | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Dakota Association of Regional Councils |
| Abbreviation | SDARCs |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Nonprofit association |
| Headquarters | Pierre, South Dakota |
| Region served | South Dakota |
| Membership | Regional planning organizations |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
South Dakota Association of Regional Councils is a statewide association that serves as a coordinating body for regional planning and development organizations across South Dakota. The association links regional councils with federal agencies such as the United States Department of Transportation, the Economic Development Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, and with state entities including the South Dakota Department of Transportation, the South Dakota Governor, and the South Dakota Legislature. It functions at the intersection of regional planning, rural development, infrastructure, and emergency management while interacting with municipal, county, and tribal governments such as Pierre, South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, and the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
The association emerged during a period of expansion in regional planning influenced by initiatives like the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the rise of Area Development Districts models, and federal regional policy debates involving the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Commerce, and the National Governors Association. Early collaborators included regional planning bodies modeled after organizations in Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota; formative relationships developed with the Federal Highway Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture. Over decades the association adapted to shifting priorities from transportation and public works under programs like the Interstate Highway System to contemporary emphases tied to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and federal resilience initiatives overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Membership comprises multiple regional councils covering rural and urbanized portions of South Dakota such as councils aligned with counties like Minnehaha County, South Dakota, Pennington County, South Dakota, and Brown County, South Dakota. Members include councils that interact routinely with municipal governments including Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Rapid City, South Dakota, and Aberdeen, South Dakota as well as tribal authorities like the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. The association organizes through an executive committee and a board drawing representation from member councils and partners like the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners and the South Dakota Municipal League. Professional staff often hold ties to academic institutions such as South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota for technical assistance and research.
The association provides a suite of services: regional transportation planning linked to programs administered by the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration; economic development support connected to the Economic Development Administration; workforce initiatives aligned with the Department of Labor; and hazard mitigation planning coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Technical assistance covers grant writing for funding streams such as the Community Development Block Grant program, environmental review aligned with the National Environmental Policy Act, and broadband expansion consistent with statutory initiatives like the Rural Broadband Deployment efforts. Training programs and conferences bring together professionals from entities including the National Association of Development Organizations and the American Planning Association.
Governance is typically through a member-elected board and an executive director who liaises with state authorities including the South Dakota Governor and with federal agencies such as the Economic Development Administration. Funding streams combine member dues, project fees, and competitive grants from federal sources like the U.S. Department of Transportation, discretionary funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and programmatic awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. The association also administers pass-through funding for state initiatives originating from the South Dakota Department of Transportation and collaborates on federally funded planning grants emanating from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.
Member regional councils represent multi-county areas that include jurisdictions such as Sioux Falls, Brookings, South Dakota, Watertown, South Dakota, and tribal communities like the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. These councils produce comprehensive plans, transportation improvement programs, and economic development strategies that reference federal programs from the Federal Transit Administration, the Economic Development Administration, and the Federal Highway Administration. Councils often coordinate with county administrations including Pennington County, South Dakota and Minnehaha County, South Dakota and with municipal planning departments in cities such as Rapid City, South Dakota.
The association maintains partnerships with national organizations including the National Association of Development Organizations, the American Planning Association, and the Council of Governments network. It advocates before the South Dakota Legislature, the United States Congress, and federal agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Transportation on issues like transportation funding, rural broadband, and community resilience. Collaborative projects have involved philanthropic partners like the Ford Foundation model programs and technical collaborations with universities such as South Dakota State University and University of South Dakota.
Notable projects linked to member councils include regional transportation corridors connected to the Interstate Highway System and coordinated stormwater and floodplain efforts aligning with National Flood Insurance Program objectives. The association supported broadband expansion efforts that tapped federal initiatives similar to the Rural Utilities Service programs and coordinated economic recovery projects modeled on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 grants. Emergency preparedness and hazard mitigation projects have been advanced in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management offices, benefiting communities across counties such as Brown County, South Dakota and Codington County, South Dakota.
Category:Organizations based in South Dakota Category:Regional planning commissions in the United States