$1,100,000 awarded to buckeye hills regional council for rural and tribal assistance pilot program to support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects

The Department of Transportation awarded a $1,100,000 cooperative agreement to Buckeye Hills Hocking Valley Region on August 24, 2026, under the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program (CFDA 20.943) to support legal, technical, and financial advisors advancing infrastructure projects in rural communities. The recipient, doing business as Area Agency On Aging and based in Marietta, Ohio, will deliver a connectivity loop project at the Belpre Campus in Ohio. Deliverables include a work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables, and 2 CFR 200 compliance documentation serving Buckeye Hills Regional residents across an eight-county service area in Southeast Ohio. The award runs through August 23, 2029, with all $1,100,000 obligated at time of award. The Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides early-stage development assistance by reimbursing recipients for expert advisory services in financial, technical, and legal domains to materially advance projects reasonably expected to be eligible for DOT credit and grant programs.

Activities to be performed: belpre campus connectivity loop in ohio. Deliverables/expected outcomes: work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables and 2 CFR 200 compliance. Beneficiaries: buckeye hills regional residents