USDA-Rural Development Enterprise Community designation was conferred on the Menominee tribe on December 24, 1998. The collaboration between the Menominee tribe, and two other Wisconsin tribes, the Mole Lake and Lac Du Flambeau Ojibwa, has produced a unique partnering called the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. This intertribal consortium shares many modern day things in common including long-term pervasive poverty.

The purpose of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community is to reduce, if not eliminate, pervasive poverty over a ten-year planning period. Although a Round II Enterprise Community at present, the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community Alliance will be vying for Round III Empowerment Zone designation in the months ahead. With Empowerment Zone designation comes a greater access to financing and other positive incentives to further Enterprise Community development.

Three northern Wisconsin Indian reservations have partnered with Shawano, Vilas, Oneida and Forest counties to form the nucleus of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. This alliance was forged under the auspices of State of Wisconsin corporate law, and 501 C (3) Nonprofit Internal Revenue Service codes, with full support and participation of the intertribal governments.

In an attempt to create "linkages", the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community has succeeded in partnering with the townships of Richmond, Wescott, Nashville, Arbor Vitae, Town of Lac Du Flambeau, Woodruff, Minocqua, Bolder Junction and Manitowish Waters. All tribes, counties, and townships have passed resolutions endorsing the Enterprise Community Long-term planning effort. Mandated USDA-Rural Development regulations direct the NiiJii EC "developable site" partners to impact on-reservation pervasive poverty to qualify for financing, grant funding, and other EC incentives.

Menominee Ordinance #98-35 titled "Designation of Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities" established Menominee tribal interest, and formed the basis for this alliance. This ordinance explains the use of Empowerment Zone grants that have the capability of providing $40-million in funds for economic, human, community and physical development. With a marvelous capital leveraging capability, Enterprise Community opportunities also include infrastructure projects that require no capital fund match.

The only restriction is Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community fund use must be identified in two-year projected increments, and remain consistent with the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community Strategic Plan. Presently Enterprise Community designation provides $250,000 and minimal incentives yearly for the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community and their developable site partners. This money is split three ways and addresses a total of 57 Northwoods NiiJii EC intertribal and WholeZone benchmarks.

After an official amendment process in August, the total Menominee tribal "benchmarks" were listed at "21" and added to the USDA-Rural Development National Benchmark Registry. Menominee County recently opted to be a continuing participant in the Enterprise Community initiative by requesting inclusion into the "NiiJii" EC Strategic Plan. The Menominee County Highway Shop benchmark will soon be considered at a future Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee meeting. Participating early in the Enterprise Community focus group preplanning meetings, Menominee County plans on becoming an active participant once again.

The question used to determine Empowerment Zone designation is; how successful has the Enterprise Community been in the successful completion of benchmark activity? Menominee benchmarks in-progress or completed today include Phase I of the MTE value-added building, College of the Menominee Nation expansion project, employment of 30 Menominee summer youth workers, and other benchmarks the Menominee people helped to select during early focus group planning meetings.

Intertribal project 'success stories' will be used by USDA-Rural Development for consideration of possible future Empowerment Zone designation for the three tribes. Empowerment Zone status brings with it easy access to $40 million in funding over a ten-year planning period. New pending national legislation will add innovative bond and tax incentives, with special set-aside points with EZ/EC grant applicants for sustainable development project initiatives.

Included in the Menominee benchmarks are projects that address sewer & water needs, small business development, Menominee language & culture projects, social service, recreation, Menominee Tribal Enterprise value-added initiatives. Through the creation of partnering and linkages, a unique teamwork has become apparent from the intertribal planning departments, to the interdepartmental and administrations within each tribal government.

Shawano County, the Menominee tribe's developable-site partner is embarking upon a business incubator construction project in the Shawano Industrial Park. This business incubator must by law address poverty on the Menominee reservation. In the case of the Shawano incubator business, startup local Menominee entrepreneurs can occupy 75% of the Shawano County business incubator office space if it is desired.