Menominee Tribe:

Menominee Resolution # 98-35 titled; Designation of Rural Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities authorized Menominee tribal participation in the USDA-Rural Development Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community project initiative. The Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community has enlisted the cooperative participation of three northern Wisconsin Indian tribes, the Menominee, Lac Du Flambeau and Mole Lake Ojibway, with participation of their "developable site" partners. An arduous application process was completed on October 8, 1999 and on December 24, 1998 the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. was officially designated Enterprise Community status. In an effort to alleviate poverty in their rural communities, efforts on the part of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc., a State of Wisconsin 501 C (3) corporation, has been an ongoing process since the date of designation.

Careful review, adoption and implementation of a citizen participation plan is a basic requirement of the USDA-Rural Development mandates on citizen empowerment. The Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. proposes the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community Participation Plan for the Menominee Tribe and its Developable Site Partner-Shawano County. Citizen involvement is given high priority in all three tribal communities as well as the developable site selections of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community. The Lac du Flambeau and Mole Lake Ojibway tribes with participation of their developable site partners have all completed efforts to implement their citizen participation plans. This plan is targeted as a primary element of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community administrative decision-making process now and into the future.

Menominee Enterprise Community Committee Title:

Under the leadership and coordination of the Economic Development Ad Hoc Task Force Committee, a special legislative select "subzone" committee will advance the prospects of citizen participation. This EC subzone committee will consist of two members from the Menominee Department of Tourism, and two members from the Youth & Elders Committee. In essence a tribal citizen advisory board will be created to enlist Menominee tribal and citizen input. This newly created committee will fulfill the requirement of the United States Department of Agriculture-Rural Development with respect to citizen participation. Chaired by a Menominee Tribal Legislator the title of the newly proposed Menominee tribal committee will be the Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee.

A governmental organization chart in the Menominee Legislative Aides Office will include this committee into the administration of tribal government. The Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee under the auspices of the Menominee Citizen Participation Plan of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. will be instrumental in the development of all project benchmark activity in all three tribal governments. Likened to "leadership from the bottom up, and not the top down" the initiation of project development will be consistent with the wishes of the people. All committee meetings will be posted 72 hours in advance, with emergency meetings conducted by an official posting requirement after conclusion of any meeting.

The Menominee Office of Economic Development will advise the Menominee Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee with respect to enlistment of subzone committee membership. The enlistment will come from two Menominee standing committees, namely the Menominee Commission on Aging, and the Menominee Tourism Committee.

Approval by the Menominee Tribal Legislature for creation of the Menominee Enterprise Community Subzone Committee will first come from the advisory recommendation of the Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee. The Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee will validate future planning benchmark initiatives, amendments and changes as directed by their tribal governments, and as required by the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community Board of Directors.

The Menominee Enterprise Community Subzone Committee will establish committee by-laws and elect officers. Concurrence by the Menominee Legislature of any official action will follow. A Menominee tribal legislator/Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community board member will preside as Chairman of the Menominee Enterprise Community Subzone Committee. The Menominee Arts & Crafts Advisory Board a special subcommittee of the Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee will direct their attention to all Menominee arts & crafts activities and projects.

The Menominee arts & crafts benchmark # 5 on the National Benchmark Registry will include a task that will earmark a budgetary amount for compensation of members serving on both the Menominee Enterprise Community Subzone Committee and Menominee Arts & Crafts Subcommittee. Members of the Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee and its subcommittees will receive a meeting stipend payment authorized under USDA-Rural Development obligated fund accounts. The arts & crafts project initiative is a key component of a Menominee tribal effort to preserve and protect its language and culture.

The Menominee Enterprise Community Subzone Committee will advance the prospects of all sustainable development benchmark activity. A Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community WholeZone eco-tourism project will receive particular priority attention in Fiscal Year 2001-2002. This project will entail the efforts of all three Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community tribal governments and their developable site partners. The Menominee Office of Economic Development will collaborate with the intertribal consortium to improve the prospects of success.

The Menominee tribe in conjunction with their developable site partner, Shawano County has established a total of 21 Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community benchmarks. For progress to-date on the Menominee tribal benchmarks, please refer to the April 27, 2000 memorandum to the Menominee Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee titled: the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community 2-Year Benchmark Review. All benchmarks and tasks are illustrated in the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc. Benchmark Listing and Northwoods NiiJii FY 2000-2001 Budget.

Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee:

The Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee will consist of 5 members from the Menominee community and preferably tribal members living below national poverty indices. One of the official representatives of the newly formed subzone committee will attend all Commission on Aging, Tourism Committee and Economic Development Ad Hoc Committee meetings when possible. To insure the overall efficacy of benchmark activity progress, the newly established Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee will directly influence review of present project benchmarks and establish input into all parameters of proposed future project descriptions and benchmarks.

Upon the recommendation and action by the Menominee Enterprise Community SubZone Committee any newly proposed project descriptions and benchmarks will be adopted and amended into the Northwoods NiiJii Strategic Plan. Under USDA-Rural Development regulations a perfunctory amendment process is required to include benchmarks into the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community Strategic Plan (refer to Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community list of 56 benchmarks). All newly adopted benchmarks will be added to the USDA-Rural Development National Benchmark Registry in Washington DC.

Menominee Enterprise Community Developable Site Partner-Shawano County:

The Shawano County developable site partner will utilize an already existing public commission as its primary outlet for public information dissemination and invitation for public comment. It is called the Shawano Industrial and Economic Development Commission with members from elected positions, business leaders, developable site companies, financial lenders, Shawano Chamber of Commerce and citizens at-large. All meetings are posted and the Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. (SCEPI) will solicit input on all project benchmark initiatives and report to the Shawano County Board of Directors on the progress of the Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, Inc.