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PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor
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S.B. 735
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appoint certain committees; providing a certain staff for the Task Force;
prohibiting certain persons from the receipt of certain compensation, and
authorizing the reimbursement of certain expenses; providing for the
termination of this Act; and generally relating to the Task Force on Resource
Industry Business Development.
Preamble
WHEREAS, Chapter 433 of the Acts of 2000 enacted the Task Force on Resource
Based Industry in Maryland in order to examine the need for, and feasibility of,
establishing a finance development authority to assist the State's farming, fishing,
forestry, and mining extraction industries with loans, financing, training, and
technical and business planning assistance services; and
WHEREAS, In its preliminary findings and recommendations issued in January.
2001, the Task Force recommended that a comprehensive interagency needs
assessment be conducted in order to enhance understanding of the loans and grants
that would be necessary to address the initial needs of resource based industries; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 196 of the Acts of 2001 extended the Task Force for an
additional year in order to continue its work in the study and development of these
rural-based business operations; and
WHEREAS, An interagency workgroup of Task Force members met on a regular
basis in order, to focus the work of the group and to coordinate the completion of the
needs assessment; and
WHEREAS, In light of the completed needs assessment, it is the understanding
of the Task. Force that in today's rural economy there is no great demand for
additional lending mechanisms in order to support start-up needs of resource based
industries, and thus the establishment of a finance development authority is not
recommended at this time; and
WHEREAS, Although the original charge of the Task Force on Resource Based
Industry in Maryland has been accomplished and that task force sunsets as of
January 31, 2002, there is still a great need for government attention to several areas
that are integral to the continued operation and success of rural industries; and
WHEREAS, In order to maintain resource based industries as the backbone of
the rural economy, State effort should now turn to other development concerns such
as public education on the Statewide benefits of rural-based industry, better
communication between business operators and State agencies, innovation in
production techniques and technology transfer, and entrepreneurial training in
management and marketing skills; and
WHEREAS, Given the education and perspective that task force members have
acquired over the term of the Task Force on Resource Based Industry in Maryland, it
is their unanimous recommendation that a new task force be fashioned in order to
carry forward the State's support and enhancement of economic growth opportunities
for rural industry; and
WHEREAS, It is therefore necessary and appropriate to reconfigure the first
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- 4833 -
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