The Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission has been designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration as the region's economic development district.  In this capacity, and under a grant from EDA, the RC provides economic development support to its member jurisdictions. The Economic Development Division assists local governments and development organizations by providing grant-writing and administration services, strategic planning, and other technical assistance activities.

Economic Development District

As the region’s Economic Development District, the Regional Commission:

• Develops and prepares a thirteen-county Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
• Oversees all EDA-related programmatic administration.
• Provides technical and community assistance in program and project development.
• Provides basic support services to local governments, industrial authorities, and chambers of commerce in industrial recruitment activities.
• Canvasses, monitors, and reports on plant closures and reductions in work forces.

Other Economic Development Initiatives

Other duties performed by the Commission’s Economic Development staff include

• Site Selection and Initial Consultations
• Prospect Development Initiatives
• Project Management
• Business Retention Activities

Finally, the Economic Development Department of the CSRA RC acts as

• Secretary and Treasurer of the CSRA Unified Development Council (UDC), and
• Secretary and Treasurer of the CSRA Unified Development Authority (UDA)

CSRA Regional Priorities

In cooperation with the Unified Development Council, Unified Development Authority, and the CSRA Regional Advisory Council, the CSRA RC has adopted the following initiatives as regional priorities:

1. Development of the mega-site industrial park (CSRA Regional Industrial Park) in Warren County off I-20.
2. Development of the Lincoln County Convention Center along Clarks Hill Lake.
   Protection of both the recreational and economic vitality of Clarks Hill Lake and the Savannah River.
3. Completion of the Fall Line Freeway and Savannah River Parkway, and four-laning GA 17 and US 78 from Jenkins to Wilkes Counties.
4. Infrastructure sharing between local governments (including water, sewer, natural gas, and broadband services).
5. Marketing of Georgia’s Technology Corridor between Athens and Augusta.

For basic county demographic data, you can visit the Georgia Department of Community Affair's County Snapshot site on the web.