NORTH DAKOTA ( KXNET ) — For rural North Dakota communities in need of funding for infrastructure and emergency services, there’s a grant that many might not know about.

The Rural Community Grant was started to help fund vital services and infrastructure in the Bakken region of western North Dakota that were affected by the increase in oil production.

The fund was started 12 years ago by AgCountry Farm Credit Services in partnership with Farm Credit Services of Mandan and AgriBank.

AgCountry Marketing Specialist Teresa Kjellberg says the fund is a way for communities to keep up with their own growth.

“The oil was moving into the community, so there was a influx of people, which means you need more Highway Patrol, you need more ambulances, you need more fire, you need more housing, you need more medical staff, just a variety of things that come with an influx of people. So we want to help those rural communities keep it local,” said Kjellberg.

According to Kjellberg, more than $7 million has been given out to communities across western North Dakota since the start of the fund.

In the last cycle of the grant program, more than 19 grants were distributed totaling $400,000.

Kjellberg says that the Minot Rural Fire Department got essential equipment upgrades because of the grant.

“We recently did one for Minot Rural Fire Department and they got $15,000 towards radio equipment. They are a part of the new statewide initiative to upgrade the radios and the cost there is a little expensive so we were able to help them out with that,” said Kjellberg.

AgCountry Credit services has two grant periods to apply for the Grant with the current period ending at in late October.

To apply you can visit this website .

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