SALAMANCA — The Southern Tier West Regional Planning and Development Board seeks public comments on a draft planning document.

STW annually publishes a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) planning document. This is the official strategic economic development plan for Alleghany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties. The CEDS contains a comprehensive, data-based analysis of the regional economy and assets, strategies for economic development and lists of proposed economic development projects.

The 2022 CEDSis an update of the prior year’s and contains much of the strategic content of the 2021 document.

STW prepares the CEDS using input from the three county planning and economic development departments, the three county IDAs, Jamestown, Dunkirk, Olean, traditional economic development project sponsors, communities around the region, agencies, STW’s board and staff, the business community, a planning steering committee and the general public.

Any resident of Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties or organizations or businesses located in these three counties can comment on and suggest revisions to the draft CEDS document. The draft document may be found at southerntierwest.org. Comments on the draft CEDS can be made to Richard Zink at rzink@southerntierwest.org.

Comments will be accepted through Aug. 31. All appropriate comments will be incorporated into a revised 2022 CEDS. The final draft of the 2022 document will be reviewed and approved by the STW board in September.

The approved document then is posted on STW’s website and is transmitted to the federal government where it is used to guide federal investment in the three counties. Questions can be directed to Zink.