In 2007, Louisiana state legislation called for regional economic development to occur in northeast Louisiana where 1 in 4 people live in poverty. Act 347 in 2007 legislation called for universities and public and private corporations to work together in a new network of partnership to provide for a dynamic and comprehensive approach to planning and implementing solutions to address problems related to poverty, education, health care, economic development, jobs, housing, agricultural business development and culture. The Louisiana Delta Initiative (LDI) is a newly formed regional network of community and economic development organizations working in collaboration to improve the economic conditions in a 12 parish, Louisiana delta region including the parishes of Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Quachita, Pointe Coupee, Richland, Tensas and West Carroll. Network partners include: the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and Southern University Agricultural Center, Louisiana Economic Development, Entergy Corporation, Northeast Economic Alliance, West Monroe Chamber of Commerce, North Delta Regional Planning & Development District, City of Rayville, Ouchita Economic Development Corporation, Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District, Concordia Parish Economic & Industrial Development, Small Business Development Centers and the United States Department of Agriculture. Act 347 charged the LSU Agricultural Center's Delta Rural Development Center  and Southern University's Agricultural Center with the task of facilitating the development of this new regional community and economic development network in northeast Louisiana. To learn more about the LDI, please contact Dr. James Barnes, director of the LSU AgCenter's Delta Rural Development Center, at (318) 428-3571 or jbarnes@agcenter.lsu.edu.