The Economic Development Corporation of Mariposa County (EDC), in a strategic partnership with Mariposa County's Business Development Department, has created a new Web site (www.MariposaEDC.com) to promote smart growth in Mariposa County. The EDC is a local non-profit organization with a volunteer board of directors that represents the private sector.

The EDC’s goal with the Web site is to attract those businesses identified in the County's Economic Vitality Strategy as being ideally suited for Mariposa County, according to Roger Biery from the EDC. This comprehensive strategy was the result of a community-wide effort that seeks to preserve rural quality of life, while growing the economy and providing more job opportunities for local residents.

The Economic Vitality Strategy, available on the Web site, identifies three target industries the arts, clean/green technology and local/visitor serving businesses that are all featured in the opportunities section. Other sections on the Web site provide the basic information needed when determining where to start or relocate a business, such as details about Mariposa County and its communities, and extensive demographic data. In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of the County, the site also serves as a portal with its many links to other resources.

The initial targets for the Web site are the small business owners and entrepreneurs who are among the nearly four million tourists visiting the region annually. These people have already shown an affinity for the area, and the EDC wants to let them know that Mariposa County is also a great place to live and operate a business, Biery noted.