7 CFR 4280.43: Discretionary points.

The RBS Administrator has the discretion to designate up to 25 points (no more than 5 points for each of the following elements) based on whether the Project:

(a) Is located in a Rural Empowerment Zone, Rural Economic Area Partnership Zone, Rural Enterprise Community, or Champion Community;

(b) Is located in a county that has experienced the loss, removal, or closing of a major source or sources of employment in the last 3 years which causes an increase of 2 percentage points or more in the county's most recent unemployment rate compared with the same period immediately before the dislocation;

(c) Is located in a county that has experienced chronic or long-term economic deterioration;

(d) Is located in a county that was designated a disaster area by the President of the United States that significantly affected rural economic development and job creation. The county must have been designated within 3 years prior to filing of the completed application with Rural Development; or

(e) Is consistent with the Rural Development State Office's approved strategic plan and mission area objectives and is identified as a priority area for assistance in the States' plan.