SUNY Oswego, New York Sea Grant extend deadline for BR&E surveys

OSWEGO — New York Sea Grant (NYSG) and SUNY Oswego have extended the deadline for returning the 2014 Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) surveys to May 30.

NYSG and SUNY Oswego’s Office of Business and Community Relations first announced the surveys on Feb. 28 and indicated collection would continue through May 12.

Any recreation or tourism-related business owner who would like to participate may request a printed survey form or the electronic survey link from the NYSG office at (315) 312-3042, according to a joint statement released today.

The surveys are the first step in a new initiative evaluating the business climate in Oswego County to assist existing businesses and businesses interested in expanding within the county, the organizations said.

New York Sea Grant is part of a nationwide network of 33 university-based programs working with coastal communities through the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Sea Grant is funded in New York through SUNY and Cornell University, and federally through NOAA.

It is working with SUNY Oswego’s Office of Business and Community Relations on the initiative.

They’ve assembled the Oswego County Recreation and Tourism BR&E task force, which includes representatives from the business, government, tourism, and planning sectors.

The task force developed the survey to assess the status and need for business owners’ workforce training and professional development, along with the overall condition and characteristics of the Oswego County recreation and tourism-business community, the organizations said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com