Of the five million dollars available statewide the San Joaquin Valley group received the largest portion.

Transportation Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak, who presented the grant at the Great Valley Center in Modesto, says the cooperation between the eight counties in the Valley is the main reason the cut was so large.

"That was very highly scored by the technical people who reviewed the application."

Carol Whiteside, the President of the Great Valley Center says the money will be used only for planning, but like the filing of the application, it will be a coordinated effort.

"This is a chance to start to say what are we going to do about our cities. How are we going to provide housing, what happens to our farmland what happens to the rivers."
 
During an interview on KXJZ's Insight program, Whiteside said it would take about a year to decide how the grant money will be allocated.