FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) – The Flint Hills Regional Council has received a federal grant to develop a plan for regional growth.

The council said in a news release Wednesday that it has received the $1.98 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The council says the grant will be used to create a sustainable development plan for the region, which encompasses 19-counties.

The Flint Hills region was one of 29-regions and 27-communities across the country to receive funding through the $96 million HUD program, which was created to help communities and regions establish plans for manageable growth.

The Flint Hills Regional Council is a voluntary service association of regional governments.