Forboldn Project: The primary colonization project within the Regina subsector.
Originally conceived in 987 to utilize the resources of Forboldn (02081, the project
began its execution phase in 1089, shortly after the Fourth Frontier War. Large
numbers of colonists were recruited and shipped in cold sleep from the Imperial
core, with arrival times set from 1110 to 1120. Simultaneously, preparations on
Forboldn began, with detailed planetary surveys to pinpoint resources and initial
building projects to prepare industry and quarters for the arrival of colonists.
An interesting aspect of such colonization projects is the recruitment method
used to supply the personnel who will actually make the colony function. Since
virtually no amount of money will entice an individual to leave his home and
livelihood for the bleak desolation of a colony world, the Ministry of Colonization
has established several programs to produce colonists. Most obvious is the colonize
in lieu of prison term program. However, several other programs have also shown
signs of success. In the unemployment insurance program, high population worlds
have successfully used the colonization project as a means of reducing unemployment
over the long term. In a similar medical insurance program, indigents
unable to obtain medical treatment are provided with their needs in exchange for
signing on to a colony. The needs of a colony for skills are met through the
anagathics program; qualified (and aged) individuals can be provided with
anagathics to extend their life spans in return for their providing such skills as
administration, mechanical crafts, or medical expertise. Finally land grants to
retiring veterans has provided a cadre for the new colony's military and police
forces.