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WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2007-Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns
today announced that an additional $42.5 million will be provided
to help with natural disaster recovery efforts in 13 states. This
funding provides recovery assistance for natural disasters that
occurred between December 2005 and June 2006.
"These funds will provide critical
assistance and continue the federal partnership for environmental
restoration projects on private lands damaged by natural
disaster," Johanns said.
The funding is being made available through the
Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Emergency Watershed
Protection (EWP) Program and includes more than $7 million in
technical assistance and more than $35 million in financial
assistance.
It will help restore agricultural and community
infrastructure disrupted by flooding, severe stream bank erosion
and debris deposits.
Through EWP, NRCS will provide up to 75 percent
of the funds needed to restore the natural function of a watershed
and up to 90 percent in limited resource areas damaged by a natural
disaster. The community or local sponsor for the work must pay the
remaining cost-share, which can be provided by cash and/or in-kind
services. EWP assists with the implementation of critical emergency
measures such as removal of debris from streams, protecting
destabilized streambanks, establishing
cover on critically eroding lands, and repairing conservation
practices needed to relieve the imminent hazards to life and
property created by natural disaster. All measures taken must be
environmentally and economically sound and generally benefit more
than one property owner.
-more-
Emergency Watershed Protection Funding
Reallocation
|
State
|
Amount
|
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CA
|
$6,000,000
|
|
CO
|
$166,500
|
|
HI
|
$6,000,000
|
|
MA
|
$1,113,355
|
|
ME
|
$120,000
|
|
MO
|
$360,000
|
|
MS
|
$771,700
|
|
NY
|
$16,800,000
|
|
OK
|
$331,100
|
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PA
|
$7,200,000
|
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SC
|
$1,170,000
|
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TN
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$2,408,000
|
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VT
|
$111,600
|
|
TOTAL
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$42,552,255
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NRCS provides
products and services that enable people to be good stewards of the
nation's soil, water, and related natural resources on non-Federal
lands. Additional information about EWP and other USDA conservation
programs is available at USDA Service Centers nationwide and online
at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ewp/.
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