The Trump Administration today announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $41,000 to purchase equipment used for city essential city maintenance.
“Ensuring rural communities are able to provide adequate services to its residents is a priority for USDA,” said Clare Carlson, USDA Rural Development State Director for North Dakota. “This equipment will be utilized for critical services to ensure residents are able to travel the roads safely in the winter, as well as provide many other essential functions. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the USDA is dedicated to assisting rural communities like the city of Finley because the success of rural America is our driving force.”
The city of Finley will use a $41,000 Community Facilities Grant to purchase a payloader machine. The replacement payloader will be properly equipped to handle various jobs, such as street and landfill maintenance, and snow removal. The current equipment is beyond useful life, requiring regular costly maintenance. The new payloader will be properly equipped and have the necessary safety features.
Funding for today’s announcement was made available through the $150 million in grants included in the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act that President Trump signed into law on June 6, 2019. These grants are to help eligible rural communities continue their recovery from the devastating effects of natural disasters.
View the complete list of designated communities in North Dakota.
Grants may be used for relief in areas affected by Hurricanes Michael and Florence; wildfires in 2018; and other natural disasters where the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided a notice declaring a Major Disaster Declaration and assigned a FEMA disaster recovery (DR) number. Please check the FEMA website for regular updates and names of additional communities that may be added.
Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are exhausted. Contact your local area office for further information or assistance with the application process. Grant assistance will be provided on a graduated scale; smaller communities with the lowest median household income are eligible for a higher proportion of grant funds. For application details and additional information, see page 47477 of the Sept. 10 Federal Register.
More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in eligible rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a cornerstone recommendation of the task force.
Source : usda.gov