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USDA Invests $222 Million in Rural Community Infrastructure to Help People in 44 States, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico

Name
Phil Eggman
Phone
City
Olympia
Release Date

Projects Include $1.8 Million for Emergency Response Facilities, Equipment and Services in Washington State

WILLARD, Mo., Nov. 19, 2021 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is investing $222 million to build and improve critical community facilities in 44 states, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. This community infrastructure funding will benefit nearly 2.5 million people in rural communities. It also includes $132 million to support health care, food security, and emergency response services for more than 850,000 rural residents in 37 states, including Washington.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering on its promise to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuild our economy,” Torres Small said. “Rural Americans need emergency response, hospitals and medical facilities, and USDA’s loans and grants invest in critical infrastructure to make that possible. USDA Rural Development puts rural people at the forefront of investment and opportunity to help us all build back better, stronger, and more resilient.”

USDA is investing in 10 projects in Washington State through its Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. The assistance will fund essential community services that will help keep rural America resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects financed include emergency response facilities, vehicles, and equipment.

For Example:

  • The Town of Twisp, Okanagan County, will use a $1.2 million Community Facilities Direct Loan to construct a new building to replace the town’s aging city hall with a modern facility that will support public works, law enforcement, and Emergency Management Services, benefiting 991 rural residents.  This Methow Valley community has been impacted severely from back-to-back wildfire disasters.  The proposed new facility will provide a central emergency coordination center for the town’s enforcement and state/federal first responders to effectively coordinate any future disasters/emergency response efforts.
  • Also, in Okanagan County, the Town of Conconully will receive a $202,000 Community Facilities Grant to help fund the replacement of the town’s fire station and public works building. The new facility will function as public works, food bank, and Emergency Medical Services combined, benefiting the town’s 174 residents, who have also been impacted severely from year to year with devastating fires and other natural disasters. 
  • In Western Washington, the Pacific County Sheriff’s Department will receive a $257,000 grant purchase five fully equipped replacement vehicles, which will enable officers to continue to respond to requests for assistance in the surrounding jurisdictions, benefiting the county’s 23,265 residents. The funding will also beg used to replace commercial kitchen equipment to enable healthier meals and provide better COVID safety for residents.

“Critical infrastructure is key to a safe, functioning community,” said Trudy Teter, USDA Rural Development Acting State Director in Washington State. “This our mission, to improve the quality of life for all rural residents.”

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 rural areas with a population of 20,000 or less. For more information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/community-facilities/community-facilities-direct-loan-grant-program.

Today’s investments complement the recently announced funding availability under USDA’s Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, which also is being administered through the Community Facilities program. Through this program, USDA is making up to $500 million available through the American Rescue Plan to help rural health care facilities, tribes and communities expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, health care services and nutrition assistance.

 Under the Emergency Rural Health Care Grant Program, Recovery Grant applications will be accepted on a continual basis until funds are expended. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/erhc.

Interested parties should contact USDA Rural Development Washington State Office for information about additional funding, application procedures and eligibility. Also see the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program Guidance Book for Applicants (PDF, 669 KB) for a detailed overview of the application process.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate, smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

 

 

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