Federal Funding + Watershed Protection Program
Info from Jill Arace, Valley resident and Executive Director of the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts:
As you’ve probably heard, President Obama has made an emergency declaration for the State of Vermont. This declaration releases federal funding to support emergency management personnel and their activities while we’re still in this emergency phase. At a later date, there will be further declarations that will release additional funds for both emergency assistance and reconstruction. Folks from various agencies are collecting data regarding damages to make requests for additional funds from Washington. Some of these programs will support repairs retroactively.
Here is a reminder that if you intend to make any kind of claim, whether you are a homeowner, farmer, or local government, you should document your losses with date stamped photographs before you clean up. Also document any costs you are incurring.
I’m attaching here information regarding the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection Program, which was updated yesterday. This program supports homeowners and towns facing immediate threats to life and property with 75% of the costs. NRCS is already working with a number of towns affected by the spring flooding through this program. There are funds remaining from that effort and new funding on the way. If our towns haven’t already contacted them, I suggest you do so asap – especially Moretown – and they will send an engineer down your way to make an assessment. As you can imagine, engineers are going to be at a premium over the next weeks and months.
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