 NEWS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Office of Communications News Room 460-A
Washington, DC 20250-1300
Internet: News@usda.gov Phone: 202-720-9035
World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.usda.gov
Release No. 0382.04
Julie Quick (202) 720-4623
Terry Bish (202) 720-3210
USDA PROVIDES ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION FOR
HURRICANE RECOVERY EFFORTS IN FLORIDA
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2004-Agriculture Secretary Ann
M. Veneman today announced that an additional $1 million
will be provided to help hurricane recovery efforts in
Florida.
"This funding helps to support President Bush's
directive to USDA to use existing authorities and
resources to assist communities and individuals impacted
by recent hurricanes in their cleanup efforts," said
Veneman.
On August 27, President Bush instructed the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to use existing authorities and
resources to assist growers impacted by Hurricane Charley
in their cleanup efforts and to compensate them for lost
crops and trees. USDA is working with President's
directive and the USDA Farm Service Agency is working to
deliver additional the assistance in a timely manner.
The environmental restoration funds announced
today are being made available through the Natural
Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Emergency
Watershed Protection Program (EWP). The funds will help
restore critical agricultural and community infrastructure
disrupted by flooding, severe streambank erosion and
debris deposits.
Rehabilitation efforts will provide sound erosion
control measures that are economically and environmentally
defensible. EWP measures include debris removal from
stream channels and reshaping and protecting eroded
streambanks. This funding brings the total to $1.6 million
for emergency environmental restoration work in Florida
areas hit by Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
USDA continues to provide existing program
assistance to hurricane victims including emergency loan
assistance, the Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance
Program, expedited claims assistance for crops and
commodities covered by crop insurance, food commodities
and other nutritional assistance, including $5 million in
special funds provided for baby food and formula, more
than $23.7 million dollars in replacement Food Stamp
benefits issued to 135,000 families and housing assistance
for families displaced from USDA-sponsored housing, which
is especially significant among farm-worker populations.
Communities interested in applying for EWP
assistance should contact the local NRCS office or USDA
Service Center.
Information on EWP-Hurricane Charley and Frances
recovery efforts in Florida can be found on the Web at
http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/hurricane1.html and
on EWP at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/EWP.
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