Rural Development – Minnesota Office: Trump Administration Invests $46,000 for Emergency Preparedness in Vernon Center, Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Oct. 8 -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development - Minnesota office issued the following news release on Oct. 6:

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Minnesota Brad Finstad today announced that USDA is investing $46,000 for emergency preparedness in the city of Vernon Center.

"Modern equipment is the bedrock of any community, especially when it preserves the safety of residents and essential infrastructure," Finstad said. "Whether it's installing a back-up generator, or implementing public safety measures, all these things contribute to the economic prosperity of rural America. Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is dedicated to assisting rural communities like Vernon Center with their long-term commitments to economic prosperity, because when rural America prospers, all of America prospers."

The city of Vernon Center will use a $46,000 Community Facilities Grant to purchase an emergency generator for the city municipal facility. The absence of an emergency generator has left the city hall, fire department, and water treatment facility without power during outages. This project will purchase and install a generator near the municipal building that will provide back-up power to the city hall in the event of a city-wide outage - allowing residents to utilize the building as an emergency shelter. The generator will also allow the city's 332 residents to access drinking water and emergency services during an outage, by powering the water treatment plant and fire department.

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 Minnesota.

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, 2019 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.

To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity. In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rural-task-force-infographic.pdf).

* * *

REPORT: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/rural-prosperity-report.pdf