NEWS
RELEASE
United States Department
of Agriculture • Rural Development
3001 Coolidge Rd. • 2nd Floor North • Suite 200 • East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: (517) 324-5204 • Fax: (517) 324-5225 •
alec.lloyd@mi.usda.gov
Contact: Alec Lloyd
(517) 324-5204
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Recovery Act Support To Repair Infrastructure, Finance Community Centers, Public Safety Buildings and Health Care Facilities
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that rural communities in 32 states will benefit from loans and grants provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“These projects help rural communities build and upgrade essential infrastructure and demonstrate President Obama’s continued efforts to improve the quality of life for rural residents throughout the country,” Vilsack said. “We are seeing towns and communities across America receive significant benefits through the Recovery Act, even as these projects are putting countless people back to work.”
The $193 million in Recovery Act projects being announced today are funded through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities Program and will be matched with $68.5 million from other sources. Funding of each loan and grant is contingent upon the recipient meeting the conditions of the agreement.
Below is a complete list of the selected Michigan recipients:
· City of Onaway (Presque Isle County): $100,000 grant. The funding will be used to improve road safety issues.
· Bergland Township (Ontonagon County): $1,065,000 loan and $192,000 grant. The funding will be used for a new facility that will house the Township offices, fire department equipment and records, and a community center for holding large meetings, community activities and voting.
The funding is provided through USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities program, which helps finance essential community facilities for public use in rural areas. These facilities include child care centers, hospitals, medical clinics, assisted-living facilities, fire and rescue stations, police stations, community centers, public buildings and transportation. Through this program, USDA ensures that such facilities are available to all rural residents. These funds are available to public bodies, non-profit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes. More information about USDA Rural Development can be found at www.rurdev.usda.gov.
President Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on Feb. 17, 2009. It is designed to jumpstart the nation’s economy, create or save millions of jobs and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act includes measures to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.
More information about USDA’s Recovery Act efforts is available at www.usda.gov/recovery. More information about the Federal government’s efforts on the Recovery Act is available at www.recovery.gov.
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