USDA PROVIDES OVER $3 MILLION IN GRANTS, LOANS FOR DRINKING WATER, FIRE AND POLICE PROTECTION
Town of Tallulah, Village of Delta in Northeast Louisiana Enterprise Community to Benefit
Alexandria, LA, April 1 -- The US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development mission area will provide a total of $3,044,240 in loans and grants to two communities in the Northeast Louisiana Enterprise Community, USDA Rural Development Louisiana State Director Austin Cormier and Office of Community Development Deputy Director Victor Vasquez announced today in ceremonies in Madison Parish. USDA Rural Development administers a number of programs designed to strengthen rural economies and expand infrastructure in rural areas.
"USDA Rural Development is proud to be able to assist Tallulah in renovating its water system and building a fire station, and to ensure efficient police protection for the residents of Delta," USDA's Under Secretary for Rural Development Jill Long Thompson said in Washington.
"Such projects demonstrate the Clinton Administration's commitment to rural areas and to making sure that rural residents have access to the community services, like drinking water and fire and police protection, that they need."
The money is provided through USDA Rural Development's Community Facilities loan and grant programs, Water and Waste Water loans and grants, and the Clinton Administration's Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities (EZ/EC) program. The Town of Tallulah will receive a total of $967,000 in grant funds and $2,060,740 in loans to build a new fire station, purchase two new pumper trucks and improve its water system. The Village of Delta will receive a $16,500 grant to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle for its police department.
"Rural Development in Louisiana works every day to provide rural areas of the state with access to drinking water and police protection," said Austin Cormier, Rural Development Louisiana State Director. "We feel that it's very important to assist these communities with whatever resources we have available to ensure that they continue to prosper on into the 21st century."
Through its community facilities and water and waste water programs, USDA Rural Development is striving to ensure that basic facilities and community services are readily available to all rural Americans. The commitment of USDA to this effort is at the core of its mission and its promise to help build stronger, more vibrant rural communities across the nation.
The USDA Rural Development mission area was created in 1994 and includes the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, the Rural Housing Service and the Rural Utilities Service. Its mission is to use the resources of USDA to provide an improved quality of life for the nation's 53 million rural people.
Contacts:
Sheila Ford
(318) 473-7811