Federal Program Protects Public Safety
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season is underway and will last through Nov. 30. Forecasters are predicting an active hurricane season while many residents are still recovering from Hurricane Mathew.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, (NRCS) has provided $1,487,887 for Putnam, Volusia and Seminole counties to remove debris in canals, ditches and streams to prevent flooding homes, businesses, roads and utilities. Another $769,523 will fund stabilizing streambanks in Seminole County to prevent erosion from threatening homes, roads and utilities.
In the event that your area is hit by a natural disaster, the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) can offer financial and technical assistance to remove debris from streams, protect destabilized stream banks and establish cover on critically eroding lands, repair conservation practices and purchase flood plain easements.
Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance, but must be represented by a project sponsor, such as a city, county, conservation district or a Native American tribe or organization. NRCS provides technical assistance and pays up to 75 percent of the construction. Local sources contribute the remaining portion in the form of cash or in-kind services.
Eligibility is based on environmental impacts and economic analysis. For more information on the program, visit your local NRCS office.
