FEMA Awards $1.5 Million Grant for Cass County Bridge
BISMARCK, N.D. – May 29, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded a more than $1.5 million grant to fund improvements to Cass County’s Lake Shure Bridge to reduce flood-related damages.
“We have been working to develop a comprehensive approach to flood protection for the entire Red River Valley, including flood protection infrastructure,” Hoeven said. “This new FEMA grant to improve Cass County’s Lake Shure Bridge is a part of that larger plan.”
The FEMA grant will fund the second phase of improvements to Cass County’s Lake Shure Bridge. The improvements will construct a four span bridge to replace the existing structure to reduce flood-related damages to 37 homes in the Lake Shure neighborhood.
The FEMA grant for Cass County is part of a comprehensive flood protection plan for the Red River Valley that Hoeven has advanced. The senator is working to secure more FEMA flood protection funding and anticipates receiving an additional $16 million within the next few weeks, bringing total FEMA flood protection infrastructure funding to $35 million just since the last flood in 2011.
The FEMA funding will be directed to the State of North Dakota and will cover approximately 75 percent of the project’s total cost.
The FEMA grant for Cass County is part of a comprehensive flood protection plan for the Red River Valley that Hoeven has advanced, including:
• Permanent flood protection for Fargo-Moorhead. To date we have secured $35 million for project engineering and design (PED). Now funding can go to project construction.
• Upstream flood protection is necessary. We need to continue to make sure upstream concerns are addressed through programs like the RCPP. Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture named the Red River Valley as part of a critical conservation area under RCPP. Hoeven worked as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and conferee on the 2014 farm bill conference committee to create the RCPP program and provide funding for rural water management and flood protection. The designation will make resources available for upstream flood protection efforts in the Red River Valley.
• Dikes, levees and other flood protection infrastructure within the Fargo-Moorhead area.
• Affordable flood insurance premiums for homes and businesses.
