Missouri gets $4.8 million in stimulus funding for floodplain restoration

MCCASKILL
GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Missouri gets $4.8
million in stimulus funding for floodplain restoration

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill
announced today that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
providing the state of Missouri with a total of
$4,817,131 in federal formula grant dollars
to acquire floodplain easements
and restore the land to its natural state while helping create and maintain jobs
in rural Missouri. The money is being provided through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to the USDA, the funding
will provide 1,507 acres in Missouri with benefits such as flood
protection, improved water-quality, enhanced wildlife habitat and a reduced need
for further disaster assistance.  Across the country, the program will restore
36,000 acres of land in 36 states.

Funding to states and localities
through the economic recovery package will be allocated through existing federal
programs like these, rather than earmarks, in order to ensure prompt
distribution and better accountability. Local projects receive funds from these
grants by following the process set up by each program. During Congressional
consideration of the economic recovery bill, McCaskill worked to put additional
accountability measures in place.

McCaskill believes that federal
grants and loans are a positive alternative to earmarks, which in the past have
frequently had too little accountability.  Competitive merit and need based
federal grants and low-interest government loans bring federal assistance to
Missouri in an
honest and fiscally responsible manner.