Flooded communities to benefit from cost- sharing provision

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island communities still rebuilding from last spring’s record flooding are getting some relief thanks to a provision included in the fiscal 2010 Supplemental Appropriations bill, Rhode Island’s congressional delegation announced last week.
Under the provision, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will reduce the standard 25 percent nonfederal match requirement to 10 percent, lowering the amount of money each community must invest. At least 12 Rhode Island cities and towns will benefit from this cost-share reduction under the Emergency Watershed Protection program.
In July, the state’s congressional delegation supported legislation which reduced the state’s cost-share for FEMA aid to 10 percent from 25 percent. Since the Natural Resources Conservation Service generally mirrors the cost-share percentages used by FEMA, this legislation also prompted the service to adjust its cost-share requirement by the same amount.
Set to benefit from the newly adjusted cost-share are: Bristol, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Hopkinton, Pawtucket, Providence, Richmond, Smithfield, Tiverton and West Warwick. •