11/15/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/15/2022 08:18
Contact: USDA Press
Email:[email protected]
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a transformative, historic investment in lives and livelihoods across America. It represents a new opportunity for farmers, ranchers, small businesses and rural communities. It is helping the U.S. Department of Agriculture deliver 21st century, high-speed internet for better access to markets, jobs, telemedicine and distance learning. It is increasing community resilience to climate change, drought and wildfire risks. It's also providing innovative solutions to economic, environmental and social challenges across the nation.
"For too long, American infrastructure has fallen behind, with rural and historically underserved communities suffering the most," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Since being signed into law, President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has delivered on our promise to build up American infrastructure, create a more resilient environment, and a stronger, more equitable economy that's competitive in the world market and works for everyone here at home."
The USDA continues to be a critical part of seeing this once-in-a-generation legislation put into action. From improving roads and water quality, to bringing affordable, high speed internet access to rural areas and combating climate change through historic investments in our shared landscapes, USDA is making a difference in the lives of the American people.
Thanks to this historic support, and with leadership from the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has taken quick action to deliver critical funding and support to current programs that, despite histories of success, have long suffered from chronic underfunding and work backlogs. USDA has also stood up new programs, with a focus on responding directly to community needs, working hand-in-hand with local leaders, interested partners and voices that have too often gone unheard.
Connecting Communities through High Speed Internet
USDA is putting resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to work in closing the digital divide in rural America - helping farmers access the real-time information and new technologies they need to maintain a competitive edge, for small businesses to develop their markets, and to better connect rural communities to jobs, telemedicine and distance learning.
With a $2 billion investment through loans and grants as part of the ReConnect Program, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is funding the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide high speed internet service in eligible rural areas. This funding comes on top of the $1.15 billion in broadband loans, grants and loan/grant combinations through ReConnect that USDA announced earlier this year.
USDA also announced $759 million for high speed internet infrastructure just last month, including $468 million funding made available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. USDA expects to make more than $1 billion in awards in Spring 2023.
Improving Rural Resilience
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is investing $918 million to safeguard health and the environment in rural communities by maintaining and upgrading community drinking and wastewater systems. These projects - which focus on previously underserved communities - include new dam construction, flood prevention projects, repairs to existing watershed infrastructure and more.
Reducing Wildfire Risk and Supporting Rural America
USDA is investing around $5.5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law across the shared landscape, reducing wildfire risk, restoring healthy, productive forests, and improving environmental, recreation and economic infrastructure.
Working alongside partners and the communities we serve, USDA is taking bold action to curb climate change, grow forest economies, and care for and support our wildland firefighting workforce.
Among the many efforts made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, USDA started work on a 10-year strategy (PDF, 32 MB) to address the wildfire crisis in close partnership with the Department of the Interior, increased firefighter pay and committed to planting a billion trees across national forests and grasslands. USDA also invested in expanding markets for byproducts of forest health and wildfire reduction treatments, which can be used in the wood products or wood energy industries, creating jobs and supporting rural economies.
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