Island receives $121 million in new federal allocations
By John McPhaul
jpmcphaul@gmail.com
Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón, detailed on Wednesday new federal funding items that add up to $121,635,484.63, this time from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Many programs, institutions or activities in Puerto Rico are able to carry out their agendas thanks to the federal appropriations that originate in Congress,” the resident commissioner said in a written statement. “Defending these funds for the island is one of my priorities, which is why I urge the agencies, municipalities, and organizations to send me their recommendations to support federal programs that are a priority for the island, during the preparation of the budget for the next fiscal year.”
The form for submitting priority program recommendations, as well as additional details and sample programmatic and language requests, are available at the following link:
https://gonzalez-colon.house.gov/services/appropriations-requests.
The resident commissioner said she continues to monitor the disbursement of funds for the reconstruction of the island, for which purpose FEMA approved new funds for permanent works in the Municipality of Bayamón, $4,890,756.41; Meliton Pereles pedestrian bridge on 156th Street in the Municipality of Barranquitas $1,080,289; Bayamón Campus of the University of Puerto Rico, $74,652,123.87; improvements to recreational facilities in the Municipality of Humacao with two parts, one for $3,893,922.27 and the other for $2,240,257; improvements to recreational facilities in the Municipality of Fajardo, $1,424,494.91; repairs to roads in the Salto Arriba and Chorrera sectors of Utuado, $1,054,758.74; repairs to the recreational track of the Liga Atlética Pepiniana of the Municipality of San Sebastián, $1,154,053.21; and for improvements to recreational facilities in the Municipality of Maricao, $1,542,940.97.
A total of $6,354,701.25 will be allocated to increase the personnel, resources and skills of the Puerto Rico Planning Board and the Permit Management Office in order to effectively enforce the requirements of the permitting process and to address violations of that process, including the issues of informality and illegality.
Funds for that project are awarded in phases, as the subrecipient demonstrates that it has spent the amount already awarded.
FEMA obligates the financing of the aforementioned projects directly to the government of Puerto Rico, which would be responsible for ensuring that eligible subrecipients receive the funds, and upon receipt of the appropriate documentation will provide funds to subrecipients on a reimbursable basis.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is under the Department of the Interior, announced the largest allocation at the national level for the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, for $1.5 billion.