LaMalfa announces disaster recovery funding to Redding, Shasta Lake
Congressman Doug LaMalfa announced two Disaster Recovery Infrastructure Program grants from funds he successfully included in federal disaster legislation in 2018 and 2019, which were signed into law by President Trump. The funds appropriated were delivered to the State of California to be used under the Community Development Block Grant program from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
The city of Redding was awarded $22.6 million and the city of Shasta Lake was awarded $6.3 million to assist in recovery from the Carr Fire. These funds are not tied to any specific project and can be used to fund recovery and infrastructure projects chosen in accordance with eligible uses, including but not limited to roads and bridges, water control facilities, public utilities and fire mitigation.
Additional awards will be named soon and LaMalfa’s district received 98 percent of all congressionally-authorized disaster recovery awards of this type.
“The cities of Redding and Shasta Lake have witnessed the destruction of devastating fires firsthand,” LaMalfa said. “The North State has faced too many major fires and the recovery has been difficult. While I work to help change federal policy regarding our forests to reduce the risks and severity of the fires we face, I am also working hard at delivering the needed disaster recovery aid we need. These funds are crucial to the recovery process. These federal funds were delivered through the state so our local governments could have maximum flexibility in their use for recovery including infrastructure projects. Although it has taken too long from the time I allocated these funds to when the recipients actually received their awards, I am pleased that they finally are receiving the aid Congress approved.”
“The City of Redding is honored to receive a $22.6 million grant to help rebuild our community after the devastating loss of homes during the Carr Fire,” said Redding Mayor Kristen Schreder. “This funding will help ensure affordable housing options for the hard-working people of Redding and will go a long way to bring restoration to this beautiful community.”
“On behalf of the City of Shasta Lake, we are beyond excited to secure funding to construct critical water infrastructure improvements for the community,” said City Manager Jessaca Lugo. “The Centimudi Water Tank and Lake Boulevard Water Transmission Line project will not only increase the city water storage but benefit emergency interties to neighboring jurisdictions and protect the Shasta Trinity Recreation Area. When the 2018 Carr Fire incident was racing toward Shasta Lake causing the entire city to be evacuated, it was discovered city water supplies were struggling to sustain capacity for a long period of time, fearing we would run out of water if the fire breached the city. Acknowledging the lessons learned, the city has made it a priority to implement opportunities for resilient infrastructure that will help protect the homes, businesses and (the) people of our community. We are especially proud of the partnerships between local, state, and federal government that have strengthened as a result of this project. The CDBG-DR funding is a critical component, and it should be noted the project would not proceed without the assistance of the United States Forest Service for site control and Bureau of Reclamation support for the project. I want to take this time to thank the city of Shasta Lake staff for working so diligently on pushing this project for funding. This project has been an all-hands-on deck approach to get the project from concept to reality.”
