Monday, Jul 18 2011 3:47PM
The USDA, EPA and other Alaskan organizations met in Anchorage last year for the RAVG Process Improvement Conference, where they discussed how to improve the grant-giving process.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced recently that 14 rural Alaskan communities will receive $23.6 million through the Rural Alaska Village Grant program to help fund water and wastewater projects.
Vilsack's announcement followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDA and program partners to provide cleaner water and improve sanitation services for rural communities in Alaska.
"Rural Development made a commitment to streamline the Rural Alaska Village Grant (RAVG) program and this funding is the result of that commitment," said Vilsack. "Residents of these rural communities will now be able to have running water for cooking, cleaning and laundry that most people take for granted."
The MOU was created after the RAVG Process Improvement Conference in Anchorage last year, during which the USDA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other state organizations worked to improve grant approval and application processes, as well as maintain grant fund accountability.
In 2009 and 2010, the USDA provided more than $65 million for RAVG projects.