WHITE LAKE — The Golden LEAF Board of Directors has awarded the Town of White Lake with $82,500 to develop a stormwater management plan which will help improve issues with localized flooding it experiences as a result of heavy rain events.
This award is just a small percentage of the $5.8 million in funding given to various North Carolina counties by Golden LEAF to support projects through the SITE Program which was developed due to the recognition that communities in economic distress need the availability of sites for new businesses to be built and existing businesses to expand.
Golden LEAF also awarded $700,000 in funding to support projects through the Open Grants Program. This program is open to government entities and nonprofit organizations. Additionally, the Golden LEAF Board also provided funding amounts of $1,336,550 and $113,805 for projects through the Flood Mitigation Program and increased Disaster Recovery Grant Program respectively.
“This year, the Golden LEAF Board awarded over $100 million in funding to support job creation and economic investment, agriculture, workforce preparedness, and flood mitigation,” said Don Flow, Golden LEAF Board Chair. “These projects will help create thousands of jobs, train hundreds of workers, and support dozens of new industrial sites, as well as support communities in being more resilient to flooding. As we reflect on this year’s economic wins, our commitment is to continue to support long-term economic success.”
The Flood Mitigation Program, which provided White Lake with the majority of available funding, extends financial assistance to the following projects:
-Construction of new or improvement of existing publicly owned stormwater infrastructure, including natural drainage infrastructure and flood control equipment.
-Repair of existing stormwater infrastructure damaged or destroyed by flooding, which must include improvements to mitigate against future flooding.
-Engineering expenses related to planning and development of flood mitigation solutions.
Funds may not be used for stream debris removal, buildings or generators, or land acquisition.
The commitment of the Golden LEAF Foundation is to distribute available funds for community projects that demonstrate the highest potential for strengthening North Carolina’s economy. Priority may be given to communities that are tobacco-dependent, economically distressed, and/or rural.
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