U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia announced $1,300,000 in federal funding to assess damages and make plans to restore outdoor recreation sites impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The funding will evaluate sites across 17 counties and four independent cities, including the Creeper Trail, the Clinch and New River boat ramps, and other key trails, campgrounds, parks, bridges and trestles.
“Virginia’s parks, trails, and public spaces make our Commonwealth beautiful and contribute immeasurably to local economies. We’re glad that this federal funding is going towards assessing the terrible damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene. We’re also pushing as hard as we can for a full disaster aid bill to fund additional projects to restore our parks and public spaces and meet the many additional needs of impacted communities across Southwest Virginia,” the senators said.
Many outdoor recreation sites were severely damaged during the flooding from Hurricane Helene, which has suppressed tourism and other critical economic development projects for local economies across Southwest Virginia. The funding will go toward assessing damages in Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise and Wythe counties, as well as the independent cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton and Radford.
Warner and Kaine have been staunch advocates for Virginians affected by Hurricane Helene. Warner recently celebrated passage of legislation he cosponsored to get a tax break for Southwest Virginians impacted by Hurricane Helene. He also led a bipartisan and bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter, which Kaine signed, calling on congressional leadership to ensure that any supplemental appropriations bill responding to recent natural disasters include substantial funding for the agencies that manage public lands, including the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS).
Warner also raised the alarm about the need to allow the U.S. Small Business Administration to continue paying out disaster assistance loans to small businesses, and Warner and Kaine pushed for a full supplemental package to meet the needs of impacted communities across the country. Warner and Kaine have directly pushed on Senate leadership to pass the disaster supplemental as soon as possible. At the outset of the flooding, Warner and Kaine also urged President Joe Biden to declare both an Emergency Declaration and an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia. The senators met with Virginians impacted by Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia to tour damage and discuss federal support.
Funding is made possible by the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency that focuses on the 423 counties across the Appalachian region.
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Virginia, N.C. lawmakers request funding for Hurricane Helene
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Rebecca Barnabi
