Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $869,000 to Support Tribal Disaster Recovery Efforts in Wisconsin

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding an $869,000 grant to the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Bayfield, Wisconsin, to hire an Economic Development Recovery Coordinator, who will implement strategies to diversify the local economy and foster sustained economic resilience in the face of recurring natural disasters.

“The Trump Administration is committed to supporting tribal efforts to bolster their economies and advance resiliency efforts following natural disasters,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “The Tribe’s Economic Development Recovery Coordinator will play a vital role in expanding and fortifying the local economy, which has faced numerous natural disasters since 2012.”

This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20) (PDF), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.