Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $700,000 to Support Tribal Disaster Recovery Efforts in Oklahoma

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $700,000 grant to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Concho, Oklahoma, to advance long-term economic recovery and resilience planning efforts following the 2018 wildfires. The EDA grant will be matched with $307,604 in local investment.

“The Trump Administration is working diligently to help tribal communities impacted by natural disasters, including those devastated by wildfires in Oklahoma in 2018,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This project will allow the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes to develop master plans and update their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) so they can best engage in long-term economic development activities that will attract private investment and create jobs.”

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 (PDF) 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.