Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2.6 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping Utah Respond to Coronavirus

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $2.6 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to seven EDA Economic Development District organizations across Utah to update economic development plans and fortify programs to assist communities in responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Trump Administration is eager to allocate these essential CARES Act funds and deliver on our promise to help American communities recover from the impact of COVID-19,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “I am proud of the perseverance and strength shown by our communities coast to coast throughout this pandemic, and these funds will help provide Utah with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback.”

“These investments come at a crucial time to help Utah’s and our nation’s economy come roaring back and provide hard-working Americans with new opportunities,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “We are pleased to make these investments in Utah’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus.”

“These investments are crucial to Utah’s small businesses who have been working hard to make ends meet and keep their doors open during this time,” said Senator Mitt Romney. “I appreciate the work of Secretary Ross in administering another round of funding throughout our state, which we authorized as a part of the CARES Act in order to help communities recover from the impacts of this pandemic.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• Bear River Association of Government, Logan, Utah, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by updating the region’s resiliency and recovery plan, and deploying recovery specialists in rural communities to facilitate identification and utilization of resources for sustainable business and community growth.
• Six County Economic Development District, Richfield, Utah, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by providing technical assistance and capacity-building to local businesses and stakeholders; updating the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to include a focus on pandemic recovery; and implementing CEDS-related projects.
• South Eastern Utah Economic Development District, Price, Utah, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by hiring additional staff to address regional growth and financial planning strategies.
• Uintah Basin Economic Development District, Roosevelt, Utah, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by supporting key economic sectors in the region, including mineral extraction, healthcare, education, tourism, and telecommunications.
• Wasatch Front Regional Council/Wasatch Front Economic Development District, Salt Lake City, Utah, will receive a $400,000 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by offering technical assistance to local communities to modify their economic development strategies to be more resilient, targeted, and equitable; and enhancing the resiliency of the region's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
• Mountainland Economic Development District, Orem, Utah, will receive a $390,786 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by developing and implementing strategies to stabilize and grow the regional economy.
• Five County Association of Governments, St. George, Utah, will receive a $210,444 EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant to respond to the coronavirus pandemic by developing a disaster recovery and resiliency economic development plan and providing technical assistance and capacity-building for member organizations and stakeholders.

These entities, all EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD), are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA EDD, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, provides EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

On May 7, Secretary Ross announced that EDA is accepting applications for CARES Act Recovery Assistance funding opportunities.

EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance, which is being administered under the authority of the bureau’s flexible Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) (PDF) program, provides a wide-range of financial assistance to eligible communities and regions as they respond to and recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. For complete information, please visit our recently updated EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance page.

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.