U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.7 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping South Dakota Respond to Coronavirus

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.7 Million in CARES Act Funding to Boost Economic Development Programs Critical to Helping South Dakota Respond to Coronavirus

The following press release was published by the U.S. Economic Development Administration on Aug. 26, 2020. It is reproduced in full below.

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $1.7 million in CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to five EDA Economic Development District organizations in South Dakota 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 South Dakota with resources to make a swift and lasting economic comeback."

“These investments come at a crucial time to help South Dakota’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 South Dakota’s EDA Economic Development Districts to help them prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus."

“While South Dakota’s economy has largely withstood the brunt of this pandemic, this funding will help put our state in an even better position to come out of these tough times even stronger," said Senator John Thune. “I was proud to support the CARES Act, I’m grateful that South Dakota continues to benefit from the assistance it created."

“As South Dakota continues to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19, it’s important our local governments have the opportunity to utilize funding from the CARES Act to speed up the recovery," said Congressman Dusty Johnson. “These grants will allow our communities in South Dakota to bounce back faster and stronger and I’m glad they are being utilized by good hands."

The EDA investments announced today are:

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.

Source: U.S. Economic Development Administration

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