The following is taken directly from the Fish and Wildlife website within the Department of Interior website:
June 16, 2014 – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced $102 million in competitive matching grants to support 54 projects along the Atlantic coast. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the grants will fund science-based solutions to restore an estimated 6,634 acres of wetlands and marshes; 225 acres of beach; and 364 acres of riparian buffers (vegetation lining streams), which help strengthen coasts to withstand future storms and sea-level rise. Other projects include dam removals and culvert replacements, which will open 287 miles of streams to fish passage while reducing flood risks to communities. Many projects will be complementary to similar U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service efforts already underway along the Atlantic coast. The projects also will provide an economic boost, creating hundreds of jobs in local communities.
Our fit within that criteria could not have been better. So, the question is, "How did we word our grant application?" Why did we lose out? Some one from the Town should be inquiring of the grantor why we did not make our case. Let's call it an important learning exercise. And, by the way, some of those awarded grants seem a bit outside the criteria. Political involvement is suspect.
1) Technical question: who owns the river/damn?
ReplyDelete2) Definition of socialism: the public ownership of the means of production.
The Bond monies have been secured for the removal of Town of Exeter owned Great Dam and Exeter River restoration as announced by the BOS. The 10 year payments on that 2.3% bond are estimated at 200-250K/year depending on how fast the monies are spent on the project.
ReplyDeleteAdditional grants opportunities are currently being applied for and ongoing efforts to identify those grants is planned. Any grant monies would be applied to paying down the bond and saving Exeter taxpayers.
If no grants are received and the bond payments are met entirely by Exeter taxpayer dollars the estimated (with many many assumptions) tax increase is ~15cents/thousand.
If Exeter economic development swells the revenue stream past increases in spending then one could argue that no one might see the 15 cent uptick.