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USDA: About $400K worth of grant applications from CNMI
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Posted on Aug 07 2014
The U.S Department of Agriculture Rural Development is currently evaluating several grant applications totaling $400,000 from the CNMI, according to USDA-RD area director Joseph Diego yesterday.
Diego told Saipan Tribune that majority of applications are from the court system, public safety, and the hospital to address some of their critical capital improvement needs.
“The $50,000 given to the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. is just one of several grants that have already been given out to improve their services to the community,” Diego said.
Some of the grant applications involve several small private organizations as well, he added.
Diego said that there are a total of eight applications right now for the $400,000.
“Our investment in critical infrastructure that support public health and public safety are very important to this program. We have determined the CNMI as rural so public health and safety are very important for rural areas,” he said.
Diego said that they have given a $500,000 grant to the solar project for the Marianas Business Plaza and the Department of Public Safety to purchase patrol vehicles.
Diego said that they are trying to get more money for CHCC to buy more equipment and that the court system of the CNMI is also looking into getting new computers and vehicles.
“These are just small awards to address some of the critical needs of these agencies,” he said.
Diego told Saipan Tribune that they are trying to get funds for two more private organizations in the CNMI by September of this year; the two organizations are applying for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Diego noted that they have several grant programs for education such as for certain programs at the Northern Marianas College and for the utilities area, a program for wastewater and water is available to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.
