USDA’s $7.6M aids 2 flood projects
Money supports improvements in Jackson, Independence, Greene counties
The United States Department of Agriculture will fund $7.6 million worth of improvements to two Arkansas watershed districts to help reduce flooding.
The Departee Creek Watershed Improvement District in Jackson and Independence counties will receive $5.7 million from the department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to create water control structures and conservation easements, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford said.
The Jonesboro Republican said the project also aims to alleviate flooding of cropland and grazing lands as well as improve wildlife habitat and water quality.
“From meetings with the producers to conservation districts to local municipalities, for years my office has been working hard on the Departee Creek project in particular,” Crawford said in a news release.
Big Slough, in Greene County, will receive $1.9 million to reduce floodwater damage to agricultural, residential and business areas and prevent sediment loading in the Big Slough Drainage
Ditch and its tributaries.
“Floods put a significant strain on Arkansas’ communities and severely impact agricultural producers in our state,” Sen. John Boozman said in a news release. “I am pleased to support these investments which will improve water infrastructure control measures to ease the threat of flooding to Arkansas’ rich farmlands.”
The two plans are part of the department’s 48 new flood-reduction projects proposed in 19 states and the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Islands.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service will invest $150 million in its projects and will work with conservation districts, local USDA.
Last month, a Bryant woman became the 11th person to be sentenced in the ongoing case, which altogether has resulted in the theft of more than $11 million, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Two of the 16 people charged in the case went to trial in April and are now awaiting sentencing on their jury convictions. They are Jacqueline Mills, 41, of Helena-West Helena, who was convicted of one count of wire fraud conspiracy, 25 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of bribery and three counts of money laundering, and Anthony Waits, 38, of England, formerly of North Little Rock, who was convicted of wire-fraud conspiracy.
Waits is set for sentencing before U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. at 1 p.m. Oct. 19. Mills recently obtained a new attorney, and her sentencing hearing has not yet been rescheduled.
The state Department of Human Services was recently admonished by Arkansas Legislative Audit for failing to develop internal controls, being behind in compliance reviews and not requiring receipts for reimbursement claims. The department has said changes have been made to strengthen its oversight of the federally funded program.
The U.S. attorney’s office asks that anyone aware of any fraudulent activity regarding the food programs email the information to USAARE.FeedingProgramFraud@usdoj.gov. governments and American Indian tribes.
“History has shown us that smart, proactive investment in small watershed and flood prevention projects yield immense benefits for landowners, communities and taxpayers,” National Resources Conservation Service acting chief Leonard Jordan said in a statement released Friday. “These dams have reduced flooding of businesses, homes, roads and agricultural lands. They have provided dependable water supplies for agricultural, residential and industrial use.”
Other states that will receive flood-reduction funding are Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah and West Virginia.