Oregon Governor Says Cutting Red Tape Accelerated Federal Aid

Federal government approves Kulongoski's request for disaster aid to Oregon.

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(SALEM, Ore.) - Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has received approval for federal aid to repair damage to communities that resulted from severe early-December storms, the Governor's office announced Saturday.

The Governor received notification of approval of his request for a presidential disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 11:50 AM on Saturday. The aid is for "public assistance" for which state and local agencies are eligible, not for individuals. In Oregon, the eligible counties are Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook and Yamhill.

"I want to thank the President and FEMA," Governor Kulongoski said. "This assistance will be of tremendous help to the communities who suffered the brunt of these storms."

Governor Kulongoski requested the emergency declaration on Wednesday. In the letter the governor made it clear that the state was moving quickly to respond to the emergency, and would not wait for federal approval to get people the help they needed.

"We knew how important it is to cut through red tape in order to prevent delays, and that's what we did," said Gov. Kulongoski. "Now FEMA has stepped up and addressed our request in a timely way."

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Under the declaration (FEMA-1733-DR), state and local governments—as well as certain nonprofit organizations—may receive federal help for emergency work and repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities that occurred during the period December 1st 2007, and continuing. Additional designations may occur after further evaluation.

The effect of the declaration means that the federal government will reimburse 75 percent of public expenditures for disaster response and replacement. The declaration also covers the extraordinary costs of debris removal incurred by local and state agencies.

The Governor has also requested assistance for individuals who have suffered storm damage but have no individual flood insurance. State and federal agencies have dispatched assessment teams to visit property owners. Their assessments should be complete by Tuesday at the latest. Individuals who want to be included in the assessment should immediately contact their local Emergency Response Center.

Under the declaration, the Governor also received federal approval for a grant program to support "hazard mitigation," which allows certain local projects to receive federal money to make preparations that reduce damage from future disasters. In the past, such projects have included elevating and businesses, burying utility lines to prevent future blow-downs by high winds, and upgrading culverts to handle more flood water. Such improvements and upgrades to infrastructure reduce the damage communities suffer from future storms, floods and other emergencies.

The Governor noted that the list of affected counties could grow as damage assessments continue.