Compact funding, agriculture and suicide prevention get more funding
It may be too late for Delegate Madeleine Z. Bordallo's effort to hang on to her Washington, D.C. office which was dashed by the primary, but she has some good news for her Guam constituents
Additional Compact Impact Funding For GovGuam
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs has confirmed that GovGuam will receive $2,164,545 in discretionary Compact impact funding, as a result of a congressional appropriation.
According to a letter from Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Douglas W. Domenech, this $2,164,545 for GovGuam includes $1,987,556 allocated for discretionary Compact impact funding in 2018 plus $176,989 in unexpended funding from last year, identified by the Office of Insular Affairs. The $2.16 million is in addition to the approximately $14.9 million in mandatory Compact impact funding GovGuam will also receive for 2018, similar to last year.
Earlier this year, Delegate Bordallo worked successfully with the House Appropriations Committee to maintain $3 million in discretionary Compact impact funding above the mandatory $30 million minimum, divided among Guam and other affected U.S. jurisdictions (Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa) specified under the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-188). The Trump Administration’s 2018 budget proposed eliminating discretionary Compact impact funding for Guam and other affected U.S. jurisdictions.
Guam Agriculture Awarded $313,000 in New Federal Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded more than $313,668 in new federal grants, of which the Guam Department of Agriculture will receive $242,726.02 and Farm to Table Guam will receive $70,942.00 for fiscal year 2018.
This new $242K grant will enable the Guam Department of Agriculture to help farmers better market and transport Guam-grown fresh fruits and produce, classified as “specialty crops” by the USDA. The nearly $71K USDA grant will enable Farm to Table Guam to help local farmers develop their business plans, including better supply chain management and new online order capability for direct-to-customer sales.
Delegate Bordallo strongly supports Guam farmers and has been encouraging the Farmer’s Cooperative Association of Guam to apply for USDA grant funding, such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program and Local Food Promotion Program, to expand the farmer’s market in Dededo and promote sustainable agriculture on Guam.
“These federal grants support our local farmers and will help to increase sustainable agriculture on Guam, which means healthier food options and more money kept on island. With the new farmers’ market and more and more locally grown options, I hope Guam residents will take advantage of all the wonderful fresh fruit and produce our farmers have to offer. There is no reason to continue importing foodstuffs that we can grow right here on Guam,” said Bordallo.
$1 Million federal grant to PEACE Partnerships for Success will fund suicide prevention, substance abuse programs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention awarded a $1 million grant to the PEACE Partnerships for Success program.
The PEACE Partnerships for Success program is coordinated through the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center and provides training and educational resources on suicide prevention and substance abuse issues. This federal grant will allow PEACE Partnerships for Success to continue to provide community outreach to prevent and reduce incidences of suicide and substance abuse on Guam.
“PEACE Partnership for Success has provided important resources and education in our community to prevent suicide and reduce substance abuse on Guam. I know firsthand the tragedies of suicide on families and loved ones, and it is important that our people, especially our youth, understand this is never a solution. I look forward to this this federal grant allowing PEACE Partnerships for Success to continue to provide preventative services in our community,” said Bordallo.