Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released the following statement regarding three important grants totaling $13.5 million from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles:
“Today, I am pleased to announce a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that provides funding for three Virgin Islands government agencies. The grant for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) is for $3,231.954.93 in federal funding. The funds are for permanent repairs to the St. Thomas BMV Main Office Building for damages that happened as a result of Hurricane Maria.
“I am also pleased to announce two other grants from FEMA for the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The first grant is for $6,213,969 in federal funding to be used for the purpose of repairing damages caused to the Fort Frederik Museum by Hurricane Maria. The second grant is for $2,902,538.25 in federal funding to be used for the purpose of repairing damages at the Charles W. Turnbull Regional Public Library Building.
“The final portion of the grant is for $1,192,715.24, awarded to the V.I. Department of Agriculture for permanent work to be done to the Forestry Building on St. Croix.
“These important grants will benefit the Virgin Islands tremendously in our ongoing rebuilding efforts. The United States government and the international community [have] an obligation to work with the affected local governments to restore infrastructure and help rebuild our islands.”