Press Releases

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) voted today in support of the Senate-passed Continuing Resolution (CR), which will include $65 million for Emergency Watershed Protection funds. The bill passed the House of Representatives today by 318 to 109.  

“Today, I voted for an important bill that included additional funding for critical programs like Head Start, Child Care and Development Block Grants and scientific research that can help to grow innovation and jobs,” said Rep. Jared Polis. “I am proud to have worked with other members of the Colorado congressional delegation to ensure that the spending bill included $65 million for Emergency Watershed Protection funds, which will ensure communities impacted by the High Park and Waldo Canyon wildfires have the resources they need to recover. I will continue to work with the Natural Resource Conservation Service to ensure that this funding is given out quickly to communities like Larimer county that need it the most. Additionally, I will advocate to include more money to help those who fight fires in spending bills that will be debated in the months ahead.”

The Emergency Watershed Program, administered by the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service, is essential to protecting citizens’ safety and helping communities address post-fire hazards, such as flooding. EWP funding helps communities stabilize soil and prevent erosion to protect water infrastructure. The funding is particularly important in Fort Collins, where the High Park fire has threatened the municipal water supply.

Congressman Polis authored a February 14 letter requesting EWP funding for Stafford Act designated areas to be designated in any spending bills for Fiscal Year 2013 or in the Fiscal Year 2014 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The House spending bill included $48,256,765 for flood prevention funding.

Polis also led an earlier letter on November 30 letter to House appropriators, along with other Colorado House members, urging inclusion of the funding in this year’s emergency disaster package. The funding was not included in the Hurricane Sandy disaster relief bill.