Wyoming Faces Federal Funding Cuts Amid Disaster Spending Review
By Andrew Graham, WyoFile
In a significant move aimed at reducing expenditures, White House officials are contemplating raising the damage threshold for federal assistance to local governments in the wake of natural disasters. Currently, Wyoming must report over $1.1 million in public infrastructure damage for federal aid eligibility, but new proposals could raise that figure to $4.4 million. This shift would leave Wyoming vulnerable, affecting recovery efforts from recent disasters, including last year’s wildfires and this year’s flooding.
Ashley Paulsrud from the Wyoming Department of Homeland Security cautioned that such a drastic change could hinder support when small towns face substantial disaster-related costs that still fall short of the new threshold. The department relies heavily, with 92% of its funding coming from federal sources, and many crucial grant programs could be jeopardized.
Past experiences reveal that while recent wildfires inflicted notable damage, public infrastructure losses remained below the impending threshold previously proposed. For example, the state faced tens of millions in costs due to the fires, yet public damages registered under $2 million, making federal recovery uncertain.
The potential cutback in FEMA funding and the shift of financial responsibility to states was underscored by recent refusals from federal authorities for disaster aid requests from multiple states. As Wyoming strategizes for potential shortfalls, state officials anticipate requesting increased local funding to safeguard disaster recovery efforts.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
