Feds award $960K in response to 2020 wildfires
Aug. 9—In a continued push to assist in the clean-up and recovery efforts taking place after wildfires that occurred in August 2020 in Northern California, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Monday an incremental award of $961,059 to further support residents, including those in Yuba County.
Specifically, the federal department is using the money to "support continued disaster-relief employment and employment and training services" in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires.
The U.S. Department of Labor said its Employment and Training Administration, which administers National Dislocated Worker Grants, gave out an award in September 2020 of up to $6,877,500 with an initial release of $3,438,750. Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses, the U.S. Department of Labor said.
"The incremental award announced today brings the total project funds awarded to $4,399,809," the department said Monday in a news release. "The California Employment Development Department will use the funds to deliver employment and training services and provide disaster recovery employment to individuals in Butte, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba counties."
According to the department, "lightning strikes ignited more than 600 wildfires and burned more than one million acres of land across 20 counties, destroying homes and businesses" in Northern California. As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration in August 2020 which enabled California to request the funding.
