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Decision On Aid Won’t Affect Yankton Parks
By Nathan Johnson
nathan.johnson@yankton.net
A lack of federal assistance for repairing state parks along the Missouri River will not have an impact on the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area, a Game, Fish and Parks (GF&P) official says.
State Parks and Recreation Director Doug Hofer told the Legislature’s joint committee on appropriations this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has ruled that park and recreation areas along the river are not eligible for damage assistance.
A message left with Hofer’s office Thursday was not returned by press time.
Of the state’s 130 park areas, 42 were damaged by flooding. Thirty-seven of those were along the Missouri River. The GF&P had anticipated that FEMA would cover $2 million of the estimated $9 million in repairs that are needed.
According to a report in the Aberdeen American News, Hofer said FEMA determined that a federal law gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a flood easement along the shore, making the park areas ineligible for assistance.
Jeff Van Meeteren, the regional park supervisor, said Yankton parks were not among the most heavily impacted areas.
“We did have some small claims that we’ve basically already taken care of in terms of repairing the damage locally,” he stated, adding that the work included things like grass seeding. “They were pretty minor, and we just shifted some funds around. Some of it came from savings we had because of the flooding last year.”
According to a presentation given by the GF&P to the Legislature, the areas with the greatest impacts were the Oahe Downstream Recreation Area, Farm Island Recreation Area, LaFramboise Island Nature Area, Cedar Shores Lakeside Use Area, American Creek Recreation Area, Platte Creek Recreation Area, Randall Creek Recreation Area, North Point Recreation Area, Spillway Lakeside Use Area, Fisher Grove State Park, Lake Thompson Recreation Area and Adams Homestead.
According to the American News, Gov. Dennis Daugaard is requesting $2 million from the Legislature in order to cover the loss of the expected FEMA assistance. The GF&P is also seeking to use $1.6 million that it had budgeted for other items in 2012 to pay for some of the expenses. Additionally, more money will be sought in the Legislature’s 2013 budget to address the damage.
State Parks and Recreation Director Doug Hofer told the Legislature’s joint committee on appropriations this week that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has ruled that park and recreation areas along the river are not eligible for damage assistance.
A message left with Hofer’s office Thursday was not returned by press time.
Of the state’s 130 park areas, 42 were damaged by flooding. Thirty-seven of those were along the Missouri River. The GF&P had anticipated that FEMA would cover $2 million of the estimated $9 million in repairs that are needed.
According to a report in the Aberdeen American News, Hofer said FEMA determined that a federal law gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a flood easement along the shore, making the park areas ineligible for assistance.
Jeff Van Meeteren, the regional park supervisor, said Yankton parks were not among the most heavily impacted areas.
“We did have some small claims that we’ve basically already taken care of in terms of repairing the damage locally,” he stated, adding that the work included things like grass seeding. “They were pretty minor, and we just shifted some funds around. Some of it came from savings we had because of the flooding last year.”
According to a presentation given by the GF&P to the Legislature, the areas with the greatest impacts were the Oahe Downstream Recreation Area, Farm Island Recreation Area, LaFramboise Island Nature Area, Cedar Shores Lakeside Use Area, American Creek Recreation Area, Platte Creek Recreation Area, Randall Creek Recreation Area, North Point Recreation Area, Spillway Lakeside Use Area, Fisher Grove State Park, Lake Thompson Recreation Area and Adams Homestead.
According to the American News, Gov. Dennis Daugaard is requesting $2 million from the Legislature in order to cover the loss of the expected FEMA assistance. The GF&P is also seeking to use $1.6 million that it had budgeted for other items in 2012 to pay for some of the expenses. Additionally, more money will be sought in the Legislature’s 2013 budget to address the damage.
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