Sacramento, CA (MPG) - FEMA has designated Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties as eligible to receive federal assistance from the agency’s Public Assistance Program.

On August 22, 2020, President Donald J. Trump granted a Major Disaster Declaration for California making FEMA assistance available to help people and communities recovering from wildfires that occurred August 14, 2020, and continuing. That disaster declaration was amended to add the three counties for assistance with emergency protective measures.

The president’s August 22 major disaster declaration included the following eight counties for individual assistance as well as public assistance for emergency protective measures: Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo.

Subsequently on September 5, the declaration was amended to designate Lake, Monterey, Napa, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma counties for Public Assistance with eligible debris removal projects.

The three counties added today bring to 11 the total number of California counties designated for public assistance as part of the major disaster declaration.

Eligible applicants for FEMA Public Assistance funds include state, county and local governments, federally recognized tribal governments, and some private non-profits such as educational and medical facilities. Typically, FEMA provides 75 percent of the cost of eligible projects. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex(including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency,economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.

For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may also call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also email [email protected] or visit SBA at SBA.gov/disaster.