Last week the United States Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill that will fund the federal government until September 30, 2018. Two important programs that received funding directly affect communities in Southeast Alaska:
- Secure Rural Schools
- Essential Air Service
The Secure Rural Schools payments have been reestablished for the next two years. This program provides payments to communities whose land base contains federal forests. This will provide much needed relief to our Southeast Alaska communities. This affects every community in Senate District R.
The Essential Air Service program guarantees a minimal level of scheduled air service by certificate holding air carriers who access isolated communities. Access to air travel is vital to our way of life in Southeast Alaska. This is good news for local economies and those Alaskans living in isolated communities. There are 11 communities in Senate District R that will continue to benefit from this program.
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