LETTER: Clarification of 'Storms rip reservations' story

Dear Editors:

I attempted to e-mail Estella Claymore regarding her story “Storms rip reservations” that ran July 14 in the Native American Times. Unfortunately, the e-mail address listed at the bottom of the story (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) did not work. I appreciated your publications covering the disaster recovery efforts taking place on reservations in South Dakota and Montana. There are a couple of items I’d like to clarify regarding the information reported.



First, the story indicated that the Yankton Sioux Tribe was not declared a disaster area by the President. In fact, the Yankton Sioux Tribe is eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance under the Public Assistance declaration the President approved on May 13, 2010. This declaration allows the tribe to be reimbursed for emergency protective measures and the repair or rebuilding of publicly-owned facilities and infrastructure damaged by flooding March 10-June 20.



In addition, the story listed the federal cost share for Public Assistance at 70 percent. The federal cost share for Public Assistance under a major disaster declaration is actually 75 percent.



In addition to FEMA assistance, the State of South Dakota also provided help. Terry Woster with the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management can provide additional details on assistance from the state. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (605) 773-3178.



Thank you for the opportunity to clarify this information. If you have any additional questions or decide to write additional stories relating to FEMA’s role in disaster response and recovery please don’t hesitate to contact our office. Our 24-hour contact number is (303) 235-4908. We always appreciate the opportunity to provide accurate information regarding FEMA programs in your communities.

Sincerely,

Derek Jensen

External Affairs Specialist

FEMA Region VIII

Denver, CO

(303) 242-1014