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Golden LEAF Foundation awards $8 million in funding to advance economic opportunity

By Stephanie Meador, posted Dec 12, 2022 on BizFayetteville.com

Photo courtesy of Golden LEAF

On Dec. 1 the Golden LEAF Board of Directors announced they had awarded a total of $8 million to support projects through a number of programs throughout nine counties across North Carolina. 

A portion of these funds from Golden LEAF will benefit projects in Sampson and Bladen counties, with $5.8 million in funding going to support projects through the SITE Program and $1,336,550 in funding for projects through the Flood Mitigation Program.

The SITE Program offers resources to help communities identify potential sites for economic development, provides funding to complete due diligence on publicly controlled sites, and provides funding to extend public utilities to publicly controlled sites or to conduct clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites. 

Sampson County received $265,112.38 in development funding to clear and grade an approximately 10-acre lot within an existing 120-acre industrial park. 

* “The Golden LEAF Board of Directors established the SITE Program to help rural communities make sites available for development to attract new businesses and create opportunities for existing businesses to expand,” said Scott T. Hamilton, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer. “This SITE Program project will help Sampson County be prepared for future industry recruitment or expansion opportunities.”

The Golden LEAF Board also awarded $1,336,550 in funding to seven projects through the Flood Mitigation Program in Bladen, Currituck, Duplin, Haywood, Iredell, and Wake counties.

The Town of White Lake in Bladen County received $82,500 to develop a stormwater management plan for the town to address localized flooding it experiences during heavy rain events.

* “The Golden LEAF Foundation was entrusted by the N.C. General Assembly to administer a program for local governments seeking to mitigate flooding in their community,” said Hamilton. “We are pleased to provide the Town of White Lake with the funding for developing a stormwater management plan to help address flooding during heavy rain events.”

“This year, the Golden LEAF Board awarded over $100 million in funding to support job creation and economic investment, agriculture, workforce preparedness, and flood mitigation,” said Golden LEAF Board Chair Don Flow in a press release. “These projects will help create thousands of jobs, train hundreds of workers, and support dozens of new industrial sites, as well as support communities in being more resilient to flooding. As we reflect on this year’s economic wins, our commitment is to continue to support long-term economic success.”

The State of North Carolina appropriated the Golden LEAF Foundation $25 million for a Flood Mitigation Program. The Flood Mitigation Program will award funding up to $250,000 per project. Funds may only be awarded to units of local government.

 

*Additional quotes incorporated on 12/13/22

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