Miami, FL — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following statement after Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to administer $380.7 million in grant funding for Florida’s timber industry following the impact of Hurricane Michael:

“It’s great news that USDA and the State of Florida have reached an agreement on the timber disaster block grant program,” Rubio said. “The timber industry is integral to Northwest Florida’s economy, but Hurricane Michael’s destruction decimated timber tracts, erasing decades of investments and putting the viability of the regional economy in jeopardy. Today’s announcement is a critical step towards recovery for Florida’s timber growers, who lost an estimated $1.3 billion due to the hurricane, and I look forward to continuing to help the timber industry get back on its feet.”

• November 8, 2019: Rubio Welcomes USDA Announcement of $380.7 Million Block Grants for Florida
• October 25, 2019: Congress must see that victims of Hurricane Michael are not forgotten | Marco Rubio
• September 26, 2019: Rubio Secures Critical Funding for Florida in the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill
• August 14, 2019: Rubio Holds Hearing on Hurricane Michael's Lingering Effects on Northwest Florida's Small Businesses
• June 7, 2019: Rubio Leads Florida, Georgia Colleagues in Urging USDA to Use Disaster Funds to Assist Forest Landowners and Timber Growers
• May 28, 2019: Rubio, Hyde-Smith, Wicker, Cotton Introduce Bill to Help Private Forest Owners Recover From Disasters
• January 24, 2019: Rubio Secures Key Funding For Florida, Urges Democratic Colleagues To End Shutdown