Heavy equipment OEM will once again provide $25,000 in free equipment use to one community to repair and/or build local infrastructure
CASE Construction Equipment has issued a call for entries for their 2017 Dire States Equipment Grant. Beginning in 2016, this is the second time that CASE has offered the grant, which provides one winning community with $25,000 in free equipment use to help offset the costs of building or repairing a critical piece of local infrastructure. Representatives of municipal, county and other local governments are eligible to apply for the grant. Entrants will be asked to describe the project and provide a detailed assessment of how that local piece of infrastructure will benefit the community.
The 2016 Dire States Equipment Grant was awarded to the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Tioga County, New York. The SWCD will use the grant to supplement their Environmentally Sensitive Stream Maintenance Program to mitigate damages from flooding events, which have had considerable impact on the local infrastructure and community in recent years.
Other examples of suitable infrastructure projects include: road/bridge repair or construction, utility pipe replacement, erosion control along lakes and rivers, wastewater system improvements and park/recreational construction. All projects that fall within the 16 core categories of infrastructure, as identified by ASCE in its Infrastructure Report Card, will be considered.
“Last year, we received submissions from all over the country, describing struggling infrastructure projects of all sizes,” says Scott Harris, vice president – North America, CASE. “These projects have a direct impact on the people of those communities, and we are looking forward to awarding this grant again in 2017.”
The grant is named for CASE’s infrastructure awareness and advocacy initiative, Dire States, which evolved from a national tour in 2013 that focused on raising awareness of America’s ailing infrastructure into active campaigning for specific programs and legislation.
Submissions can be completed at DireStates.com/Grant. The deadline for entry is April 18, 2017, and winners will be announced in May.
All local governments in the United States are eligible to apply. A full list of rules and submission criteria are available at DireStates.com/Grant. For more information on Dire States, visit DireStates.com. For more information on CASE, visit CaseCE.com.