Farm Progress

Secretaries meet with community members in wake of Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif.

Farm Press Staff

November 27, 2018

1 Min Read
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue hosts a breakfast meeting with leaders of the Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force, at the USDA headquarters' Lincoln Dining room, in Washington D.C., on July 25, 2017. USDA Photo By Lance Cheung.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began a two-day swing through California on Monday with a tour of Camp Fire damage in Paradise, Calif.

The roughly one-hour tour began at the Paradise Alliance Church and included two other stops, according to an advisory issued by the USDA's press office. Before the tour, Perdue and Zinke met with community leaders, Camp Fire survivors, and firefighters working to stabilize the area. Perdue suggested donating trees from the nearby Plumas National Forest to rebuild Paradise, much of which was destroyed by the fire, the Associated Press reported.

Today the secretaries were slated to join Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Rickey "R.D." James near the Funks Reservoir north of Sacramento for an overview and update on the Sites Reservoir project as well as an announcement on USDA funding for the project. Following the reservoir visit, the officials were to tour Strain Ranches in Arbuckle, Calif., and hold a roundtable discussion with California producers.

The Sites project update and roundtable discussion are scheduled to include Reps. Doug LaMalfa, David Valadao and Jeff Denham, all California Republicans.

Firefighters have finally achieved full containment of the Camp Fire, which started Nov. 8 and killed at least 85 people, according to state and federal agencies. The 153,336-acre blaze destroyed nearly 15,000 homes, 528 commercial buildings and 4,293 other structures.

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