U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Michigan State Director Dom Restuccia today celebrated the dedication of a patrol and rescue boat for Oceana County.

"This is a huge boost to public safety on Silver Lake and highlights the focus on improving emergency response capabilities by Secretary Brooke Rollins and the Trump-Vance Administration," said Restuccia.

USDA provided a $50,000 grant through the Community Facilities program to help Oceana County purchase a patrol and rescue boat capable of launching a dive team. The new boat will significantly improve the dive team's rescue capabilities at Silver Lake State Park. The park is an all-sports lake with nearly 80% shoreline and roughly 1.5 million visitors each year. Oceana County's previous 20-year-old patrol boat could no longer safely support dive operations. The county contributed $149,915 to the project.

USDA Rural Development invests in rural America with programs to promote rural prosperity. These programs expand access to high-speed internet, electricity and infrastructure, and support economic growth, healthcare, education, housing and other community essentials. Discover more investment details and historical data in the Rural Data Gateway and learn more about the agency at www.rd.usda.gov/mi .