ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Federal officials have approved the first round of funding for Buncombe County through the Emergency Watershed Protection program to repair damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service approved $37.47 million for the county’s initial requests under the program, which provides post-disaster assistance to repair and stabilize damaged streams and streambanks and to remove storm debris to protect public and private infrastructure.

Eligible projects include removing trees that threaten bridges, reshaping eroded streambanks and other emergency measures aimed at reducing future flooding and erosion.

County officials said additional funding is still needed to fully implement the program. Staff members are completing the contracting process and continuing to work with affected property owners to obtain right-of-entry agreements.

Once contracts are finalized and further funding is secured, the county plans to issue a request for qualifications to hire engineering firms for project design and construction. Officials estimate the work will take two to five years to complete due to the number of sites involved and the complexity of the repairs.

During the initial phase of the program, a 46-member team from the Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District and partner agencies conducted 492 site inspections and received approval for 209 project locations. The program will provide engineered repairs at no cost to landowners at those sites.

While this marks the first round of EWP funding for Helene-related damage in Buncombe County, officials noted the county has previously completed similar projects following Tropical Storms Florence and Fred.