“Breaking Down the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative: What You Need to Know”
The United States Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, has announced a significant investment of $575 million in funding for 19 projects aimed at increasing climate resilience in the Great Lakes and coastal states and territories. This funding is part of NOAA’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, which is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and is a competitive program under NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts and Communities Initiative.
The goal of this initiative is to help coastal communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change, such as flooding, storm surge, and extreme weather events. This investment is the largest in the history of the Commerce Department and is a key component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious climate agenda.
The Climate Resilience Regional Challenge aligns with President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to direct 40 percent of certain federal investments’ benefits to disadvantaged communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution and underinvestment.
The funding offers two tracks: planning and capacity building awards, and implementation awards. Planning and capacity building awards focus on regions and communities that are already working on collaborative efforts to enhance coastal resilience, while implementation awards support transformational projects over five years.
The 19 projects recommended for funding range from $78.9 million in Alaska to $2 million in the Federated States of Micronesia. States and communities will use the funds to acquire vulnerable land, build natural infrastructure, strengthen public access to natural resources, and update local codes and policies to increase resilience.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad emphasized the importance of equity, inclusion, community engagement, and regional coordination in these funding efforts. NOAA will also provide technical assistance to recipients to support successful project implementation.
Overall, this investment represents a significant step towards building climate resilience in coastal communities and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to combating the climate crisis. The projects funded under this initiative will help protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change and build a more resilient future for all.