Vice President Harris announced on April 21 that the Department of Commerce has recommended $562 million in funding for nearly 150 projects across 30 coastal states and territories to make communities and the economy more resilient to climate change, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.
The awards are made under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative and are funded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act. The awards include $477 million for 149 nature-based infrastructure projects in 30 coastal states and territories.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is moving aggressively to tackle the climate crisis and help communities that are experiencing increased flooding, storm surge and more frequent extreme weather events,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These investments will create jobs while protecting people, communities and ecosystems from the threats of climate change, and help our nation take the steps it needs to become more resilient and build a clean energy economy.”
NOAA announced approximately $562 million in recommended funding to support the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative:
- $477 million for high-impact natural infrastructure projects strengthening coastal communities’ ability to respond to extreme weather events, pollution, and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats to help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities to address climate hazards and supporting community-driven restoration; and creating jobs in local communities.
- $46 million in additional funding through the NOAA National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Coastal Resilience Fund partnership for projects that will help communities prepare for increasing coastal flooding, sea-level rise and more intense storms, while improving thousands of acres of coastal habitats.
- $39.1 million in non-competitive funding to the 34 state and territorial coastal zone management programs and 30 national estuarine research reserves that work in partnership with NOAA under the Coastal Zone Management Act. Funding for these programs provides essential planning, policy development and implementation, research, education, and collaborative engagement with communities around the nation to protect coastal and estuarine ecosystems important for the resilience of coastal economies and the health of coastal environments.
Demand for funding focused on preparing for and adapting to climate change is high. In the first year, NOAA’s BIL Climate-Ready Coasts far exceeded the funding available. In response to this high demand, NOAA is leveraging these requests with funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, allowing more high-quality projects to be funded and move forward.
Read more about the projects recommended for funding at the Department of Commerce
