Portland Maine News

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, is applauding the Biden-Harris Administration’s $2.6 billion investment in climate resilience and coastal communities. This historic funding, made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, will help ensure communities, especially Tribes and vulnerable populations, have the resources and support needed to prepare, adapt, and build resilience to weather and climate events as well as strengthen workforce development, marine resources, nature-based solutions, conservation, regional partnerships, and Tribal priorities.

“The very real and damaging impacts of climate change are already taking a toll on our daily lives, environments, and industries that are vital to coastal communities’ way of life and economies,” said Pingree. “The significant and historic investment the Biden Administration announced today will go a long way in ensuring our communities on the frontlines of climate change, especially those that are underserved, can better withstand its environmental and economic impacts.”

“Under President Biden’s leadership, we are making the most significant direct investment in climate resilience in the nation’s history,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of our more than $2.6 billion investment in regional coastal resiliency and conservation projects, we will be dedicating $390 million directly to Tribal priorities for habitat restoration and bolstering fish populations, and supplying crucial funding to ensure our coastal communities are better prepared for the effects of climate change.”

The $2.6 billion in climate investments will support coastal communities’ resilience to changing climate conditions through funding and technical assistance for capacity building, transformational projects that help protect communities from storms and flooding, the creation of quality climate-related jobs, and improved delivery of climate services to communities and businesses. These programs include:

• Climate Resilience Regional Challenge ($575 million): NOAA will fund a new competitive grant program that will invest in holistic, collaborative approaches to coastal resilience at regional scales. This will include two funding tracks: Regional Collaborative Building and Strategy Development, and Implementation of Resilience and Adaptation Actions. Details will be available in early summer. 
• Tribal Priorities ($390 million): NOAA will provide funding specifically for tribes to support habitat restoration, fish passage, capacity building, science, fish hatcheries, and Pacific salmon.
• Climate-Ready Fisheries ($349 million): NOAA will support projects to conserve fisheries and protected species in coastal regions around the country. This work will enable NOAA to build dynamic fisheries management systems that incorporate climate and ecosystem environmental data to support management decisions.
• Ocean-Based Climate Resilience Accelerators ($100 million): NOAA will fund a new competitive business accelerator program to fill a critical unmet market need. These accelerators will support businesses with coastal and ocean-based resilience products and services related to NOAA’s mission as they navigate commercialization pathways. These businesses will help communities prepare for, adapt to, and build resilience to changing climate conditions. Details will be available in early summer 2023. NOAA will also advance existing resilience-related funding opportunities, through programs such as the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and the Ocean Technology Partnership program.
• Climate-Ready Workforce ($60 million):  NOAA will meet the emerging and existing needs of employers by placing workers in high quality jobs that enhance climate resilience. Funding will also aid training and support services that will help American workers advance their careers and implement climate resilience efforts within public and private sectors. Details on this new competition will be available in early summer.

In May, the U.S. House passed Pingree’s bipartisan Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act, which would direct NOAA to support the current efforts of coastal communities, particularly those who are underserved and rural, that are already facing the impacts of ocean acidification and better equip them with the resources to respond.

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