Funding will strengthen NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative
A photo collage of some of the projects being recommended for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law/Inflation Reduction Act and NOAA's Climate-Ready Coasts initiative. (Image credit: NOAA)
Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department of Commerce and NOAA have recommended $69 million for a project in the U.S. Virgin Islands to make the territory’s coast more resilient to climate change and other coastal hazards. The awards are being made under the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a competitive, $575 million program funded through the nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“As part of President Biden’s commitment to combating the climate crisis, we are investing $575 million to help make sure America’s coastal communities are more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “As part of this historic investment in our nation’s climate resilience the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $69 million to help underserved communities in the U.S. Virgin Islands develop and implement new strategies to protect themselves from the impacts of climate change.”
Administered by the Department of Commerce and NOAA, the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on investing in high-impact projects that create climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats that help wildlife and humans thrive; building the capacity of underserved communities and support community-driven restoration; and providing employment opportunities.
“For the U.S. Virgin Islands, climate change and development stressors make it critical to preserve and protect the islands’ already limited natural resources,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “We’re excited to support this effort to strengthen resilience, grow the climate-ready workforce, and safeguard the region’s ecological and cultural heritage for the next generation of Virgin Islanders.”
The project is part of NOAA’s nearly $6 billion total investment under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. The recommended project in the U.S. Virgin Islands includes $69 million for work with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The project, Climate Resilience and Risk Reduction in the U.S. Virgin Islands, will enhance water security, offer protection from flooding and drought, protect cultural and ecological resources, increase public access and contribute to a climate-ready workforce. The project will build on local momentum that has been more than 40 years in the making. The project will enhance community resilience by 1) acquiring four properties at risk from development; 2) creating a working group to guide the implementation of nature-based solutions; and 3) training area youth to provide increased local capacity for conducting restoration projects.
“With territories like the Virgin Islands continuing to be disproportionately impacted by climate change, programs like the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Resilience Regional Challenge are critical,” shared Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett. “I am pleased that the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) is 1 of 19 recipients who has been recommended for funding to enhance community resilience through various community and government-led initiatives to enhance water security, protect cultural and ecological resources, and address issues like flooding and drought. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to demonstrate their significant commitment to investing in climate resilience and I am grateful. Congratulations to DPNR for building upon momentum that has been more than 40 years in the making, to be continued through the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge.”
Additional information is available on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge website.
Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources.
