New $575M funding opportunity available for coastal communities to improve resilience, adapt to climate change

The U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced a first-ever $575 million competitive funding opportunity to help coastal and Great Lake communities increase their resilience to extreme weather and rising sea levels. The challenge is the first and largest funding opportunity released under the $2.6 billion Inflation Reduction Act climate resilience framework, which was unveiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) earlier this month, according to a statement about the initiative.
“Through this first-ever regional approach to strengthening climate resilience, the Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring that communities across the country, especially underserved communities, have the resources they need to prepare for the growing impacts of the climate crisis,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in the statement. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge will help communities that share common challenges work together to develop innovative solutions while equipping them with essential resources to build a climate-ready future.”

Along with the $575 million, the climate framework also allocates $390 milion for Tribal communities to support habitat restoration and scientific research, among other things, $349 million to conserve fisheries, $100 million to support coastal and ocean-based businessess, and $50 million to place workers in resilience-related jobs.

Specifically, the competitive grant program has two tracks intended to help local governments address various stages of planning and building coastal resilience projects. The first track makes available $25 million to support strategy development with a focus on laying the groundwork for future resilience efforts. The second will support resilience and adaptation actions ($550 million), focusing especially on transformational climate adaptation actions. 

“These investments will benefit coastal and Great Lakes communities, including tribal communities and those that are marginalized, underserved and underrepresented,” reads a statement about the initiative. “While these historic new investments will complement existing investments in coastal resilience, the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge is unique in its focus on building enduring capacity within and across regional networks and its holistic approach to climate resilience.”

Notably, awarded communities will be able to receive technical support and assistance from NOAA for their projects. The investments are intended to help communities reduce climate risk by building and expanding regional partnerships, partnering with underrepresented communities, assessing risks, planning and strategizing, among other things. 

Through the grants, communities will be able to acquire valuable land, build natural infrastructure, improve the resilience of existing public infrastructure, protect access to coastal resources, and update policies, among other things.

“The challenge provides an unprecedented opportunity to work hand-in-hand with communities to develop tailored solutions that reduce risk and address coastal climate-related hazards,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “This investment will help align resources at the federal, state, tribal and regional levels, while emphasizing access for underserved communities—ensuring that all Americans benefit from this transformative approach to building resilience.” 

State and local governments; tribes and tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations; and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply. More information about the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge funding opportunity and how to apply, can be found on NOAA’s website.