The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announced Sept. 23 its financial awards for the fiscal year 2021 Tribal Climate Resilience Program (TCRP), totaling $13.84 million for several American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Tribal nations and organizations, according to a BIA press release.
The TCRP awarded 135 grants, which will be used to finance projects for 79 tribes and 13 tribal organizations throughout the country, according to an awards summary provided by the BIA.
“This funding is part of our ongoing commitment to support Tribes in managing and adapting to a changing climate,” Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Darryl LaCounte stated in the BIA press release.
The BIA believes that more than 250,000 AIAN people benefit from these awards.
“The development of Tribally designed training, adaptation plans and assessments, data and tools will support and empower Tribal managers as they face environmental and other impacts that are increasing in severity and frequency due to climate change,” LaCounte added.
Additionally, the grants will bolster existing contributions from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which includes a $466 million investment for the BIA.
Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland highlighted the investments during a recent visit to tribal communities in Washington, where she also addressed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and how it would help vulnerable tribal communities, according to a press release from the DOI.
“As coastal communities face the increasing threat of rising seas, coastal erosion and storm surges, our focus must be on bolstering climate resilience,” Haaland said. “The investments discussed today are central to the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to building more resilient communities and protecting the natural environment.”
The funds, which were granted on Sept. 9, will help organizations with various types of climate adaptation projects such as ocean and coastal management planning, capacity building and relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place planning for climate threats.
The BIA TCRP has granted more than $74 million to Tribes and intertribal organizations through 704 grants between 2011 and 2021.
