President Joe Biden signed into law a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package Nov. 15. He signed the bill at a White House event with lawmakers from both parties.
Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the bill will help combat climate change and fortify valuable infrastructure in Tribal communities.
“As the effects of climate change continue to intensify, Indigenous communities are facing unique climate-related challenges that pose existential threats to Tribal economies, infrastructure, livelihoods and health," she said in a DOI press release. "Coastal communities are facing flooding, erosion, permafrost subsidence, sea level rise, and storm surges, while inland communities are facing worsening drought and extreme heat."
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal’s historic investments in Tribal communities will help bolster community resilience, replace aging infrastructure and provide support needed for climate-related relocation and adaptation, she added.
Over the summer, Haaland emphasized the importance of climate resilience and internet access in a visit with the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington.
According to the press release, the infrastructure deal includes $466 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), to support infrastructure projects and climate resiliency initiatives.
The bill also includes additional investments such as $250 million for construction, repair, improvement and maintenance of irrigation and power systems, safety of dams, water sanitation and other facilities; and $216 million for Tribal climate resilience, adaptation and community relocation planning, design and implementation of projects to address climate challenges facing Tribal communities across the country.
The BIA announced funding for Tribal climate resilience projects in September.
“Climate change is being most keenly felt in Tribal communities throughout Indian Country and in the unique coastal and interior environments across the state of Alaska, which are home to thousands of Alaska Native people,” said Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Newland in a press release. “President Biden’s executive order on the climate crisis has strengthened our mission to aid the Tribal nations we serve in their efforts to build resilience to the threat climate change has had, and continues to have, on their very existence. We will do all we can to support those efforts, and the BIA’s Tribal Climate Resilience Program is one example of that commitment.”
