Commerce Department announces $562M for coastal resiliency projects

Dive Brief:

• The Department of Commerce has recommended $562 million in funding for nearly 150 projects across 30 states and territories focused on climate change resiliency projects.
• Announced on Fridaythe awards will be made under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative with funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
• The projects will focus on helping communities that are experiencing increased flooding, storm surge and more frequent extreme weather events, said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in the press release.

Dive Insight:

The grants will include $477 million for high-impact natural infrastructure projects strengthening coastal communities’ ability to respond to extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris.

An additional $46 million will help communities prepare for increasing coastal flooding, sea-level rise and more intense storms and improve thousands of acres of coastal habitats, while $39.1 million will go toward planning, policy development and implementation, research, education and collaborative engagement.

For example, Florida will receive $78.7 million in funding for 16 projects that include stream, creek and coral reef restoration and stormwater management solutions. Louisiana’s 12 grants worth $40.3 million will focus on removing debris from the Gulf of Mexico, restoring oyster reefs and the construction of living shorelines along the coast.

Click here for a list of all the grants by state and territory.

“These investments will create jobs while protecting people, communities and ecosystems from the threats of climate change, and help our nation take the steps it needs to become more resilient and build a clean energy economy,” Raimondo said.