11.02.22

Alaska Tribes and Organizations Receive over $18 Million for Tribal Climate Resilience Projects

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today announced 48 awards benefitting Tribes and tribal organizations in Alaska amounting to more than $18 million to address the impacts of climate change. These investments will support adaptation planning, climate implementation actions, ocean and coastal management planning, capacity building, relocation, managed retreat, and protect-in-place for climate risks projects.

“Communities across Alaska face growing risks from coastal erosion, flooding, ocean acidification, threats to food security, degrading permafrost, need for relocation, and more. The $18 million in awards announced today will support Alaskan communities build much needed climate resilience, whether that is funding for Golovin to continue their retreat management, an erosion and flood assessment for Tuluksak, a Kodiak food systems vulnerability assessment, an ocean and coastal monitoring plan for the Qawalangin Tribe, a permafrost assessment for Chefornak, or a managed retreat housing prototype for Unalakleet,” said Senator Murkowski. “Through the bipartisan infrastructure law, I prioritized funding for BIA climate resilience programs to assist communities who are facing threats to their infrastructure and ways of life.”

The funding for the projects announced today comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), $20 million, and Fiscal Year 2022 annual appropriations, $25 million. The IIJA provided $216 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) over five years for climate resilience programs, with $130 million for community relocation and $86 million for Tribal climate resilience and adaptation projects.

Click here for more information on the awards.