Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee visited the Quinault Indian Reservation on Tuesday to help announce $52 million in funding for tribes to implement climate resiliency projects.
The funding comes from the state’s Tribal Climate Resilience Grant Program, which supports disaster preparedness efforts and clean energy projects. The program is funded by the Climate Commitment Act, which created a cap-and-invest market to help limit carbon emissions from large polluters.
The Quinault Indian Nation, located in Northwest Washington along the Pacific Ocean, is threatened by rising sea levels and increasing flooding, The Associated Press reported this month.
The tribe will apply a $13 million award from the grant program toward moving its two main villages, Taholah and Queets, out of coastal flood and tsunami hazard zones.
The Department of Commerce administers the funds through direct appropriations, formula grants and competitive grant funding. The funding is designed to support climate resilience for 28 federally recognized tribes in Washington, and four federally recognized tribes with lands within the state.
“These tribal nations are leaders in green energy and economies, which I’ve seen first-hand in my tours across the state,” Department of Commerce Director Mike Fong said in a press release. “Their perspectives can enrich the shared vision of a clean energy future that will protect our environment while creating good jobs for generations.”
Initiative 2117, a measure on November’s ballot, would eliminate the Climate Commitment Act.
