03.15.24

WA Tribes Awarded $32.2M to Fight Impacts of Climate Change, Cantwell and Murray Announce

18 tribes receive grants to fund relocation, water quality, and other climate resilience projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that 18 tribes and three tribal organizations in the State of Washington have been awarded a total of 28 grants from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Climate Resilience Program to help combat the disproportionate impact of climate change on tribal communities. 

The grants were made possible by funding included in the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which Sens. Cantwell and Murray were leaders in negotiating and passing.  

“This funding will support critical projects like the Lummi Nation's restoration of the South Fork Nooksack River Watershed, the Makah Tribe's new wastewater infrastructure to keep their community and environment safe, and the Hoh Tribe's efforts to move residents and Tribal facilities to higher ground,” Sen. Cantwell said.

“As climate change disrupts even more of our daily lives, we have a responsibility to Tribal communities to ensure they have the resources and support they need to adapt to the changing climate. Washington state’s Tribes are on the front lines of the climate crisis, which is why I am committed to fighting to strengthening federal investments in climate resiliency for Tribal communities. This funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, will help 21 Tribes and Tribal organizations across our state make their communities more resilient in the face of climate change—something I am going to continue to focus on as Chair of the Appropriations Committee,” Sen. Murray said.

“On behalf the Makah I want to thank Senators Murray and Cantwell for supporting this project.  It will provide essential sanitation services to tribal members at risk to climate change and will also allow for increased economic opportunity at the Hobuck Beach Resort,” Makah Tribal Council Chairman TJ Greene said. 

“Located in a 100-year flood plain and tsunami zone along the Pacific Ocean and the mighty Hoh River, the Hoh Indian Tribe has been working for decades to relocate our community to higher elevation given the lower village on the Hoh Indian Reservation faces extreme threat of harm from natural disaster due to climate change, geographical isolation, and limited infrastructure. The Tribe deeply appreciates the hard work and commitment of the Washington congressional delegation on enactment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and congressional appropriations and the dedication and focused engagement of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in assisting the Tribe on this pressing need. We raise our hands in deep thanks to Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell, and Representative Kilmer and to President Biden for helping to make safe housing a reality for the Hoh people,” Hoh Indian Tribe Chair Darlene Hollum said.

“We are extremely grateful to be receiving these federal funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Climate Resilience Program. This project will help mitigate climate change risks by supporting construction of an approximately 7,000 ft potable water line with the local water utility, Skagit PUD #1. The water line will provide a reliable source of water to supplement our uncertain groundwater source and inadequate fire flows, for protection of our community homes and government offices,” Upper Skagit Indian Tribe Chair Marilyn Scott said.

“Our Tribe is very excited about this Climate Resilience Grant that enables us to relocate our Fishery lab off the shoreline of Sequim Bay to an upland site.  Restoring our natural habitat and adjusting from past poor development practices is how our cultural practices can be implemented to counter the effects of climate change,”  Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman W. Ron Allen said.

The 28 grants announced today total $32,278,851. A full list of grant recipients is HERE.

Notable projects include:

Lummi Tribe - South Fork Nooksack Watershed Project: $9,803,699

With this funding, the Tribe will restore habitat for endangered salmon along 3.2 miles of the South Fork Nooksack River and Skookum Creek. The improvements will give salmon better places to spawn. The project will also increase the availability of clean, cool water for the Skookum Creek Hatchery to increase production of juvenile salmon for subsistence, ceremonial, and commercial fishing.

Hoh Indian Tribe - Hoh Highlands Development Project Phase 1 Housing: $4,000,000

Due to its location and low elevation, the Hoh Reservation and its residents are at extreme high risk of catastrophic weather events. The Tribe’s Hoh Highlands Development Project aims to move the residents and all tribal facilities to higher ground. With this funding, the Tribe plans to construct at least nine residences as part of Phase I of the project.

Makah Indian Tribe - Makah Critical Infrastructure & Community Health Resilience Project: $3,999,562

The Makah Tribe’s wastewater infrastructure is failing and leaching contaminated effluent at Hobuck Beach, exposing community and wildlife to bacteria and pathogens. With this funding, the Tribe will build new wastewater infrastructure that can withstand climate-induced impacts, such as extreme weather, flooding, sea level rise, and storm surge.

Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe - Jamestown Relocation of Tribal Trust Assets: $3,999,027

This funding will help the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe relocate its fishery lab off the Sequim Bay shoreline and move it to a new location upland.

Upper Skagit Indian Tribe - Final Design and Construction of Potable Water Inter-tie to Mitigate Climate Change Risks: $3,837,208

This funding will help build an approximately 7,000-foot water line with Skagit PUD #1, the local water utility. The water line will supplement the tribe’s current groundwater source, which is inconsistent.

The Tribal Climate Resilience Program, which supports climate and coastal planning and management for federally recognized tribes, received $220 million in funding in the Cantwell- and Murray-supported Inflation Reduction Act and $216 million in funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). 

Nearly every tribe in the State of Washington has a need for climate resilience funding due to river and coastal flooding, fires, and other hazards. Many coastal tribes are actively pursuing hardening or relocation efforts.

Sen. Cantwell ensured this funding was included in the legislation through her role as a senior member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Senators Cantwell and Murray also strongly supported additional funding for this program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Sen. Cantwell has a long history of helping the state's tribes face the challenges of climate change. In August 2022, Sen. Cantwell met with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe to discuss their upland village relocation road project, photos of her visit are available for use HERE. Last year, Sen. Cantwell helped secure $24.98 million to help the Shoalwater Bay Tribe build new infrastructure to help relocate its facilities upland. Senators Cantwell and Murray also enacted legislation to help the Hoh Indian Tribe relocate their reservation out of a tsunami zone and flood plain. In 2022, Senators Cantwell and Murray secured $10.7 million in BIL funds for Washington tribes dealing with the impacts of climate change.  

Sen. Murray has worked consistently to support Washington state’s Tribes and help them combat the effects of climate change, including in her role as Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Sen. Murray recently led passage of a six-bill funding package, signed into law by President Biden last Saturday, that included hundreds of millions for Tribes and Tribal priorities, including climate resiliency. The first funding package included $34 million for the Tribal Climate Resilience Program and a record $1.344 billion for Native American Programs and funding for Tribal projects in Washington state. This includes $3.7 million in Congressionally Directed Spending for the Makah Indian Tribe to build a new access road to Neah Bay and $8 million for the Lummi Nation to elevate Slater Road to preserve access and mobility during frequent flooding events, which Senators Murray and Cantwell both supported.

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