The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation has received a $750,000 grant from the Washington state Department of Commerce to promote climate resilience amongst tribes.
The funding is part of $52 million in grants Commerce announced on Tuesday, with the money coming from the state’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
Gov. Jay Inslee, who has championed climate initiatives while in office, and Commerce Director Mike Fong traveled to the Quinault Indian Nation along the Washington Coast to make the announcement.
“This CCA funding will help nearly all of the tribes within Washington prepare for the climate risks ahead,” Inslee said in a statement. “Environmental justice is foundational to the CCA, and tribes know best how to protect their land and people. I appreciate that Commerce co-designed this grant in a way that honors tribal sovereignty and knowledge.”
According to the Commerce Department, the agency consulted tribes when developing a strategy to appropriate the $52 million, and, in response, the money is being administered as direct appropriations, formula grants and competitive grants.
“Tribal citizens are crucial, forward-thinking leaders in addressing climate resilience,” Fong said in a statement. “These tribal nations are leaders in green energy and economies, which I’ve seen first-hand in my tours across the state. Their perspectives can enrich the shared vision of a clean energy future that will protect our environment while creating good jobs for generations.”
According to the Commerce Department, the Quinault Nation will use $13 million to move two main villages, Taholah and Queets, out of the Olympic Coast’s flooding and tsunami zone.
“We are incredibly grateful for this funding allowing us to take a big step forward in our mission to get our people, our homes and our critical infrastructure out of harm’s way,” Quinault Indian Nation President Guy Capoeman said in a statement. “Funding for a new ‘Generations Building’ is truly a blessing. It will allow us to serve our elders and children, our most precious resource, in a safe space while providing an emergency shelter and operations base when we need to respond to inevitable flooding and other natural disasters that are part of life on the coast.”
In June, the Commerce Department and the Chehalis tribe signed a “historic” agreement to establish government-to-government relations between the entities.
The agreement aims to remove administrative barriers while improving communications, data privacy and other security measures. Among other benefits, the memorandum of understanding is expected to expedite the process for the tribe to receive Commerce grants.
In May, the Commerce Department awarded the Chehalis Tribe $251,000 to build a 121-kilowatt roof-mounted solar installation on the tribe’s community center and to conduct a feasibility study on the potential for future battery storage.
Voters in Washington will decide the fate of the CCA on the November ballot through Initiative 2117, which would repeal large swaths of the climate policy if approved by voters.
