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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide Climate Pollution Reduction Grants to eight Tribes in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The Tribes will receive $78,441,385 in grants as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda.

The EPA selected 34 applications to fund projects nationwide to implement community-driven solutions to tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice and accelerate the clean energy transition.

In Oregon and Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe received $8,707,461 to conduct energy audits and energy efficiency improvements at two tribal buildings, install 49 kW solar arrays, replace 68 fleet vehicles with EV / PHEV cars, install 72 Level II and Level III EV chargers and plant more than 400,000 trees over five years.

In Washington, the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s project received $5,437,277 to hire a Climate Resiliency Program Manager to lead implementation, install heat pump systems and a 252 kW solar system at the Tribe’s Public Safety Building, add 409 kW solar to three tribal services buildings, install heat pumps in 31 Nisqually rental homes and install solar on 30 Nisqually rental homes, and create a residential energy efficiency incentive program for tribal members living off reservation to install heat pumps and complete weatherization upgrades.

Also in Washington, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe received $2,961,556 for its project to conduct forest restoration treatments in areas within the Ancestral Forest to enhance carbon sequestration, carry out restoration thinning on overstocked stands to mitigate wildfire risk, replant tree seedlings in barren stands and increase workforce capacity.

Others receiving funding include the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, $24,232,383; the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, $14,999,999; the Aleut of Saint Paul Island, $14,820,331; the Native Village of Eyak, $4,942,841; and the village of Solomon in Alaska, $2,339,537.

Grants for the proposed projects will support the implementation of greenhouse gas reduction measures that were identified by Tribal and territorial communities. When estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed projects would cumulatively reduce greenhouse gas pollution by more than 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050 – equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted from nearly 1.4 million homes’ electricity use for one year, according to a news release.