SEAP Brief: Community Voice in Federal Funds

The new Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) provide $250 million in planning grants and $4.6 billion in implementation grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency administers CPRG with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and is part of the Justice40 Initiative to advance environmental justice. In 2024 and 2025, state and large Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) are in the planning grant phase to identify high-priority actions for reducing emissions. They will create Priority Climate Action Plans by March 2024 and Comprehensive Climate Action Plans by mid-2025. These two plans must include community engagement as described in this brief, which highlights efforts that took place in Pima County, Arizona. Community leaders designed a multi-pronged approach to community engagement for their climate action plans. Pima County Department of Environmental Quality leads the effort in partnership with Tucson, South Tucson, the Tohono O’Odham Nation, and Oro Valley.