Fires and floods from the last few years put climate disasters on the forefront of a lot of people’s minds. Now, a $71 million federal grant will help the Monterey Bay area prepare for the effects of climate change.
The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation won the grant, which was administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The foundation is now leading a coalition of 21 local partners on dozens of projects stretching from Big Sur to northern Santa Cruz County. Foundation director Robert Mazurek says collaboration was the key to winning the grant.
“They saw a community that was well partnered, integrated and had a vision for the future,” he said.
The partners include local colleges and various nonprofits. Jonathan Pilch is the director of Watsonville Wetlands Watch, a nonprofit in the Pajaro Valley. Their part of the grant will focus on workforce development.
“Our piece is really connecting youth and young adults who live in the communities that are most affected by climate change and providing them opportunities to develop their skill sets and go on to work and solve problems and create solutions for the big challenges that we have,” said Pilch.
Local cities and tribes are also involved. Charlene Eigen-Vasquez is the co-chair of the Confederation of Ohlone People and leads Four Directions Consulting.
“A number of tribes have been around for decades doing the work on their own without any kind of financial support, not a lot of partnership support, and we're really excited to have them engage,” she said.
The partners plan to kickstart all of the projects within the next six months.
