Montana has been selected to receive competitive federal funding that will reduce planet warming emissions. The money will target priority industries, like agriculture.
This spring cities and state governments submitted over 300 applications hoping to secure a piece of a 4 billion dollar federal pie to address climate change.
July 22nd, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced where the grants will be awarded, and Montana is one of 25 recipients across the country. The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation will receive over 49 million dollars to fund projects like expanding urban forests, extinguishing coal seam fires, and improving soil health on agricultural lands.
According to federal estimates, these projects will reduce emissions by 14.6 million metric tonnes by 2050.
EPA’s Region 8 Administrator, KC Becker says Montana’s plan rose to the top because it targeted emissions related to agriculture, natural resources and working lands.
“It's a really important piece and it's a good complement to everything else EPA, Department of Energy and other agencies are doing to boost the economy, improve climate, and improve air quality,” says Becker.
The EPA estimates that all the projects funded through these grants will reduce a total of 971 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide over 25 years. That is roughly equivalent to the amount of annual emissions from 5 million homes.
The grants are part of the nation’s largest package of climate spending, the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats and signed by President Biden in 2022
