Land Trust Alliance Applauds New Federal Dollars for Natural Climate Solutions, Other Conservation Initiatives in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 15, 2021) – The Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America, today welcomed President Biden’s signature on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes funding for natural climate solutions, ecosystem restoration projects and disaster mitigation efforts.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act grants $492 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Coastal Resilience Fund grants to conserve land along United States coasts; $1 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, pivoting the agency from reactive, post-disaster spending toward a proactive investment in community resilience with a focus on natural infrastructure; and $1.7 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency’s watershed-specific programs to advance work through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
“This historic package supports the important work of land trusts as they serve their local communities,” said Andrew Bowman, president & CEO of the Land Trust Alliance. “Moreover, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enhances provisions to facilitate interstate electric transmission projects while including safeguards to avoid disrupting sensitive environmental and cultural heritage sites. This language could provide important protection for lands in conservation status as our nation shifts to more electrification and away from fossil fuels.
“This legislation provides for investments in natural infrastructure that will help the United States better respond to our changing climate. On behalf of the Land Trust Alliance and its nearly 1,000 members, I thank each elected official who helped get the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act across the finish line.
“At the same time, there is more Congress must do this month to support land conservation. The language included in the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act should be part of the evolving Build Back Better Act. To omit the bipartisan Integrity Act’s text hurts taxpayers and gives a green light for tax cheats to continue abusing the federal incentive for conservation easement donations.”
About the Land Trust Alliance
Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America. The Alliance represents nearly 1,000 member land trusts supported by more than 200,000 volunteers and 4.6 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., and operates several regional offices. More information about the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.