Hagåtña, Guam – The Government of Guam was awarded $2,764,000 in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) on May 11, 2023. The award will fund the following initiatives:
- $1,789,000 to the Office of the Governor of Guam for the Southern Guam Flood Mitigation Project, with additional funding to support National Environmental Policy Act review and compliance.
- $975,000 to the Hågatña Restoration & Redevelopment Authority for the Hågatña River Channelization and Watershed Feasibility Study.
“These funds will build on the climate change mitigation measures initiated by our administration and, in the long-term, lead to the innovation of more resilient climate-ready infrastructure on our island,” said Governor Lou Leon Guerrero. “Our office continues working to pursue the federal grants that provide the financial support necessary to advance long-delayed local projects. We are keeping Guam’s sustainable green growth top of mind.”
“The completion of these studies will provide for the stronger protection of our coastal communities in the south and expand the economic potential of our island’s capital,” said Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio. “As we fasten our recovery, initiatives like these will help build our prosperity. We are grateful to the Office of Insular Affairs for their continued support.”
Additionally, the OIA is providing $649,996 in IRA funding to the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a rigorous evaluation of where potential coral reef restoration could decrease the hazards of erosion and flooding faced by coastal communities in Guam, Saipan, and Tinian in the Mariana Islands; and Tutuila, Tau, and Ofu-Olosega in American Samoa.
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