The agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the fort peck tribes to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan that will…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $310,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) to the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes (doing business as the Fort Peck Tribe Executive Board) to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Over the 4-year performance period, the tribe will produce a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) by March 2024 and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) by the end of the grant term. The plans will inventory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, quantify reduction measures, analyze benefits, and engage community stakeholders to identify priority climate challenges and solutions. Expected outcomes include reduced GHG and co-pollutant emissions, increased stakeholder awareness, and improved environmental resiliency for reservation residents and visitors.

The agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the fort peck tribes to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan that will support actions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and harmful air pollutants. The fort peck reservation is comprised of 3,200 square miles in northeast montana. The fort peck tribes climate mitigation plans will be led by the fort peck tribes office of environmental protection. In concert with their partner organizations, the fort peck tribes community college and the assiniboine sioux rural water supply system, the fort peck tribes will focus climate mitigation plans on inventorying and analyzing the current and future climate concerns for the reservation and identifying resiliency and implementation actions. The GHG inventory will be used to gain a better understanding of current and future climactic challenges. Community engagement activities will help to inform reports by identifying concerns in sectors such as ecology, health, and business.activities:in general, activities include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). The fort peck tribes will utilize public input through engagement events such as community workshops and open house events. Committees and subcommittees will be formed to establish concerns and direct stakeholder engagement. Using community feedback and other data, a risk assessment protocol will be created and applied to sectors of concern to create a prioritized list of problems and potential solutions. Risk assessments will then be performed to prioritize action strategies and set concrete climate goals. Other activities include coordinating with outside federal agencies for expertise and identifying funding sources and potential collaborative opportunities.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:two key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap), due march 1, 2024, and a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap), due at the end of the grant period. The pcap will include a GHG inventory, quantitative GHG reduction measures, a benefits analysis, and a review of authority to implement activities. The ccap will include an overview of significant GHG sources/sinks and sectors within the fort peck reservation, near-term and long-term GHG emission reduction goals, and strategies and measures to address the highest priority sectors. Expected outcomes include a pcap and ccap that identifies: tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures and tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced annually. Other expected outcomes include: increased awareness and interaction with stakeholders about climate needs and improved environmental resiliency. The intended beneficiaries include all residents of and visitors to the fort peck reservation.