The purpose of this grant agreement is to provide funding to tejon indian tribe to develop or enhance climate action plans that establish near-term and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission…

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $154,028 Cooperative Agreement under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) to the Tejon Indian Tribe to develop and enhance climate action plans. The purpose is to establish near-term and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals and strategies to address the highest priority sectors to help the Tribe achieve those goals.

The key activities include developing a GHG inventory and mitigation plan for the Tribe's reservation and residences, as well as GHG mitigation guidance for a 300-acre development. The project will focus on identifying high-priority, implementation-ready measures to reduce GHG pollution in the energy and digitalization sectors. The funding supports the development of a Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) that will specify strategies, goals, and timelines for implementing and financing emission reduction measures. The Tribe will engage with stakeholders to incorporate diverse perspectives and ensure successful implementation of the climate action plans.

The purpose of this grant agreement is to provide funding to tejon indian tribe to develop or enhance climate action plans that establish near-term and long-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals and develop strategies to address the highest priority sectors to help the tribe(s) or territory achieve those goals. This agreement provides full federal funds in the amount of $154,028.00. Preaward costs have been approved back to 07/01/2023. Activities:the activities to be performed include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Specific activities include developing a green house gas inventory and mitigation plan for tejon's reservation, its tribal residences in kern county, and GHG mitigation guidance for the 300-acre development. In this project, the team will identify a focused list of near-term, high-priority, implementation-ready measures to reduce GHG pollution and analysis of GHG emissions reductions that would be achieved through implementation. Consequently, the team will not define any emission targets as limiting but as a guideline or metric to select the high-priority measures for implementation. The team will focus on energy and digitalization sectors which will reduce the reservation's GHG footprint as soon as possible and equip the project team with additional tools to unlock reduction opportunities by having more granular data.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); and a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap). The pcap will use data from the BIA EIS and benefit from coordinating with the bakersfield climate action planning. The pcap will focus on filling gaps and expanding the work done in the 2022 comprehensive energy plan on quantifying emissions from buildings, residences, transportation, water, waste management, and land use. The comprehensive climate action plan (ccap) will focus on prioritizing energy measures that have the highest potential to reduce climate pollution. The recommendations will align with existing federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and commitments, such as the california climate crisis act (AB 1279), the SAN joaquin valley pollution control district's pollution mitigation goals, and the tribe's sustainability goals. To support the implementation of the climate pollution reduction strategy (considered to be both the pcap and ccap collectively), the tribe expects to secure grants for the climate actions recommended in the pcap and the more detailed recommendations in the ccap. The two grant deliverables (pcap and ccap) will specify strategies, goals, and timelines for implementing and financing emission reduction measures. The timeline and budget for the cap implementation will be determined through a planning process, considering the unique needs and opportunities of the tribe. Recognizing the importance of community engagement, the tribe will emphasize stakeholder outreach involving tribal members, community leaders, tribal departments, officials in the neighboring kern county, pacific gas and electric (electric utility), and other relevant stakeholders. This inclusive approach aims to incorporate diverse perspectives, build partnerships, and ensure the successful implementation of the cap. The expected outcomes include a pcap and ccap that identifies: tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced annually; and tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The intended beneficiaries include members of tejon indian tribe.