Project Grant 02J95501

This Project Grant award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (CFDA 66.616) provides $2,904,935 in funding to Spruce Root, Inc., a non-profit organization, to engage rural, disadvantaged tribal communities in Southeast Alaska. The project aims to improve the ability of these communities to participate in environmental decision-making processes. Key activities include facilitating community engagement in government decision-making, assessing environmental and climate justice policy needs, piloting and expanding relevant education programs, supporting environmental and climate justice projects, and developing a sustainability strategy. Spruce Root will partner with the Organized Village of Kake and Sitka Conservation Society to deliver these activities, which are expected to train 80 youth in leadership and advocacy, engage 100-200 community members in educational programs, and train 3 tribal councils in governance and policy advocacy. The anticipated outcomes include increased capacity for rural indigenous communities in Southeast Alaska to engage in environmental and climate justice decision-making and improved outcomes for these disadvantaged communities.