Climate change grant for Monterey Bay Coast Communities

MOSS LANDING, Calif. (KION): One of the largest federal climate change resiliency grants in California history.

NOAA awarded just over $71-million dollars to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation back in August to help preserve the Monterey Bay Area. The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation said this grant money will go towards dozens of projects intended to protect coastal communities from storm surge, sea level rise, and flooding, as well as areas that are prone to wildfire risk.

The Central Coast has been hit hard by natural disasters, like flooding and wildfires over the years. C-M-S-F is leading a coalition of 21 partners to implement an extensive program to combat climate change in the Monterey Bay Area.

"We will implement 10 critical flood risk projects, that will restore and enhance wet lanes, flood plains, creating natural buffers to restore flood waters." said Robert Mazurek, Executive Director for the California Marina Sanctuary Foundation.

10 flood risk projects will be located in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties and will benefit communities like Pajaro, Castroville, Carmel, Salinas and people who live by the San Lorenzo river. The grant will also fund projects where wildfires often spark.

"We are launching 5 wildfire risk reduction projects. that will reduce fuel loads, and over 7,000 acres protecting communities and wild-lands across our region." said Mazurek.

The grant money will also help hire over 350 interns, and those interns will be integrated into those projects. This transformative amount of funding is something local leaders say they've been fighting for years.

"It will focus and collaborate on reducing the risk of floods, of fires, and fostering a workforce that will sustain." said Jimmy Panetta, U.S. Representative for CA-District 19.

The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation said they will be implementing these projects within the next five years.