MADISON – Senate leaders released the preliminary details of an agreement that would take historic action to address the growing impacts of climate change.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will make investments to ensure that local communities are at the forefront of climate solutions. Directing funds toward climate smart agriculture, coastal habitat restoration, and land conservation affirms the central role of agricultural producers and landowners in building climate resiliency.

Some highlights include:

• More than $20 billion to support climate-smart agriculture practices.
• $5 billion in grants to support healthy, fire resilient forests, forest conservation and urban tree planting.
• $2.6 billion in grants to conserve and restore coastal habitats and protect communities that depend on those habitats.
• Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants, funded at $3 billion, to invest in community-led projects in disadvantaged communities and community capacity building centers to address disproportionate environmental and public health harms related to pollution and climate change.

Wisconsin’s conservation heritage demonstrates that crucial large-scale financial investments not only protect our natural resources, but also the people who in live regions most impacted by climate change. WI Land+Water urges the quick passage of the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that our communities can better adapt to the rapidly changing climate.