Sec. 921. Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Resilience Program
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The Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this subtitle referred to as the Secretary ) shall establish a program— to improve the resilience of Indian Tribes to the effects of a changing climate; to support Native American leaders in building strong communities that are resilient to climate change; to ensure agency effectiveness in fulfilling Federal Indian trust responsibilities in the face of climate change; and to ensure the development of modern, cost-effective infrastructure in Tribal communities.
As part of the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall to the extent funds are made available through Acts of appropriation make multiyear grants to Indian Tribes for eligible activities described in this paragraph (2). Grants under this subsection may be used for the following in Indian communities and on Indian land: Development and delivery of adaptation training. Adaptation planning, vulnerability assessments, emergency preparedness planning, and monitoring.
Capacity building through travel support for training, technical sessions, and cooperative management forums. Travel support for participation in ocean and coastal planning. Development of science-based information and tools to enable adaptive resource management and the ability to plan for resilience. Relocation of villages or other communities experiencing or susceptible to coastal or river erosion and flooding. Construction of infrastructure to support emergency evacuations related to climate change.
Restoration of ecosystems and construction of natural and nature-based features to address risks from coastal and riverine flooding and erosion. Restoration, relocation, repair of infrastructure damaged by melting permafrost or coastal or river erosion and flooding. Installation and management of energy systems that reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions compared to the energy systems in use before that installation and management. Construction and maintenance of social or cultural infrastructure that supports resilience.
An Indian Tribe desiring a grant under this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including a description of the eligible activities to be undertaken using the grant. The Secretary, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish under the White House Council on Native American Affairs an interagency subgroup on Tribal resilience, which shall— work with Indian Tribes to collect and share data and information, including traditional ecological knowledge, about how the effects of a changing climate are relevant to Indian Tribes; and identify opportunities for the Federal Government to improve collaboration and assist with adaptation and mitigation efforts that promote resilience.
The Secretary shall establish a Tribal resilience liaison— to coordinate with Indian Tribes and relevant Federal agencies regarding the program under this section, grant opportunities related to the program, climate adaptation, and climate resilience planning; and to help ensure Tribal engagement in climate conversations at the Federal level. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.