Washington, DC – On Sunday, the United States Senate passed legislation titled the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a budget reconciliation bill that includes $369 billion in federal authorizations to invest in clean energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in climate resiliency for landscapes across the United States, including coastal communities.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn issued the following statement:

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“Chesapeake Conservancy applauds Senator Joe Manchin and his Senate colleagues for their leadership on the bold and far-reaching climate action provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, passed by the U.S. Senate.

“The Inflation Reduction Act makes record investments to address climate change from many angles, substantially reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, building climate resiliency to protect people and nature and preparing our national economy for a clean energy future.

“Included in the bill’s $369 billion for provisions addressing climate change is nearly $1 billion for the National Park Service for staffing and projects to protect parks and natural landscapes, $2.6 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to protect coastal communities and marine habitats and $250 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect wildlife and habitats.

“Global climate change directly impacts the health and dynamics of local ecosystems, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed is no exception. The long-term health of the Chesapeake Bay and the health of the people and wildlife that live in the watershed are threatened by the increasing temperatures, increasing flooding and storms and sea level rise that is occurring in our region due to a warming planet.

“Chesapeake Conservancy and partners are working to build climate resiliency locally by conserving 30% of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by 2030.

“To protect its national treasures like the Chesapeake Bay, the United States must implement climate policies and investments that put our country and our world on a fast track to reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, and on this extraordinary challenge the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 meets the mark.”

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Feature Photo by Zhixiao Jiang