EPA announced the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program earlier this year to provide funding to states, local governments, Tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.
The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) launched its pro bono capacity-building technical assistance program in June of 2021 to assist Tribes and other underserved communities navigate and understand government programs, data, and processes; gain access to partners, allies, and decision-makers; and apply for funding.
For the CPRG program, EPN is able to provide volunteers who have expertise in the following areas:
- Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
- Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP)
- Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP)
- Interagency and Intergovernmental Coordination
- Public and Stakeholder Engagement
- Climate Planning, Process and Approach
- Leveraging Funding from Other Federal, State and Private Sector Sources
Please note that EPA has extended the deadline for Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) to April 1, 2024 (rather than March 1, 2024). However, tribes and territories that want to participate in the general CPRG implementation grants competition, announced September 20th, will still need to meet the March 1 plan deadline. Applications for the tribes and territories implementation grants are due May 1, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (ET).
Eligible applicants for the CPRG implementation grants competitions are limited to lead organizations for CPRG planning grants and other executive branch-level agencies, offices, and departments in states, D.C., Puerto Rico, municipalities, tribes, tribal consortia, territories, and groups of such entities applying for funding to implement measures contained in one or more applicable Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) developed with funding from a CPRG planning grant.
To request pro-bono technical assistance, please fill out this brief form, and we will follow up with you shortly. For urgent questions or issues, contact davina.resto@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org.
Other Resources:
- The Conveners Network created a Menu of Measures that provides different approaches to implementation of a variety of measures, examples from other states, and related federal funding sources. In addition, they have created a PCAP template that was developed for use by states but can be adapted as needed.
- The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals: ITEP was created to act as a catalyst among tribal governments; research and technical resources at Northern Arizona University (NAU); various federal, state, and local governments; and the private sector, in support of environmental protection of Native American natural resources.
- EPA recently released the “Capacity Building Through Effective Meaningful Engagement Booklet” to assist CPRG planning grantees with meaningful engagement with communities as they think through climate action planning. When this critical aspect of strategic planning includes equitable design; inclusive decision-making; input touchpoints with all communities, community partners, and interested parties throughout the process, there’s greater buy-in to support change and drive impact. To learn more, please access the booklet.
- ITEP, EPA, and Tribes will be live on the First Wednesday of each month from 9-10 AM Alaska, 10-11 AM Pacific, 11-12 PM Mountain, 12-1 PM Central, and 1-2 PM Eastern. Staff will be available for questions and a lively discussion. This office hour is open for all things grants related.
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