Funding exists for resilience projects, but access remains the barrier

WENATCHEE — Billions of dollars in federal and state funding are available for climate resilience and infrastructure projects, but for many communities in North Central Washington, the challenge is not identifying need — it is navigating the systems required to access those resources.

That was a central theme during a funding-focused session at the Wenatchee Resilience Summit on April 16, where representatives from Congresswoman Kim Schrier’s office and the Washington State Department of Commerce outlined the landscape of programs available to local governments, utilities and nonprofit organizations.

Ruby Gaston, Central Washington manager for Schrier’s office, pointed to major federal investments in recent years, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which together authorized hundreds of billions of dollars for projects tied to resilience, energy, water systems and wildfire mitigation.

“The programs still remain,” Gaston said, referring to funding authorized through those laws. She noted that while federal priorities and timelines can shift, the underlying funding streams continue to move through agencies and into local projects.

Federal agencies play multiple roles in that system, from providing climate data and forecasting through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to supporting hazard mitigation and disaster recovery through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, contribute through agricultural programs, conservation efforts and regulatory frameworks tied to air and water quality.

Much of that funding flows to local projects through partnerships, placing the burden of coordination on communities themselves.

Gaston pointed to the Confluence Parkway project in Wenatchee as an example of how that process can work when local planning aligns with federal priorities. The project secured $92 million in federal funding and is designed in part to improve emergency access and transportation resilience.

“Feel free to reach out to our office,” Gaston said, noting that congressional staff can assist with letters of support and help local organizations better understand federal timelines and opportunities.

At the state level, Brisa Sanchez Cornejo of the Department of Commerce described a similarly complex landscape.

Commerce administers more than 150 programs across areas including energy, housing, economic development and community services, with many tied directly or indirectly to climate resilience. For applicants, the challenge is often less about eligibility and more about capacity.

“We can walk alongside you as you navigate the application process,” Sanchez Cornejo said, describing the role of Commerce’s regional engagement specialists in helping local organizations connect with funding opportunities and technical assistance.

That support can include identifying grant opportunities, connecting applicants with program staff and helping organizations build strategies to combine multiple funding sources for larger projects.

Still, the process can be difficult to navigate, particularly for smaller communities and organizations without dedicated grant-writing capacity.

Recent state investments, including funding tied to Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, are expected to expand opportunities in areas such as wildfire preparedness, energy infrastructure and disaster response, though many of those programs will take time to fully implement.

Speakers emphasized that successful projects typically depend on early planning and strong collaboration between local governments, utilities, nonprofits and state or federal partners.

In many cases, they said, the limiting factor is not whether funding exists, but whether communities are positioned to access it.

As climate-related challenges intensify across sectors, that distinction is becoming increasingly important.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media