The federal government just awarded North Carolina $139 million to protect land that captures and stores carbon. Gov. Roy Cooper organized a four-state coalition to secure these federal funds for projects such as planting urban trees, reforesting land, and controlling coastal erosion. These initiatives aim to mitigate the effects of climate change, including extreme heat and flooding.
Award recipients estimate that these projects will prevent nearly 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions by 2050, comparable to the emissions of 5 million homes over 25 years. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit partner, will rewet North Carolina’s peatlands, which store carbon when wet.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources collaborated with multiple state agencies and nonprofits to apply for the funding. This “Atlantic Conservation Coalition” will conserve and restore peatland wetlands, coastal habitats, and forests. The grant, supported by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, is one of the largest awarded by the EPA for nature-based climate solutions.
In North Carolina, the grant will support the directives of Governor Cooper’s Executive Order 305, which aims to conserve and restore natural lands by 2040. The state plans to restore 600 acres of coastal habitats, reforest 55,000 acres, plant 1,200 urban trees, and add 3,300 acres to the state park system.
“Protecting our natural lands for future generations is not only critical to our fight against climate change but also our state’s economy and tourism industries,” said Governor Roy Cooper in a press release. “This major award from the Biden-Harris administration will strengthen our bipartisan partnership to conserve and restore public and private lands across state lines.”
