Iowa Environmental Council

DESCRIPTION:THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING UNDER THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT (IRA) TO IOWA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL. THE RECIPIENT WILL BUILD LEADERSHIP AND CAPACITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) IN IOWA, IMPROVING UNDERSTANDING OF EJ ISSUES, GROWING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, AND FACILITATING ENGAGEMENT OF UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PUBLIC PROJECTS, PROCESSES, ADVISORY GROUPS, AND RULEMAKINGS. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CREATING AN EJ LEADERSHIP COHORT IN EACH OF THE FOUR PRIORITY COMMUNITIES, WHICH WILL COMPLETE AN EJ TRAINING PROGRAM. EACH EJ LEADERSHIP COHORT WILL THEN PARTICIPATE WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN COALITION MEETINGS TO INCREASE CAPACITY FOR EJ LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT AND TO GENERATE EJ-FOCUSED OBJECTIVES OR BARRIERS TO REFER TO LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS. PUBLIC EVENTS FOR OUTREACH AND AWARENESS BUILDING, STRATEGIC VISIONING, AND CONSENSUS BUILDING WILL BE HELD IN EACH OF THE FOUR PRIORITY COMMUNITIES. IN THE FINAL YEAR OF THE PROJECT, A STATEWIDE SYMPOSIUM EVENT WILL BE CONVENED TO DISCUSS LESSONS LEARNED AND GENERATE CONVERSATION ABOUT REPLICATING THE PROJECT MODEL IN OTHER IOWA COMMUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT, FEDERAL FUNDING RESOURCES WILL BE TAILORED TO EACH OF THE SELECTED COMMUNITIES.SUBRECIPIENT:AT LEAST ONE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION WITH STRONG COMMUNITY NETWORKS WILL BE SELECTED AS A SUBAWARDEE FOR EACH PRIORITY COMMUNITY. THE FOCUS OF THESE SUBAWARDEES WILL BE TO SUPPORT IEC IN REACHING COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT PERIOD. ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE IDENTIFYING AND RECRUITING BOTH LEADERSHIP COHORTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN EACH COMMUNITY, HOSTING STAKEHOLDER COALITION MEETINGS, AND CONDUCTING PUBLIC OUTREACH. A FIFTH SUBAWARDEE WILL BE SELECTED FROM A UNIVERSITY OR OTHER INSTITUTION TO SUPPORT WITH CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT FOR EJ LEADERSHIP COHORTS, BUILD ON EXISTING EJ RESEARCH AND SERVE AS TECHNICAL SUPPORT. OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE AN EJ LEADERSHIP TRAINING CURRICULUM AND RESOURCES ON FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TAILORED TO SELECTED COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING WEBSITE, PRINT MATERIALS, AND PRESENTATIONS. MOREOVER, STAKEHOLDER COALITION MEETINGS WILL OCCUR AT LEAST SEMI-ANNUALLY IN EACH COMMUNITY AND BE SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC EVENTS IN EACH OF THE FOUR COMMUNITIES WITH ONE STATEWIDE EVENT. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE INCREASED AWARENESS OF EJ, INCLUDING SUBSTANTIVE LOCAL ISSUES SUCH AS POLLUTION AND CLIMATE RISKS AND PROCESS ISSUES INCLUDING PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL DECISION-MAKING. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO AN INCREASED CAPACITY FOR EJ LEADERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT IN CLIMATE AND RESILIENCE PLANNING, POLLUTION MITIGATION, AND JUST TRANSITIONS WITHIN EACH OF THE FOUR PRIORITY COMMUNITIES. WITHIN PROJECT COMMUNITIES, THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED AWARENESS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER PROGRAMS COVERED BY THE JUSTICE40 INITIATIVE WITH A GOAL OF INCREASING COLLABORATIVE FUNDING PROPOSALS FOR THE SELECTED COMMUNITIES. THROUGH LOCAL EJ STAKEHOLDER COALITIONS AND THE EJ LEADERSHIP COHORTS, EACH COMMUNITY WILL WORK TOWARD IDENTIFYING DISPUTES, REACHING CONSENSUS ON EJ CHALLENGES, AND WORKING TO RESOLVE AND IDENTIFY MUTUAL PATHS FORWARD. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE AT LEAST FOUR URBAN AND RURAL IOWA COMMUNITIES THAT ARE UNDERSERVED, PRIORITIZING THOSE WITH COAL PLANTS, A LEGACY OF POLLUTION, AND/OR ACTIVE CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND DISASTER RESILIENCY PLANNING EFFORTS.