ARTICLE
The concept I refer to as Other People’s Money (OPM) is a stimulator to get major local infrastructure projects moving forward. This past week, funding from the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act was announced and awarded to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded the organization $71 million — one of the largest in California history to fund several local projects addressing the impact of climate change in the greater Monterey Bay area, including shoreline protection, wetland restoration, and workforce development. The stunning amount of funding surprised the CMSF and their partners. CMSF is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and revitalizing marine ecosystems throughout California. Some of the $71.1 million will go towards several specific entities and governments implementing projects in the Monterey Bay area, while the rest will be distributed among CMSF’s partners to fund their climate change response efforts. The funds are allocated to 20 partners to address two of our central coast's most pressing concerns — flooding and wildfires. Here is where some of the funds will go to help our region: $16 million is targeted to restoring wetlands along the Pajaro River. These wetlands are critical to water quality and act as nature’s buffer to reduce flooding. The City of Santa Cruz will receive $8 million for two projects — flood mitigation and habitat restoration around the San Lorenzo River, where native plants and man-made structures will reduce storm surges and erosion. The CMSF funds will also establish workforce programs at UC Santa Cruz, California State Monterey Bay, and Hartnell College—an unusual twist to create jobs for improving land management and environmental benefits along the central coast. The key factor to receiving the federal funds (OPM) was the partnership that CMSF created with local organizations. CMSF Executive Director Robert Mazurek said, “The only way the federal government was going to give us $75 million is if we truly collaborate on a project.”
The concept I refer to as Other People’s Money (OPM) is a stimulator to get major local infrastructure projects moving forward. This past week, funding from the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act was announced and awarded to the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded the organization $71 million — one of the largest in California history to fund several local projects addressing the impact of climate change in the greater Monterey Bay area, including shoreline protection, wetland restoration, and workforce development.
The stunning amount of funding surprised the CMSF and their partners. CMSF is a nonprofit organization focused on protecting and revitalizing marine ecosystems throughout California. Some of the $71.1 million will go towards several specific entities and governments implementing projects in the Monterey Bay area, while the rest will be distributed among CMSF’s partners to fund their climate change response efforts. The funds are allocated to 20 partners to address two of our central coast's most pressing concerns — flooding and wildfires.
Here is where some of the funds will go to help our region: $16 million is targeted to restoring wetlands along the Pajaro River. These wetlands are critical to water quality and act as nature’s buffer to reduce flooding. The City of Santa Cruz will receive $8 million for two projects — flood mitigation and habitat restoration around the San Lorenzo River, where native plants and man-made structures will reduce storm surges and erosion.
The CMSF funds will also establish workforce programs at UC Santa Cruz, California State Monterey Bay, and Hartnell College—an unusual twist to create jobs for improving land management and environmental benefits along the central coast. The key factor to receiving the federal funds (OPM) was the partnership that CMSF created with local organizations. CMSF Executive Director Robert Mazurek said, “The only way the federal government was going to give us $75 million is if we truly collaborate on a project.”