 March 11, 2024
 Pima County is building a climate collaboration
Welcome to the first edition of the Pima CAN! newsletter.
We are at an exciting time to grow our regional coalition and take action on climate pollution in Pima County. We cannot do this without you.
Pima County and our coalition partners look to bring in a significant amount of federal funding to improve our air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance workforce opportunities in a green economy, and address environmental injustices in disadvantaged communities.
Pima County, City of Tucson, City of South Tucson, Town of Oro Valley, and the Tohono O’odham Nation joined together in a local partnership to ensure representation of our community at large.
This unique opportunity came when the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) received a four-year (2023-2027) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG). This funding was made available to state, tribal and local governments through the Inflation Reduction Act.
CPRG Planning Grant recipients are required to submit three deliverables over the four-year planning period:
- A Priority Climate Action Plan, delivered March 1, 2024
- A Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, due July 19, 2025
- A Status Report, due July 31, 2027
We’ll send out this newsletter periodically to keep you up to date on all our Pima CAN! activities.
Here's what you said...
PDEQ asked for proposals for community-based organizations and local governments to assist with outreach to low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Five organizations were selected: the City of Tucson, Direct Center for Independence, Ironwood Tree Experience, Iskashitaa Refugee Network, and the YWCA.
PDEQ developed two surveys and engaged these five organizations to obtain input from diverse populations, including those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and air pollution.
A survey for Pima County residents was conducted Nov. 16 through Dec. 31, 2023. We received more than 2,000 responses. A survey for business and industry was conducted Dec. 12 through Dec. 31, 2023, and 15 responses were received.
Here are the survey results:
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How the entire region is coming together
Numerous meetings were held with a variety of organizations and local governments. The goals included:
- Engaging community stakeholders
- Identifying climate reduction strategies and implementation opportunities
- Estimating emissions inventory projections associated with proposed projects
- Identifying and leveraging existing funding opportunities that align with CPRG goals
- Discussing strategies for workforce development opportunities
- Sharing and integrating resources
The entities involved in this effort include:
- Pima County departments including Environmental Quality, Grants Management and Innovation, Community and Workforce Development, Wastewater Reclamation, Flood Control, Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation, Health, Facilities Management, Transportation, Development Services, and Fleet Services
- City of Tucson
- City of South Tucson
- Town of Oro Valley
- Tohono O’odham Nation
- State collaborators
- Pima Association of Governments
- EPA
The County hosted a working session with County departments, jurisdictional partners, and nonprofits on Feb. 7, 2024, to exchange ideas and confirm projects to include in our Priority Climate Action Plan.
What is the Priority Climate Action Plan?
This planning work culminated in PDEQ developing the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP). The purpose of this plan is to:
- Identify the sources and sectors of greenhouse gas emissions within the Tucson metropolitan statistical area
- Determine the priority measures that can be implemented in the near term
- Address environmental injustices
- Empower community-driven solutions in overburdened communities
- Deliver cleaner air for the residents of Pima County
This new regional climate plan is called Pima CAN! Climate Action Now! for Pima County. This PCAP was submitted to the EPA on March 1, 2024.
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What are the next steps?
The EPA is offering $4.6 billion in competitive implementation grants across the country through the Inflation Reduction Act. Pima County is expected to request more than $150 million from this five-year grant, which would also fund initiatives from partner jurisdictions.
“It’s going to take all of us working together to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime federal grant opportunity,” said Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher. “It’s a big undertaking, but that’s what makes this moment so exciting.”
Collaborative work continues to:
- Craft and submit to the EPA a coalition CPRG Implementation Grant application (due April 1, 2024). If awarded, the grant will help fund the ability for the region to achieve the goals outlined in the plan.
- Work with our coalition partners to develop the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, due to EPA in the summer of 2025.
- Work with our community partners to educate the public on additional funding opportunities from the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Work with our coalition partners to create opportunities to empower youth to become an integral part of these efforts, building upon existing youth development and apprenticeship programs.
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Climate Plan in the news
KOLD highlighted our climate action initiatives last month, talking with PDEQ Environmental Planning Manager Natalie Shepp (pictured) and Kristen Sawyer, youth development manager for Ironwood Tree Experience.
“There is a lot of hope in this,” Shepp said. “There’s a lot of things that can be done.”
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Want to learn more?
To discover the details of our Climate Pollution Reduction Plan, visit www.pima.gov/ClimatePlan. If you have any questions, contact us at ClimatePlan@pima.gov.
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