ASG team in Honolulu for Territorial Climate Infrastructure Workshop 2.0

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The U.S. Department of Interior Office of Insular Areas last week convened the Territorial Climate Infrastructure Workshop 2.0 for the second year since the announcement of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) last year.

The objective is to provide assistance to all territories in order to maximize their opportunities to successfully apply for and receive the federal funds available for priority climate and infrastructure projects.

The seven specific focus areas are 1) Built Infrastructure, 2) Nature Based Solutions, 3) Energy, 4) Broadband, 5) Water, 6) Invasive Species, 7) Cleanup Revitalizing & Recycle.

The American Samoa team is led by the territory’s BIL/IRA Coordinator, and ODAPM Director Lisa Tuatoo, according to a press release issued by ASG on Tuesday.

 Directors and staff of departments and offices with priority projects submitted and prepared under BIL/IRA funds include ASPA Executive Director Wallon Young, ASTCA CEO Chuck Leota, Directors Falenaoti Fruean DPA, Faleosina Voigt DPW, Petti Matila ASDOC, Faamao Asalele ASEPA, Misipati Salanoa TEO, Amaama Tofaeono GRO, Tavita Togia BIODIVERSITY.

In her presentation during the opening ceremony, Director Tuatoo enumerated the priority projects, gaps and challenges experienced when preparing applications under BIL/IRA funding opportunities.

Although local cost matching has been waived by the DOI grant funding opportunities for the territories, a request was made for all other federal agencies to follow suit in this initiative.

The first presentation from American Samoa under the Built Infrastructure category was presented by DPW Director Faleosina Voigt on the priority projects list. Other territories gave similar presentations relating to their respective priorities.

Two Infrastructure breakout sessions about resiliency and opportunities for transportation infrastructure compliance, regulatory, construction and sustainability considerations followed. When asked about the one outcome that Director Tuatoo wished to see, sheresponded, “to approve all of American Samoa’s BIL/IRA grant applications.”

Gov. Lemanu P.S. Mauga met with the AS BIL/IRA team on Sunday, May 7, in Honolulu before his departure for home and encouraged the team to network, learn from technical assistance offered and foster relationships with federal counterparts to ensure that the territory will benefit from these once in a generation funding opportunities to address climate change, improve infrastructure and save lives of the people of American Samoa.

Territorial Climate Infrastructure Workshop 2.0 continues through Friday, May 12, 2023.

The federal agencies in attendance are the US Army Corp of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Department of Transportation, US Department of Interior, US Economic Development Agency, US Environmental Agency, General Services Administration, US Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Coast Guard, DOI Bureau of Reclamation, US Federal Communications Commission National Telecommunications and Information Administration and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The territories attending are American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas (Saipan) and US Virgin Islands.