Signed into law exactly two years ago this month, the massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has so far sent around $4 billion in funding to the states of the Mountain West, according to a new study.
That study, undertaken by the Denver-based Center for Western Priorities, notes that the funding has been spread out over projects in eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming, as well as including projects on Tribal lands.
With the funding going through a variety of agencies, the Infrastructure Act has seen the Interior Department delegating upwards of $44 million for abandoned mine reclamation projects; nearly $4 million for improving recreation sites; and $133 million for remediating and restoring orphaned wells, among other projects.
Other funding has gone to such agencies as the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service for various projects in the West.
On a state-by-state basis, Arizona has received around $473 million for abandoned mine hazard mitigation and national park restoration projects.
Colorado has been the recipient of around $493 million in funding for watershed restoration, hazard mitigation, and river restoration projects.
A large $602 million has gone to New Mexico for watershed restoration, acequia resilience, and wildfire recovery projects.
In a statement, Kate Groetzinger, communications manager with the Center for Western Priorities, remarked that the Infrastructure Act has proven a “much-needed shot into the arm of the Mountain West, which faces unprecedented challenges due to drought, climate change, and development pressure.”
Tribal projects funded to the tune of $1.6 billion have included irrigation, climate adaption plans, and water rights settlement work.
By Garry Boulard
