Salinas, CA — July 31, 2024 — Hartnell College was awarded a $2 million subaward, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) $71 million Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to advance climate change resilience around the Monterey Bay Area through the Monterey Bay Climate Action Adaptation Network (MBCAAN). 

The project is one of the largest single awards ever given to a non-governmental organization in the history of the Central Coast and possibly California, and Hartnell College will play a crucial role by focusing on workforce development. The college plans to build and offer non-credit certificates and related internships to equip the local workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to address climate resilience effectively. These programs will prepare students and community members for careers in climate adaptation and environmental sustainability, supporting the region's efforts to combat the impacts of climate change. 

"This substantial award highlights the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing the urgent issue of climate change," said Michael Gutierrez, Superintendent/President of Hartnell College. "We are honored to contribute to this vital work and to help develop a workforce that is equipped to lead in climate resilience and sustainability efforts." 

The NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge is designed to bolster the resilience of coastal communities to climate change by supporting a range of projects that include habitat restoration, infrastructure improvements, and community education and engagement. 

The Monterey Bay Climate Action Adaptation Network (MBCAAN) will leverage this funding to implement comprehensive strategies that enhance the region’s ability to withstand and recover from climate-related impacts. 

The NOAA funds are part of a five-year $71 million grant headed by the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation that involves 30 additional agencies, schools and organizations in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The Climate Resilience Regional Challenge grant is part of the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. 

The project addresses the highest priority climate risks for the Monterey Bay region — flooding and wildfires — by implementing four integrated adaptation strategies. A comprehensive workforce development component is included to improve the region’s ability to address future challenges. 

Each strategy uses nature-based approaches to strengthen ecosystems and make human communities more resilient. Indigenous knowledge is central to the wildfire adaptation strategies, and cultural practices are part of wetland restoration implementation. The workforce development initiative emphasizes recruitment from disadvantaged communities to expand the team of regional adaptation experts. 

Hartnell will use the $2 million to focus on building a climate-ready workforce with the practical and interdisciplinary training needed to understand the cross-sector challenges of climate change adaptation. Over the 5-year grant period, the college will engage over 750 learners in no-cost, skill-based classes and certificate programs to diversify and upskill the local workforce and provide climate-ready workers for the grant’s projects, including coastal/riparian restoration and non-native fuel reduction. 

“This is an important grant that includes multiple organizations and underscores our need to address climate change,” said Ram Subramaniam, Vice President of Student Success & Teaching Excellence. “At Hartnell College, we are excited to have the opportunity to provide educational programs for our local farm worker community and internships for several students thereby providing a mechanism for upward economic mobility.” 

Hartnell will also engage more than 100 Hartnell students in an ambassador program focused on developing leadership and climate adaptation advocacy knowledge and skills. To seed connecting workers with quality jobs, program participants will have access to paid internships, ranging from 75-360 hours of hands-on skill application. 

Three main tasks have been identified: Upskill workers in trade and climate-adaptation skills by engaging 750 learners over five years to deepen and upskill their trade/climate-adaptation skills; develop a Resilience Student Ambassador Program to build local enduring capacity to implement coastal climate resilience actions; and establish paid climate adaptation internships, including 200 micro- and full-scale internships over five years. 

“The collaboration through MBCAAN will have a number of large scale coastal/riparian restoration and non-native fuel reduction projects,” said Shannon Bliss, Director of Agriculture Innovation and Technology at Hartnell. “Hartnell College is uniquely poised to train and upskill local workers to provide the skilled labor needed for these efforts.” 

Congressional committees were notified of the award winners on July 26, and the Congressional delegations of U.S. Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren were informed on July 29. 

For more information about Hartnell College’s role in the NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge and upcoming workforce development programs, please contact Bliss at (831) 770- 7050 or sbliss@hartnell.edu. 

For more information on the Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, go to: https://coast.noaa.gov/states/stories/california.html