BOULDER, Colo. – Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) today commended President Joe Biden on his administration’s sweeping infrastructure proposal. The president’s blueprint includes important provisions for climate resilience and infrastructure, including a $10 billion investment in a new Civilian Climate Corps. The plan would also fund research and workforce development programs for manufacturers and small businesses, and emphasize environmental justice and equity through clean energy block grants and dedicated funding for community-driven projects.
“Combatting climate change is critical not just for our planet, but it is essential to our economy, local communities, and way of life,” said OIA executive director Lise Aageenburg. “We are pleased to see that an important component of President Biden’s new infrastructure plan is a historic investment to address the growing threat of the climate crisis. Comprehensive, solutions-based policies like restoring and protecting nature-based infrastructure and creating jobs through a Civilian Climate Corps are keys to ensuring a thriving planet and a thriving outdoor industry. Climate action and economic recovery go hand-in-hand, and as Congress begins to debate this package, we hope to see these necessary investments included in a final bill.”
OIA is also supportive of additional provisions outlined in the new plan, including:
- Mobilizing the next generation of conservation and resilience workers;
- Creating good paying jobs through electric vehicle manufacturing;
- Maximizing the resilience of land and water resources to protect communities and the environment;
- Establishing the U.S. as a leader in climate science, innovation and R&D;
- Jumpstarting clean energy manufacturing through federal procurement, delivering clean electricity to all Americans, and lowering energy costs; and
- Increasing access to capital for domestic manufacturers.
