The Arizona Trail Association acknowledges our support for the federal climate and clean energy investments as part of The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to encourage Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, the new Office of Resiliency, state agencies, and Arizona’s elected leaders to deploy these investments to ensure they are getting to the communities that need them the most. 

The Arizona Trail is a vital resource for our state and nation. But in recent years we have seen the devastation that severe drought, extreme heat, and unprecedented wildfires have brought, menacing the livelihood of the Arizona Trail’s surrounding communities. 

Governor Hobbs and our elected leaders have the opportunity to ensure that the 800-mile trail and surrounding gateway communities continue to flourish by capitalizing on these new federal climate and clean energy infrastructure investments to protect our state and the Arizona Trail, as well as indigenous communities and wildlife, from the devastating effects of extreme weather events.   

The IIJA includes $3.3 billion for wildfire risk reduction efforts and $2 billion for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior to conduct ecological restoration projects on public and private lands. And through the IRA, as small businesses save on energy costs, they will also help combat the effects of extreme weather. The greater frequency and scale of natural disasters have put Arizona small businesses and communities at risk of devastation and disruption. The IRA’s historic action on extreme weather will provide much-needed economic stability and growth across our state and country.