Biden Administration Releases Rural Playbook, Launches Rural Infrastructure Tour
WASHINGTON – Today (April 11), the White House released a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Rural Playbook to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments in rural areas unlock the benefits from the historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure and launched a rural infrastructure tour led by the President and other senior administration officials to engage rural communities across the country.
The Rural Playbook, found at build.gov/rural, builds on the release of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Guidebook and provides rural communities with information on the “what, when, where, and how to apply” for funding under the law – so no community needs to hire a lobbyist to access their government. The Playbook also identifies over 100 programs funded under the law with federal cost-share flexibilities and matching requirement waivers.
During the month of April, Biden Administration officials will travel to dozens of rural communities as part of a Building A Better America rural infrastructure tour to talk about the impact of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments, as well as the President’s broader commitment to ensure federal resources reach all communities in rural America. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu will take part in events, along with other senior administration officials.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will send billions of dollars to rural communities across the country. Supporting Americans living in rural areas remains a top priority for the Biden Administration, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers on the President’s promises to provide high-speed internet, safe roads and bridges, modern wastewater systems, clean drinking water, reliable and affordable electricity, and good-paying jobs in every rural community. As part of this effort, the Biden Administration is also committed to working with communities to help them access federal resources and improve transparency.
“This Rural Playbook and our rural infrastructure tour are a critical part of our extensive outreach to state, local, tribal and territorial governments to ensure the people of America can benefit from this once-in-a-generation investment,” said Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator. “Building a better America requires these funds to reach rural communities that have been left behind for far too long. We see you, and major investments are on the way. With these investments in infrastructure in rural communities, President Biden is delivering for rural America.”
Across the month of April, the Biden-Harris administration will announce billions for rural areas including rural water projects, flood mitigation, transportation, healthcare, and tribal community grants, along with new technical assistance programs for rural and tribal communities. Earlier this month, the Department of the Interior announced $420 million for rural water systems across six states: Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
Today, the President is also announcing a $1 billion America the Beautiful Challenge that will leverage Federal conservation and restoration investments with private and philanthropic contributions to accelerate land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts across the country. The America the Beautiful Challenge is anchored by an initial commitment of $440 million of Federal resources over the next five years to a new public-private grant program, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), that will support locally-led ecosystem restoration projects that invest in watershed restoration, resilience, equitable access, workforce development, corridors and connectivity, and collaborative conservation, consistent with America the Beautiful Initiative. America the Beautiful Challenge will offer states, Tribes, territories, local groups, non-governmental organizations, and others the opportunity to apply for multiple grant programs through a single application that is managed by NFWF.
Since President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law nearly five months ago, the Biden-Harris Administration has hit the ground running to deliver results. The Administration has made key progress toward implementing the largest long-term investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. More than $100 billion has been announced and allocated to states from formula and competitive programs for roads and highways, bridges, ports, airports, electric vehicle charging stations, water systems, high-speed internet, weatherization, and clean energy.