How your Great Lakes project can navigate these turbulent times

This is part 2 in a two-part series.

In my first post, we laid the groundwork with a summary of important binational policies and the federal funding initiatives intended to implement them. We also weighed the purposes of and potential risks to these policies, and complementary funding programs that would help mitigate potential changes from the Trump Administration. Even with these uncertain decisions, though, project proponents still have a lot within their control to guide the future of their efforts. In this blog, we will look at some of the steps project proponents can take.

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Understand the legal foundation for your project’s funding.

Answer these important questions before moving on to future steps.

1: Which “pot” is funding the project? Funding from some programs is more at risk than others, like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

2: Has your project funding been “obligated?” Obligated funding essentially means that the funding has been committed. This is more than just budgeted. It means that the check (figuratively) has been signed and sent even if it hasn’t been received or deposited.

3: Even if obligated, is the money being withheld completely or just delayed?

4: If funding has been obligated and is only being delayed, be patient or at least define how long your patience should last. If it’s been obligated but is being completely withheld, then two possible forms of recourse are available:

Get in touch with your agency project coordinator

While project coordinators may not have all the answers you want, they’re as close to understanding the changes coming out of Washington, D.C. as anyone. Be empathetic if they don’t have all the answers. Every day they’re unsure whether their job will exist.

Get help

Just as we have doctors to help us navigate medical issues and attorneys to help us navigate legal matters, experts exist to help navigate federal, state, and municipal agencies.

These are unpredictable times. But that doesn’t mean they’re hopeless times. Having a conversation helps. And remember, if you’ve made the investment to conceptualize a Great Lakes project and move it forward, you might have more to lose by not taking next steps.

Want to discuss further? Get in touch.