(CNN)Around $50 billion of President Joe Biden's infrastructure package is marked for climate resilience -- replacing roads to withstand extreme rainfall, treating forests to prevent wildfires and shoring up reservoirs that sank to new lows this year amid incredible drought.
As climate disasters become more costly, federal officials say they are itching to use the money to reinforce America's infrastructure before those disasters strike.
"We have projects that have been unfunded for five and 10 years in many cases," Robert Bonnie, senior adviser for climate at the US Department of Agriculture, told CNN. "We have a lot of places where we literally have projects ready to go; we [didn't] have the funding to implement them."
Biden's bipartisan infrastructure package, freshly signed by the President on Monday, contains funding to tackle drought, heat, floods and wildfires. And while it does little to address the root cause of the climate crisis and to lower greenhouse gas emissions (the bulk of that would happen in the President's larger economic package), the funding is intended to help make the US more livable, even as disasters accelerate.
After a summer of extreme weather, federal officials told CNN they are already preparing for next year.
"There's been an eagerness at all levels of government, including at the community level, to think ahead about next year and how to plan," David Hayes, special assistant to the President for climate policy, told CNN.
Photos: Wildfires raging in the West
The Alisal Fire burns near Goleta, California, on Tuesday, October 12.
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A firefighter puts out a roadside fire in Goleta, California, on Wednesday, October 13.
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An air tanker drops retardant on a wildfire in Goleta.
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James Grooms looks through the remains of his home at the Rancho Marina Mobile Home & RV Park following the Brannan Fire in Sacramento County, California, on Tuesday, October 12.
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Firefighter Tyler McManigal battles the Alisal Fire in Gaviota, California, on October 12.
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A forest of ashen trees stands in the wake of the Windy Fire, south of California Hot Springs, on September 27.
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A volunteer attempts to evacuate horses to safety as the Windy Fire expands in California's Sequoia National Forest on September 25.
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Operations Section Chief Jon Wallace looks at the General Sherman giant sequoia tree at Sequoia National Park on September 22. The base of the tree, the world's largest by volume, was wrapped in an aluminum-based burn-resistant material to protect it from wildfires.
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Firefighters spray water as flames from the Windy Fire push toward a road in California's Sequoia National Forest on September 22.
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Firefighters battling the Windy Fire extinguish a spot fire in the Sequoia National Forest on September 19.
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The Windy Fire burns in the Trail of 100 Giants grove in the Sequoia National Forest on September 19.
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A helicopter drops water on the KNP Complex Fire burning in Sequoia National Park on September 15.
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Flames from the KNP Complex Fire burn along a hillside in the Sequoia National Park on September 14.
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This aerial photo, taken on September 4, shows the Dixie Fire on Horton Ridge in Plumas County, California.
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Riley Cantrell cries while she and boyfriend, Bradley Fairbanks, view what's left of her mother's home in Greenville, California, on September 4. It was destroyed by the Dixie Fire.
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A firefighter is seen as the Caldor Fire rages near California's Silver Lake on September 2.
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A helicopter flies over Wrights Lake while battling the Caldor Fire in California's Eldorado National Forest.
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Embers fly from a tree as the Caldor Fire burns along Highway 50 in California's Eldorado National Forest.
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Veronica Foster, an evacuee from South Lake Tahoe, California, hugs her dog, Gracie, as she and her co-workers gather outside an evacuation center in Gardnerville, Nevada, on August 31. The governors of California and Nevada declared states of emergency as the fast-moving Caldor Fire prompted officials to tell everyone to get out of South Lake Tahoe.
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Jason Marone of the Roseville Fire Department hoses down a hot spot in Meyers, California, on August 31.
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A tree burns in a blackened forest at dawn on August 30 after the Caldor Fire tore through Twin Bridges, California.
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A firefighter winds up hose at a spot fire near Meyers, California, on August 30.
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The Caldor Fire burns homes along a ridge near South Lake Tahoe on August 30.
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South Lake Tahoe residents are stuck in gridlock while attempting to evacuate the city on August 30.
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A tanker makes a fire-retardant drop near Lytle Creek, California, on August 26 as efforts continued to stop the South Fire.
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A firefighter tries to extinguish flames at a burning house as the South Fire burned in Lytle Creek, California, on August 25.
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From left, Astrid Covarrubias, Jose Lamas and Maria Covarrubias walk through smoke after visiting their burned-out home in Lytle Creek on August 25.
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The French Fire continues to spread near Wofford Heights, California, on August 25.
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Firefighters are seen behind the flames of a backfire they were setting to battle the French Fire near Wofford Heights.
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Crews battle California's Caldor Fire as it moved east toward Lake Tahoe on August 23.
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This aerial photo, taken on August 19, shows burned homes at the Creekside Mobile Home Park a day after they were destroyed by the Cache Fire in Clearlake, California.
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Firefighters dig a containment line on the Caldor Fire near Pollock Pines, California, on August 18.
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Smoke and haze from wildfires obscure the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline on August 18.
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In this long-exposure photo, embers light up hillsides as the Dixie Fire burns near Milford, California, on August 17.
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Destiney Barnard holds Raymond William Goetchius while stranded at a gas station in Doyle, California, on August 17. Barnard's car broke down as she was helping Raymond and his family flee the Dixie Fire.
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Destroyed property is seen August 17 after the Caldor Fire passed through Grizzly Flats, California.
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Firefighters spray water on trees being burned by the Dixie Fire near Janesville, California, on August 17.
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As the KNP Complex Fire approaches, Forest Service firefighters Armando Flores, right, and Heron Hilbach-Barger clear vegetation around structures at the Ash Mountain headquarters in Sequoia National Park, Calif., on Sept. 15, 2021. The blaze is burning near the Giant Forest, home to more than 2,000 giant sequoias.
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A firefighting helicopter flies in front of the sun, which was shrouded in thick wildfire smoke near Lakeview, Oregon, on August 15.
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Wind blows smoke away for a moment, revealing damage from the Parleys Canyon Fire in Utah on August 14.
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Crews battle a fire in Newhall, California, on August 12.
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A table and chairs sit in front of a destroyed home in Greenville, California, on August 12.
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A firefighter battles the Dixie Fire near Taylorsville, California, on August 10.
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Smoke plumes rise from the Kwis Fire near Eugene, Oregon, on August 10.
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A firefighter works to extinguish a controlled burn, a preventative measure, to protect a home in Greenville, California, on August 9.
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Firefighters battling the Dixie Fire clear a fallen tree from a roadway in Plumas County, California, on August 6.
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Flames from the Dixie Fire consume a pickup truck on Highway 89, south of Greenville, California, on August 5.
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Operations Chief Jay Walter passes the historic Sierra Lodge as the Dixie Fire burns through Greenville, California, on August 4. The fire leveled multiple historic buildings and dozens of homes in central Greenville.
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Firefighters work at a Greenville home that was engulfed by the Dixie Fire on August 4.
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The Dixie Fire burns near Taylorsville, California, on July 29.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak tour an area destroyed by the Tamarack Fire in Gardnerville, Nevada, on July 28.
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Firefighter Brentt Call walks through a burned-over area of the Bootleg Fire near Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 27.
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Cal Fire Capts. Tristan Gale, left, and Derek Leong monitor a firing operation in California's Lassen National Forest on July 26. Crews had set a ground fire to stop the Dixie Fire from spreading.
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Firefighters try to reach a fire site in Quincy, California, on July 25.
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Volunteers sort clothing at a donation shelter for those affected by the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon.
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Scott Griffin surveys his property, which was destroyed by the Bootleg Fire in Sycan Estates, Oregon.
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Flames consume a home as the Dixie Fire tears through the Indian Falls community of Plumas County, California, on July 24.
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People stand behind the fire line as flames from the Steptoe Canyon Fire spread through dry grass in Colton, Washington, on July 22.
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Plumes of smoke from the Dixie Fire rise above California's Plumas National Forest, near the Pacific Gas and Electric Rock Creek Power House, on July 21.
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Firefighters walk near a wildfire in Topanga, California, on July 19.
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A firefighter does mop-up work in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, which has been struggling with the Bootleg Fire in Oregon.
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A car is charred by the Bootleg Fire along a mountain road near Bly, Oregon.
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Nicolas Bey, 11, hugs his father, Sayyid, near a donated trailer they are using after their home was burned in the Bootleg Fire near Beatty, Oregon.
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Firefighters extinguish hot spots in an area affected by the Bootleg Fire near Bly, Oregon.
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A bear cub clings to a tree after being spotted by a safety officer at the Bootleg Fire in Oregon.
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Firefighters work to protect Markleeville, California, from the Tamarack Fire on July 17. The Tamarack Fire was started by a lightning strike.
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The Tamarack Fire burns in Markleeville, near the California-Nevada border, on July 17.
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A member of the Northwest Incident Management Team 12 holds a map of the Chuweah Creek Fire as wildfires devastated Nespelem, Washington, on July 16.
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A cloud from the Bootleg Fire drifts into the air near Bly, Oregon, on July 16.
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Firefighters spray water from the Union Pacific Railroad's fire train while battling the Dixie Fire in California's Plumas National Forest on July 16.
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Horses climb a hillside that was burned by the Chuweah Creek Fire in eastern Washington.
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Fire from the Bootleg Fire illuminates smoke near Bly, Oregon, on the night of July 16.
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A firefighter battles the Bootleg Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, along the Oregon and California border, on July 15.
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A firefighting aircraft drops flame retardant on the Bootleg Fire in Bly, Oregon, on July 15.
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Firefighters dig away at hot spots underneath stumps and brush after flames from the Snake River Complex Fire swept through the area south of Lewiston, Idaho, on July 15.
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Burned cars sit outside a home that was destroyed by the Chuweah Creek Fire in Nespelem, Washington.
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Evacuee Dee McCarley hugs her cat Bunny at a Red Cross center in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on July 14.
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An airplane drops fire retardant on the Chuweah Creek Fire in Washington on July 14.
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Operations Section Chief Bert Thayer examines a map of the Bootleg Fire in Chiloquin, Oregon, on July 13.
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Fire consumes a home as the Sugar Fire, part of the Beckwourth Complex Fire, tears through Doyle, California, on July 10. It's the second time in less than a year that the small town has been ravaged by a wildfire.
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Men hug a member of the Red Cross at a Bootleg Fire evacuation center in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
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Embers blow across a field as the Sugar Fire burns in Doyle, California, on July 9.
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Firefighters monitor the Sugar Fire in Doyle, California, on July 9.
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In this long-exposure photograph, taken early on July 2, flames surround a drought-stricken Shasta Lake during the Salt Fire in Lakehead, California.
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The US Forest Service -- the federal government's main firefighting agency, within the US Department of Agriculture -- has spent years managing wildfires as they came. But climate change has exacerbated the West's wildfire season, and the agency has struggled to address underlying issues.
It will take "large-scale resilience and restoration" to turn the tide on Western wildfires, according to Bonnie.
"We're going to look a lot more holistically at forest health, expanding the number of acres that get treated with mitigation approaches," Hayes said.
With the infrastructure funding, the Biden administration wants to vastly expand the approximately 3 million to 4 million acres of trees that are currently treated to prevent wildfires. That includes strategies like prescribed burns, clearing away invasive species of grass that act like tinderboxes to spread fire, and reforesting devastated areas.
"We want to double, triple, quadruple that," Hayes said. "We're looking at a very significant multiplication of the size."
While agency officials told CNN they are pleased to have the funding, Bonnie said the infrastructure money is really just a "down payment" on what ultimately needs to be invested to address the climate crisis.
For instance, the Forest Service spends upward of 50% of its budget fighting wildfires every year. Bonnie said Biden's massive climate and economic bill that's yet to be passed would be a game changer for the agency and what it can do to mitigate fires. That bill would allocate more than $20 billion for US forest conservation and management, a large portion of which would go to preventing and fighting wildfires.
"The infrastructure bill is a great down payment on this challenge," Bonnie told CNN. "What the Forest Service really needs is a 10-year significant step up in resources. The reconciliation package would move us years ahead."
Cars sit abandoned on the flooded Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx following a night of heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021 in New York City.
The infrastructure funding includes money to make roads themselves more resilient to flooding using porous pavement and to expand tree cover in cities in order to alleviate extreme heat. It will also fund projects to deal with the West's historic, multi-year drought.
The Department of the Interior plans to use the money to ensure reservoirs are stable and not leaking water and to fund desalination projects to make salt water drinkable.
This year was one of the driest on record in the West, and one federal official told CNN that "drought" may no longer be adequate to describe the climate crisis's effect on the region.
"Drought is one way to describe it, but people are starting to use words like aridification," Liz Klein, senior counselor to the secretary at the Interior Department, told CNN. "Climate impacts are coming to these places in a very real way. It's this silent disaster that people don't view in the same way as floods and fires."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will use most of the $6.8 billion it's receiving in the package to help communities deal with flooding.
"We'll be able to reach more communities and we'll be able to provide additional technical assistance," said David Maurstad, a FEMA deputy associate administrator and the senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program.
Mitigation can mean a number of things, including elevating homes and buildings that have been struck repeatedly by flooding. FEMA can also use funding to offer buyouts to residents whose homes are being swallowed by rising sea levels.
"The dollars can be used for multiple purposes," Maurstad said. "Depending upon the community, buyouts may make more sense than in other communities. In some communities, elevation may make more sense than relocation."
In addition to climate resilience funding, the infrastructure bill includes a number of provisions to advance Biden's environmental justice commitment, including $55 billion to replace lead pipes in the nation's water lines, funding for public transportation, $21 billion to clean up Superfund and brownfield sites, and funding to electrify school buses and transition away from dirty diesel buses.
The bill also includes $7.5 billion to start installing a network of electric vehicle charging stations, although that figure is far short of what advocates had initially called for.
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How Biden's infrastructure funding will help the US prepare for future climate disasters - CNN
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