The Resilience Roundup highlights available resources, events, and funding opportunities along with links to the previous month's local, state, and national resilience news. After the bulleted summary, see below for details about each entry. Learn more about CIRCA at
circa.uconn.edu
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- Deadline for 3 Positions at CIRCA Extended to September 17, 2018
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- September 6, 2018- Webinar: Building Climate Resilience by Connecting to Health
- September 7, 2018- Connecticut Sea Grant 30th Anniversary Research Forum
- 2018 DREAM GREEN: Design Solutions for Hartford Competition- Due September 29
- October 24, 2018- Connecticut Association of Flood Managers 5th Annual Conference & Call for Presenters Due September 26
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- NOAA's Climate Program Office announced a Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) - Due September 10
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- August 28, 2018- Climate Change And The Future Of Connecticut's Coastline, WNPR
- August 20, 2018- Connecticut Finally Makes a Commitment to Offshore Wind, Connecticut Magazine
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- August 29, 2018- Miami Will Be Underwater Soon. Its Drinking Water Could Go First, Bloomberg
- August 26, 2018- Houston Marks Harvey Anniversary By Voting to Back Flood-Control Bond, NBC News
- August 23, 2018- Officials: Swath of Flood-Prone Maryland Town Must Be Razed, Associated Press
- August 19, 2018- Alaska Village Gets Funding For Erosion and Other Effects of Climate Change, Anchorage Daily News
- August 16, 2018- The Policy Trifecta Resilient Communities Are Built On, Route Fifty
- August 6, 2018- Flood Thy Neighbor: Who Stays Dry and Who Decides?, ProPublica
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CIRCA Job Openings
Deadline Extended to September 17, 2018
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CIRCA is still seeking applicants for three of four new positions to support development of the Connecticut Connections Coastal Resilience Plan (C3RP). The planning process will involve extensive public input and coordination with state agencies, regional Councils of Governments, and municipalities. Along with its current staff, CIRCA is hiring these four new employees to manage the project. All employees will report to
University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus
located in Groton, CT.
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Assistant Director of Research
The Assistant Director of Research (ADR) will coordinate a team developing science that supports a four-year project to develop a prototype resilience framework for Connecticut. With the supervision of the Executive Director, the ADR will coordinate the development, testing and application of numerical models of circulation in complicated coastal areas to determine levels and patterns of flood risk. Assessment of the effectiveness of proposed risk reduction strategies will also be required.
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Data Analyst/Programmer
The Data Analyst/Programmer (DAP) will work in a team developing science that supports a four-year project to develop a prototype resilience framework for Connecticut. With the supervision of the Executive Director, the DAP will support and facilitate the collection and archiving of data, and the development, testing and application of numerical models of circulation in complicated coastal areas to determine levels and patterns of flood risk. Field work and the preparation of maps using GIS will be required.
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Research Associate
The Research Associate will work in a team developing science that supports a four-year project to develop a prototype resilience framework for Connecticut. With the supervision of the Executive Director, this position will work on the development, testing and application of numerical models of circulation in complicated coastal areas to determine levels and patterns of flood risk. Assessment of the effectiveness of proposed risk reduction strategies will also be required.
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Visit CIRCA's website by clicking on the link to the right. Click on "Learn More" under each position title above to read more about responsibilities, required qualifications, and instructions for how to apply for each job. Indicate which job you are applying for in your Letter of Application. Review of applications will begin immediately. Employment of the successful candidate will be contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.
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All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics which may be found at the link to the right.
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September 6, 2018- National Adaptation Forum Webinar: Building Climate Resilience by Connecting to Health
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Climate change has been called the greatest 21st century threat to public health. Health departments from around the country, concerned about the negative health impacts of climate change, are engaging communities and professionals from other disciplines to implement adaptation strategies and increase community resiliency. Speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Climate-Ready States & Cities Initiative will highlight how state health departments are building climate resiliency by leading with health in adaptation strategies.
Speakers:
- Kristin Raab, MPH, MLA, Director, Minnesota Climate & Health Program, Unit Supervisor, Environmental Health Division, Minnesota Department of Health
- Aaron Ferguson, MPA, Program Manager Climate & Health Adaptation Program, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
- Margaret Round, Environmental Analyst Environmental Toxicology Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
- Nissa Tupper, MLA, Manager, Minnesota Climate & Health Program Minnesota Department of Health
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September 7, 2018- Connecticut Sea Grant 30
th
Anniversary Research Forum
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On Sept. 7, Connecticut Sea Grant will showcase the important and interesting research it funds on fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and coastal ecosystems and watersheds as part of our yearlong celebration of three decades of “Science Serving the Connecticut Coast.”
The public is invited attend the 30
th
Anniversary Research Forum, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Room 103 of the Marine Sciences Building at UConn’s Avery Point campus in Groton, with coffee and snacks offered at 9:30 a.m. The program will consist of short talks by more than a dozen of our funded researchers with time for questions. Lunch will be served.
Long Island Soundkeeper Bill Lucey will give the keynote address.
A draft agenda can be viewed
here
.
This will be an opportunity to learn about the discoveries and relevance of the work our researchers are doing on Long Island Sound, in coastal communities and in their laboratories. The presentations will be geared both for academic and environmental science professionals as well as members of the media and the public. We look forward to this gathering to network and share our common interest in the well-being of the Connecticut coast and the current science going on in our communities.
Seating is limited. To attend, RSVP no later than Sept. 4
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2018 DREAM GREEN: Design Solutions for Hartford Competition- Due September 29
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Are you passionate about making Hartford cleaner, greener and healthier? This competition is for you! Hartford is in the middle of a green revolution, and the 2018 DREAM GREEN: Design Solutions for Hartford Competition encourages “pop-up” projects that beautifully transform underused spaces. One lucky winner will win $1,000!
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October 24, 2018- Connecticut Association of Flood Managers 5th Annual Conference & Call for Presenters
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The Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) will convene its fifth Annual Conference and Meeting at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Connecticut on October 24, 2018.
CAFM seeks a broad range of professionals to share their knowledge with Connecticut’s floodplain management community. Past presentations at the conference have included riverine and coastal topics including project case studies, hazard mitigation planning, flood resistant provisions of the state building code, municipal grants overview, and field enforcement of floodplain regulations.
Of particular interest to CAFM members this year are presentations on climate change and resiliency, the Community Rating System (CRS), and post-disaster recovery although other topics of interest will also be considered. Please see our
2018 Call for Presenters
for more details and
note that responses are due by the end of the day on September 26, 2018
.
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NOAA's Climate Program Office has just announced a Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)- Due September 10
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NOAA's Climate Program Office announced a Federal Funding Opportunity.
Letters of Intent are due by 5 pm Eastern Time on September 10
th
(by email) and full proposals need to be submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on November 20
th
through grants-on-line.
CPO manages competitive research programs through which NOAA funds high-priority climate science, assessments, decision support research, outreach, education, and capacity-building activities designed to advance the understanding of Earth’s climate system and to foster the application of this knowledge to enable effective decisions. CPO supports research that is conducted across the United States and internationally. CPO also provides strategic guidance for the agency’s climate science and services programs and supports NOAA’s contributions to the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and its National Climate Assessment and similar international endeavors.
You can see the full FFO on th
e
grants.gov
website. The announcement number is: NOAA-OAR-CPO-2019-2005530. The program information sheets, which describe the specifics of each announcement is available under the Grants option on the Climate Program Office website
(
cpo.noaa.gov
).
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August 28, 2018- Climate Change And The Future Of Connecticut's Coastline, NPR Audio link
With climate change come looming questions about the future of Connecticut's shoreline. Among them: How will sea level rise and extreme weather events alter the shape of the state's coast? And what will happen to the residents -- the people and native species -- who live there?
Coming up, local experts join us to offer some insight and talk about the ways municipalities are planning for the challenges that lie ahead.
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August 20, 2018-
Connecticut Finally Makes a Commitment to Offshore Wind
It has been a historic couple of years for those who believe offshore wind projects are a critical component in Connecticut and the nation’s energy future.
Deepwater Wind’s Block Island Wind Farm, the nation’s first commercial wind farm, began operating about 4 miles southeast of Block Island in December 2016. The five-turbine project generates 30 megawatts of power, enough for about 17,000 homes.
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August 29, 2018- Miami Will Be Underwater Soon. Its Drinking Water Could Go First
One morning in June, Douglas Yoder climbed into a white government SUV on the edge of Miami and headed northwest, away from the glittering coastline and into the maze of water infrastructure that makes this city possible. He drove past drainage canals that sever backyards and industrial lots, ancient water-treatment plants peeking out from behind run-down bungalows, and immense rectangular pools tracing the outlines of limestone quarries. Finally, he reached a locked gate at the edge of the Everglades. Once through, he pointed out the row of 15 wells that make up the Northwest Wellfield, Miami-Dade County’s clean water source of last resort.
Yoder, 71, is deputy director of the county’s water and sewer department; his job is to think about how to defend the county’s fresh drinking water against the effects of climate change. A large man with an ambling gait, Yoder exudes the calm of somebody who’s lived with bad news for a long time.
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August 26, 2018- Houston Marks Harvey Anniversary By Voting to Back Flood-Control Bond
Voters in Houston and its surrounding county marked the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey coming ashore by approving the issuance of $2.5 billion in bonds to fund flood-control projects that might mitigate the damage caused by future storms.
With nearly all precincts reporting Saturday night, about 85 percent of voters approved the referendum. The bonds will fund projects that may include buyouts of homes in flood-prone areas, the expansion of local bayous and the construction of additional stormwater detention basins.
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August 23, 2018- Officials: Swath of Flood-Prone Maryland Town Must Be Razed
Moving to safeguard the public after raging floodwaters engulfed a Maryland town’s main street twice in two years, authorities have announced a plan to demolish roughly 5 percent of the buildings in the flood-prone historic district.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman delivered the broad outlines of a roughly $50 million five-year flood mitigation plan Thursday at a news conference in Ellicott City’s historic center. It calls for tearing down 10 ravaged properties on the hard-hit lower half of the former mill town’s once-picturesque main street. That move will expand the flood plain for the next time waterways burst their banks — a sure thing as more intense rainstorms bear down due to climate change impacts.
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August 19, 2018- Alaska Village Gets Funding For Erosion and Other Effects of Climate Change
The Alaska village of Napakiak received $449,000 in federal funding that could help the community respond to erosion and other effects of climate change.
The village of less than 400 residents, which received the funding on Thursday, has lost 50 feet (more than 15 meters) of its shoreline since May, Tribal Administrator David Andrew said.
A storm destroyed Napakiak's boat and hovercraft landing, which residents relied on for food and supply deliveries, KYUK-AM
reported
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The village has been getting its food flown in ever since, which is much more expensive, Andrew said. Erosion also threatens the community's school and fuel depot, so Napakiak turned to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for help.
The funding will help the community design and build a new landing for hovercraft, barges and residents' boats. Napakiak will need more support over the next year, Andrew said.
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August 16, 2018-The Policy Trifecta Resilient Communities Are Built On
For Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, shaping a “resilient” city takes a holistic perspective.
The mayor of Grand Rapids, a city of just under 200,000 people and Michigan’s second largest after Detroit, doesn’t have to spend much time thinking about natural disasters, outside of the
potential for flooding
as ice thaws each spring on the Grand River.
But as one of
Michigan’s few growing urban areas
, issues like resiliency and equity continue to shape policymaking in Grand Rapids. For Bliss, that means keeping in mind the trifecta of environmental sustainability, social justice and equitable economic development.
“Personally I think resilience is about more than just environmental sustainability. I equate it more with our commitment around the triple bottom line,” Bliss told Route Fifty in a phone interview. “To truly be a resilient community you can't just pay attention to one leg of the stool. You really have to look at all three.”
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August 6, 2018- Flood Thy Neighbor: Who Stays Dry and Who Decides?
Just after Christmas 2015, police showed up at the Starling Community Trailer Court in Arnold, Missouri, and told residents to get out. There was no time to stack sandbags, no time to pack. The big one was coming.
The mobile home park backed onto a rising creek, where the oldest residents were closest to the threat. Sarah Quinn raced to help her grandmother and great-grandparents get to safety. They narrowly escaped the rushing Meramec River, which snakes around Arnold and other St. Louis suburbs on its way to meet the Mississippi.
About 12 miles upstream, the Meramec climbed the steep banks of the city of Fenton and flowed across a road into the Riverside Golf Club, where Walt Wolfner was busy carting furniture and computers out of his clubhouse. He knew, because the course had flooded so often lately, that he and 20 workers would need two weeks to mop up the damage.
Thirty miles farther up the Meramec, the river was creeping up on the town of Pacific, too. Devin Brundick and Felicia Ammann, a young couple who owned a small green bungalow beside the river, hurried to load their belongings into a friend’s truck.
By the time the river crested, Wolfner’s clubhouse was under 11 feet of water, Brundick and Ammann’s bungalow was uninhabitable, and Quinn’s grandmother lost everything.
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The Resilience Roundup highlights
CIRCA's
presence in the news, provides links to recent local/state/national news articles related to resilience and adaptation, and announces upcoming events and seminars.
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation's (CIRCA) mission is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut's coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme weather on the natural, built, and human environment. The institute is located at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and includes faculty from across the university. CIRCA is a partnership between UConn and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).
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