The Resilience Roundup highlights announcements and events along with links to the previous month's state, regional, and national resilience news.
Learn more about CIRCA at circa.uconn.edu
and the Resilient Connecticut Project at resilientconnecticut.uconn.edu
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2024 CIRCA Highlights
As we start a new year, we want to thank all Resilience Roundup readers for staying tuned in! The following are highlights from our Institute's work over the past year:
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Hosted the CIRCA Climate Change Research Symposium, featuring UConn faculty presentations and discussions.
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Launched Phase III of Resilient Connecticut, starting resilience projects in Southeastern and central Connecticut towns.
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Released Spanish translations of key resources, including stormwater resilience modules and zoning library materials, to support broader community engagement.
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Hosted Webinar Series showcasing UConn faculty research across resilience and decarbonization topics.
- Awarded $125,000 in seed grants to support projects on disaster preparedness, flood insurance, and coastal resilience.
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Unveiled the new Resilient Connecticut website, featuring a redesigned interface, a Resource Database, and improved navigation for accessing reports, fact sheets, maps, and more.
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Released the Resilient Connecticut Synthesis Report, summarizing planning efforts in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, with lessons learned and policy recommendations for statewide resilience.
- Collaborated with the cities of Hartford and Stamford to deploy heat sensors to measure local impacts of extreme heat.
- Began collaboration with CT DEEP and the Town of Essex focusing on studying erosion at Thatchbed Island.
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NOAA Coastal Resilience Fellowship Program
Application Deadline: February 28, 2025
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is pleased to announce the Coastal Resilience Fellowship, which will place 33 fellows with Climate Resilience Regional Challenge projects and will be funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. This fellowship is a two-year opportunity (June 2025 to June 2027), offering a competitive salary of $42,000 to $56,000, depending on the cost of living in the fellowship location, plus medical benefits and travel and relocation expense reimbursement.
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CT DEEP Materials Management
Infrastructure Grant Program (MMI)
Application Deadline: Rolling Basis until December 6, 2024
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is pleased to announce the availability of solid waste infrastructure grant funding for Connecticut municipalities and regions through the Materials Management Infrastructure (MMI) Grant program, pursuant to Public Act No. 23-205, § 13(c)(7). The Public Act authorized $15 million in total. DEEP expects to award this grant funding over two (2) grant rounds, the size and scope of which are yet to be determined but will be influenced by the number, type, and amount of funding requests received in the first grant ground.
DEEP invites applications seeking grant funds to help municipalities and regional waste authorities develop and construct solid waste management infrastructure. Preference will be given to proposals that have already achieved full site control and any necessary local permitting needed. Preference will also be given to projects with the potential for the largest volume of waste reduction and/or diversion in a short timeframe while ensuring consistency with the State of Connecticut’s Comprehensive Materials Management Strategy (CMMS) and Connecticut’s statutorily established integrated hierarchy of waste management methodologies.
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Apply to Become a Community Science Partner with CCHM
Communities across the United States impacted by extreme heat are invited to apply to partner with the Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring (CCHM). This partnership offers a unique opportunity to engage in a co-developed community science project, receive training, and access a $10,000 stipend for up to 10 communities each year.
Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, January 17, 2025. Accepted communities will be notified by early spring 2025. Before applying, review the partnership expectations for organizations and lead organizers to ensure alignment with program goals.
The application process may take up to two hours. To prevent data loss, applicants are encouraged to draft responses in a Word document before submitting. Applications can be completed in the language most comfortable to each applicant.
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U.S. Department of Transportation: RAISE Grant Program
Applications Due: January 30, 2025
The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program provides grants for impactful surface transportation infrastructure projects. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities. RAISE supports multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects often challenging to fund through other programs.
Previously known as BUILD and TIGER, RAISE grants cover capital projects such as highways, bridges, public transit, rail, ports, airport surface transportation, and stormwater infrastructure improving aquatic habitats. Planning projects, including environmental analysis, equity assessments, and feasibility studies, are also eligible.
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CT DEEP: Urban Forest and Riparian Restoration Grants
Applications due: January 31, 2025
DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is offering grants of $2,500–$20,000 for the Urban Forested Natural Area and Riparian Corridor Restoration Program. Local governments and 501(c)3 non-profits are eligible, with no financial match required.The program funds projects to improve forest health and resilience in urban areas and riparian corridors. Eligible activities include invasive plant removal, vine control, tree planting, and other interventions to promote native tree regeneration.
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DEEP is Accepting Proposals for Grant Under Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is now accepting proposals for fiscal year 2025 Clean Water Section 319 grants. Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act (Section 319) is a Federal program to control nonpoint sources (NPS) of water pollution. Connecticut receives funds from EPA for Section 319 grants that can be passed onto communities, local conservation groups, and other organizations for NPS implementation projects, plans, and statewide NPS management efforts. Proposals may be submitted by any interested public or private organization and must be received by February 13, 2025.
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CT DEMHS Mitigation and Resiliency Webinar
The Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security is pleased to announce that the Hazard Mitigation Grant Application Period is now open and accepting applications or letters of intent for all FEMA Mitigation Grant programs! These grant opportunities provide funding for projects aimed at reducing the impact of natural disasters within your communities. In collaboration with FEMA Region 1 DEMHS will be holding a 2024 HMA Grants Presentation.
When: Tuesday December 17, 2024, 9:00-11:30am
Location: Room 349 at DESPP/DEMHS HQ, 1111 Country Club Rd, Middletown, CT.
Also available on Teams on the link below, in addition, the meeting will be recorded and posted to our website.
Click here for Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 271 727 668 877
Passcode: 6ps3E9Tj
If you have any questions regarding the application process or eligibility, please contact DEMHS.HMGP@CT.gov.
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Long Island Sound Sustainable and
Resilient Communities Workshop
The SRC Team is excited to announce that for their 2024 Annual Workshop they are holding a series of virtual sessions over two days focused on our assistance programs, new regional resilience resources and tools, and a discussion on planning for inundation and different considerations communities may face. Leading up to the workshop, the SRC Team is also planning two field trips to showcase community resilience projects in CT and NY.
Virtual Sessions
Session 1: Resilience Assistance Programs - December 10, 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Session 2: Resilience Tools - December 10, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Session 3: Planning for Inundation - December 11, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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State and Regional News Clips | |
Blumenthal Introduces the Rebuilding with Resilience Act Following August Floods in CT
November 14, 2024 - Senator Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Rebuilding with Resilience Act to encourage infrastructure repair projects completed with federal disaster relief funding increase resilience to natural disasters, like the severe floods that took place in Connecticut earlier this year. The legislation would amend the Stafford Act to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to collaborate with state, local, and tribal governments that have declared disasters to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, projects completed using disaster assistance funding substantially reduce the risk of, or increase resilience to, future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering. This language will codify FEMA’s practice of working with Public Assistance applicants to make their projects as resilient as possible to future disasters.
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Low-interest SBA Loans Available for Connecticut Small Businesses, Nonprofits Impacted by Flooding
Fox 61 - November 16 , 2024
The U.S. Small Business Administration is extending a helping hand in Connecticut to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, private nonprofits and small businesses engaged in aquaculture that suffered losses due to the flooding on Aug. 18-19. Operations that fall under those categories are eligible for working capital disaster loans. The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans offer funds for working capital needs necessitated by the disaster, even if the business did not experience physical damage.
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When Will Greenhouse Gas Emissions Finally Peak?
Could Be Soon
NPR - November 14, 2024
For almost two centuries, greenhouse gas emissions have climbed steadily as humans have burned increasing amounts of oil, gas and coal. Now, climate scientists believe those emissions may finally be reaching a peak. Thanks to the rapid growth of renewable energy, global emissions from fossil fuels could soon start to decline. The long-awaited peak is a key milestone in the effort to limit how hot the planet will get.
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Huge Deal Struck But Is It Enough?
5 Takeaways From a Dramatic COP29
BBC - November 24, 2024
COP29 is over, with developing countries complaining that the $300bn (about £240bn) a year in climate finance they will receive by 2035 is a "paltry sum".
Many of the rich country voices at the UN's climate conference were amazed that developing nations were unhappy with what on the surface seems a huge settlement. It is an improvement - on the current contribution of $100bn (£79.8bn) a year. However, the developing world, which had pushed for more, had many genuine issues with the final sum.
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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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