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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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Resilient Zoning Library is now available in Spanish!
CIRCA is excited to announce that the Stormwater and Climate Resilience, Next Steps to Create a Municipal Stormwater Authority, and the information landing page for the Resilient Zoning Library are now available in Spanish! You can access these resources HERE
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CLCC: Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grant Program
The overarching goal of the Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grant Program is to increase the number of acres in Connecticut that are managed using climate smart land stewardship practices and encourage the use of climate smart practices among Connecticut’s land trusts. This grant program, and CLCC's accompanying outreach and technical assistance, will elevate the role of conserved lands in providing natural climate solutions by integrating climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation into the stewardship of conserved lands throughout the state. This program will award $500,000 over multiple years for both planning and implementation grants. In 2024, grants will be awarded quarterly. In 2024, applications will be reviewed quarterly. Submission deadlines are at 5:00pm on: March 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Funding decisions are anticipated approximately six weeks after application deadlines.
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CT DEEP: Urban Forest Equity Grant Program
Proposal Deadline: April 17, 2024
DEEP is pleased to announce Urban Forest Equity Grant Program with support from the US Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act. This historic funding allocation is available to state and local government entities, federally recognized tribes, and non-profit organizations to support urban forestry projects that will increase equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide in disadvantaged communities throughout Connecticut. Awards are available for up to $200,000 and there is no match requirement. Potential projects include but are not limited to: Tree planting, stewardship, and maintenance, Forest planning and assessment, Education and outreach programs, Work force development, Invasive species management, Urban wood utilization, and Extreme heat mitigation. potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an informational and grant writing guidance session on February 1, 2024 from 4:30-5:30PM. Contact DEEP.UCF.Grants@ct.gov for registration. Potential applicants may also want to attend the Urban and Community Forestry Program's bi-weekly virtual office hours for ongoing guidance and project development support.
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Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2024 Request for Proposals
Full Proposal Deadline: May 13, 2024
The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound (Sound) with approximately $12 million for grants in 2024. The program is managed by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). Major funding is from EPA through the LISS with additional funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Zoetis Foundation. All proposed projects must be within the Long Island Sound watershed boundary. The LISFF supports efforts to test innovative approaches to conservation, deliver transformative projects and support people and communities who value the Sound and take a role in its future.
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Long Island Sound Study (LISS) Research Call for Proposals Open
Connecticut Sea Grant (CTSG) and New York Sea Grant (NYSG) announce a request for preliminary proposals for the Long Island Sound Study Research Grant Program. The intent of this program is to fund research that will support the science-based management of Long Island Sound (LIS) and its resources, and the implementation of the LISS Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The LISS is a regional, community-based partnership to protect and restore LIS. Information on the LISS can be obtained HERE. Preliminary proposals are invited for the funding period of January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026. Subject to available federal funding, up to $6.5 million is expected to be available for one- or two-year projects. Any investigator seeking support for this period (or a portion thereof) must submit a preliminary proposal via NYSG’s electronic submission website www.NYSGproposal.org by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, April 8, 2024. Hard copy, email, and fax submissions will NOT be accepted.
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EPA: Community Change Grants
Application Deadline: November 21, 2024
The Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant program (Community Change Grants), created by the Inflation Reduction Act, offers an unprecedented $2 billion in grants under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The Community Change Grants will fund community-driven projects that address climate challenges and reduce pollution while strengthening communities through thoughtful implementation. This historic level of support will enable communities and their partners to overcome longstanding environmental challenges and implement meaningful solutions to meet community needs now and for generations to come. There will be two tracks of funding under this opportunity. Track I will fund approximately 150 large, transformational community-driven investment grants of $10 million - $20 million. Track II will fund approximately 20 meaningful engagement grants of $1 million - $3 million. Grants cannot exceed 3-years in duration. Please review the NOFO for further information about the exciting opportunities under the Community Change Grants program and details about the application process.
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UConn CEEL: 2024 Earth Day Conference
April 19, 2024 | 8:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
William F. Starr Hall
UConn School of Law
Hartford, CT 06105
The UConn Center for Energy & Envirornmental Law invites you to the 2024 Earth Day Conference. Students, faculty, staff and the general public are welcome to this event. This year’s Earth Day Conference seeks to answer the question: “What can we do?” The challenge of climate change is unlike anything our governments have faced before, and citizens are often left wondering – what power do I have to enact change? The conference will explore the complex relationships between the law and those who seek to change it, and will highlight the work of activists on the local, national, and global scales who are using and reshaping the law in order to ensure a habitable, more just planet for future generations. The Conference will feature an Activism Fair, in which local climate organizers will share their work with conference attendees.
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Connecticut Law Summer Institute 2024
The University of Connecticut School of Law is offering summer courses focused on Connecticut law. Classes are open to students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school, UConn graduate students, members of the bar, and Connecticut residents age 62 and older. Other interested individuals can request permission to register at law.registrar@uconn.edu.
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NOAA: Coastal Resilience Financing Resources
Discover the wealth of information available through NOAA's Digital Coast and its network of partners, dedicated to empowering individuals in securing funding for projects aimed at bolstering coastal resilience. Dive into a plethora of resources covering funding and financing strategies, real-world case studies, and essential economic data requirements. Start your journey towards building resilient coastal communities today!
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State and Regional News Clips | |
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Sustainability Summit: Doing the Right Thing for the Environment is Much More Complex Than It Seems
UConn Today - March 5, 2024
The half-day Summit, sponsored by the School of Business, featured a series of presentations about ways in which Connecticut is shaping the future of clean energy and sustainability. It drew students, faculty, alumni and industry professionals with a shared interest in addressing some of the world’s biggest challenges.
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UConn Experts Discuss Climate Change’s Impact on Connecticut
UConn Today - March 7, 2024
As part of the UConn Foundation’s Impact Series, four researchers, including two from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, discussed their research on climate change in Connecticut on Feb. 8. The professors discussed its local impacts and what the state can do about them. The talk, titled “Climate Change in Connecticut: Threats and Responses” was moderated by Professor-in-Residence Joe MacDougald, executive director of UConn Law’s Center for Energy and Environmental Law. The panel included Professor and Head of Geography, Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies Anji Seth, who studies how regional climates are likely to evolve under global warming, and Professor of Marine Sciences James O’Donnell, executive director of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, who studies ocean circulation.
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Plans for Offshore Wind Power Blow Back into New England
CT Mirror - March 27, 2024
Offshore wind is making its return to New England. Nearly a year after some of the region’s largest offshore wind developers began making noises about pulling out of their projects because of increased costs, and six months after they actually did, a new round of bidding coordinated among three states appears to show that interest in developing offshore wind is still strong, even with larger price tags.
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How Climate Resilience Can Curb
a Crisis in Homeowners’ Insurance
US News - March 9, 2024
The deepening crisis in homeowners’ insurance is fundamentally about risk. In a world transformed by climate change, the risk of loss and damage from powerful storms, floods and wildfires is metastasizing. In 2023, estimates indicate insured losses from natural disasters topped $100 billion globally for the sixth time since 2017. The U.S. accounted for nearly 75% of losses through the first three quarters of the year.
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Our Top-Ranking Cities for Climate Resiliency: 2024 study
USA Today - March 26, 2024
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their home, especially when it comes to the elements. But the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events caused by climate change can threaten this feeling of security. A 2023 Harvard University housing report estimates that 60 million U.S. homes are currently vulnerable to climate disasters. Without change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Office for Coastal Management forecasts that by 2050, $106 billion of property in the U.S. will be below sea level. The research team at USA TODAY Homefront ranked 96 of the 100 most populous U.S. cities across eight metrics to determine the most climate-resilient cities.
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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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