The Northeast-Midwest Institute report, "Building a Climate-Resilient Great Lakes: Federal Resources and Assistance for State and Local Governments," is now available on the NEMWI website. This report provides information, targeted to states and localities in the Great Lakes region, on the increasing federal resources and assistance for climate adaptation, and makes recommendations for how such resources could be made more useful for the Great Lakes region. The effects of climate change on Great Lakes localities can be both gradual and catastrophic, damaging roads and homes from heavy flooding, and increasing wear and tear on water infrastructure and public transportation systems.

 

The report lays out the overarching federal strategy around climate resiliency, the primary forms of federal climate resiliency resources and assistance, and the primary areas of need that federal resources and assistance currently target. It makes specific recommendations for enhancing federal assistance to address climate resiliency needs at the state and local levels in the Great Lakes region. The report concludes with an easy-to-understand spreadsheet to help non-federal governmental entities to identify and access federal resources and assistance to meet their resiliency needs.

 

For more information, contact Danielle Chesky, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program or Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst, both at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.  

The NEMWI Webinar: How Well Do Today's Ballast Water Filters Perform in Natural Fresh Water?, which took place November 19, 2014, attracted nearly 100 participants and included presentations from researchers, filter system vendors, and ship owners. The webinar featured results from a year-long study by the NEMWI Great Ships Initiative to generate empirical information on ballast water management system filters in natural fresh water. The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer period. The webinar recording can be accessed here. Updated webinar slides and the final report on which it is based will be available on the NEMWI website early next week.

 

For more information Allegra Cangelosi, President of the

Northeast-Midwest Institute.  

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced last week the availability of approximately $76 million for Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grants. The Choice Neighborhoods program supports locally driven strategies to address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. The program is designed to catalyze critical improvements in neighborhood assets, including vacant property, housing, services and schools. At its discretion and subject to appropriations, HUD will use FY2015 Choice Neighborhoods funding to make Implementation awards under this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Individual grant awards may be for up to a maximum of $30 million. Applications are due on February 9, 2015. More information is available here.    

 

For more information contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.