April 2025

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

Climate and Equity Grant Program

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) are excited to announce the six community-based organizations selected to receive grants through the second round of the Climate & Equity Grant Program. These organizations will implement projects designed to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities across Connecticut, including New Haven, Hartford, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and the Mystic River Watershed. The grantees will address climate change mitigation, adaptation, and education, with projects focused on community engagement, youth education, air quality monitoring, composting initiatives, and more. Funding for the program is provided through proceeds from Connecticut’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. For more information on the grantees and funded projects, click HERE. 

Case Studies in Flood Mitigation and Adaptation: Resilient Connecticut Projects in East Haddam & Mystic Webinar

April 8, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Communities across Connecticut are facing uncertainty when it comes to understanding and managing current and future flood risks. Join us for a webinar highlighting two case study projects currently underway in East Haddam and Stonington Mystic, CT as part of the Resilient Connecticut planning and technical assistance program. This webinar will feature the following:

Resilient Connecticut Program Overview Presentation - John Truscinski, Director of Resilience Planning at CIRCA

Resilient East Haddam: Assessing and adapting to current and future flooding along Succor Brook – Neil Kulikauskas and Dan Pasquale, Kleinfelder

Resilient Mystic/Stonington: Adapting to sea level rise and future coastal flood risk in Downtown Mystic - Beth Kirmmse and Erik Mas, Fuss and O’Neill

The webinar will feature representatives from each municipality and project team to share their experiences collaborating to develop priority actions and implementable projects to improve resiliency. This webinar is an opportunity to learn about innovative flood mitigation strategies and explore lessons that can be applied to other Connecticut communities. Attendees will be eligible to receive CFM continuing education credits.

Planning for a Network of Resilience Hubs in Connecticut Workshop

April 30th, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00p.m.

Swift Factory, 10 Love Lane, Hartford

Join us for an upcoming workshop on resilience hubs, hosted by CIRCA and funded by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP). This workshop will explore how community-centered facilities can serve as trusted spaces to enhance local resilience, providing essential services during blue-sky days and support during climate-related events. Learn from experts and engage in discussions on how resilience hubs can strengthen our communities and state. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation. For more information on the agenda and to register, click the below button.

Webinar: Piloting the MyCoast Tool in

New London, Groton, and Stonington

April 10, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

This virtual gathering will include a description of the new MyCoast project recently funded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) and focusing on the CT communities of Stonington, Groton, and New London. During this webinar, you’ll learn about MyCoast and how it can help address flooding in your community and understand next steps for this project and how you can participate.

Announcements

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Long

Island Sound Futures Fund

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) will soon be seeking proposals for projects aimed at restoring the health and living resources of Long Island Sound. This grant program supports innovative conservation approaches, transformative restoration projects, and community-driven initiatives that align with the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Funding priorities include improving water quality, restoring coastal habitats, and fostering resilient, sustainable communities. Managed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with federal and regional organizations, the program will announce application details soon.

Grants

NOAA Opens $100 Million Grant for Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience

Applications Deadline: April 16, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET

NOAA is now accepting applications for the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This program provides $100 million to support projects that restore marine, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems while improving community resilience to climate hazards like storms, flooding, and erosion. Of the total funding, $15 million is reserved for Tribal organizations. Awards will range from $750,000 to $10 million. Eligible projects should align with resilience or watershed plans, rebuild sustainable fisheries, restore habitats for endangered species, and engage tribal, indigenous, and underserved communities as active stewards of natural resources. The program also prioritizes initiatives that foster economic vitality, provide co-benefits like public access and revitalization, and ensure benefits flow to disadvantaged communities, in line with the Justice40 Initiative.

CLCC: 2025 Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grants

Proposal Deadline: May 1, 2025

The Connecticut Land Conservation Council is accepting applications for its inaugural Climate Smart Land Stewardship Grants, providing $500,000 in funding over multiple years. This program supports land trusts with planning and implementation grants aimed at promoting climate resilience and sustainable land stewardship. Grants will be awarded quarterly until all funding is allocated. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with funding decisions expected approximately six weeks after each submission deadline.

FEMA: Flood Mitigation Assistance - Swift Current

Application Deadline: May 5, 2025

The Fiscal Year 2024 Swift Current program provides $500 million to mitigate NFIP-insured properties with repetitive or substantial flood damage after a major flood disaster declaration between June 1, 2024, and May 31, 2025. Eligible projects include property acquisition and demolition or relocation, structure elevations, dry floodproofing, retrofitting, mitigation reconstruction, and, new for FY24, Project Scoping (up to 1% of the state set-aside or 5% for tribes/territories). Applications must be submitted through FEMA Grants Outcomes (FEMA GO). The eligibility period starts 60 days after a disaster declaration, with funding available on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. Local governments submit subapplications on behalf of property owners to their state, tribe, or territory, while tribes applying directly submit to FEMA. Pre-application support is available for project development, cost estimates, Benefit-Cost Analysis, and environmental review. For assistance, contact the FEMA GO Help Desk at 877-585-3242.

NOAA Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities

Proposal Deadline: May 12, 2025

NOAA is offering $20 million in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience efforts in tribal and underserved communities. This competitive grant aims to fund community-driven projects that enhance ecological health, strengthen resilience, and build local capacity for restoration initiatives. Of the total funding, 15% is specifically allocated to U.S. federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and organizations representing tribes through legal agreements. Award amounts range from $75,000 to $2 million, with typical funding between $250,000 and $1 million. Proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern time on the deadline.

Events

Connecticut River Valley Environmental Summit

April 5, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Connecticut River Museum will host the second annual Connecticut River Valley Environmental Summit at Wesleyan University on April 5, 2025. With the theme “Sustainable Future,” experts from across sectors will come together to address key challenges facing the Connecticut River watershed, engaging a diverse audience of scientists, policymakers, academics, and cultural institutions. This event offers a unique chance to share ideas, build new connections, and explore ways to work together to protect waterways for generations to come.

CT Policy Talks: A Series On Issues That Matter To

Connecticut Residents

April 10, 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Hartford Public Library

603 Park Street, Hartford, CT 06106

Join for a timely conversation reflecting on 30 years of Connecticut’s Neighborhood Revitalization Zones (NRZs). This panel will feature community leaders and practitioners who’ve worked to strengthen neighborhoods through the NRZ process. Speakers include Aaron Gill, Debi Martin, Margaret Malinowski, Marion Griffin, and Peter Procko. Hear about the challenges, successes, and future opportunities for neighborhood-led revitalization in Connecticut.

UConn Law: A Planet Worth Fighting For: Perils, Promise, and Partnerships in Uncertain Times

Date: Friday, April 11, 2025

Location: UConn School of Law

The UConn Law School Earth Day Conference will bring together experts, advocates, and policymakers to discuss environmental challenges and collaborative solutions. This year’s event will explore pressing issues in sustainability, climate resilience, and legal frameworks shaping the future. Attendees will engage in insightful discussions on strategies for protecting our planet in uncertain times.

ISA: Our Ecological World: Oceans & Waterways

April 22, 12:00 p.m.

Part of the Thinking Globally in 2025 Series. Historically, oceans and waterways have both connected and divided human interaction. This pattern continues in the contemporary ways that oceans and waterways structure global relations. Consider current debates over the ownership of the Panama Canal or how the cutting of undersea cables is wreaking havoc on both international transmission of information and global supply chains. Ocean levels are also rising and warming, threatening ocean life and nearby human communities. Join experts from the International Studies Association and the University of Connecticut, including James O'Donnell, CIRCA's Executive Director, in our third public virtual panel discussion on Thinking Globally in 2025 to discuss insights and resources into these simultaneous processes offered by distinct fields of academic expertise including Environmental Studies, History, Law, Political Science, and Spanish.

Upcoming Discussions on Public Health, Ecology Designed to Get People ‘Thinking Globally

UConn Today - March 20, 2025

A series of virtual panel discussions this semester from the Office of Global Affairs and International Studies Association aims to prompt students, faculty, and the community to think bigger than themselves, even bigger than UConn, when considering issues that touch nearly every corner of the world.

“Thinking Globally in 2025” is tackling such topics as public health and ecology in March and April, after having looked at media and misinformation in late February.

Flood-Prone Brooks In

Berlin/Newington/New Britain Eyed For Action

Patch - March 24, 2025

Residents of Berlin, Newington, and New Britain are invited to a community forum on April 2 to discuss flooding concerns along Piper Brook and Webster Brook. The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Alvarium Beer Co. in New Britain. The forum supports ongoing research by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation, which is studying flood mitigation options for the two brook corridors. The goal is to reduce flood risks and protect local infrastructure and communities.

Reflecting on Progress: CIRCA’s Decade of Increasing Connecticut’s Climate Resilience

UConn Today - March 28, 2025

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) was created to help build climate resiliency in the state of Connecticut. This past October saw CIRCA’s 10^th anniversary, which was marked by an event that drew researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the state. CIRCA works closely with communities and decision-makers to develop resilience in many ways, from crafting policy, assessing climate vulnerability, supporting clean energy projects, mapping community and environmental justice communities across the state, and many more. Though much has been accomplished, more work is ahead as the climate crisis grows more pressing.