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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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CIRCA Releases New Findings on Heat Variability
Across Connecticut Neighborhoods
CIRCA has released a new StoryMap presenting research on how environmental and socio‑demographic factors shape both intra‑city and inter‑city differences in Connecticut’s urban heat index. This work uses a novel monitoring approach: sensors placed across multiple neighborhoods recorded temperature, relative humidity, and dew point every 10 minutes throughout the summer. By comparing these high‑resolution measurements with traditional data sources, such as airport weather stations and satellite products, the study evaluates how accurately each source captures the heat people actually experience at the neighborhood scale. The findings offer important guidance for climate planning, especially for communities seeking more precise, equity‑focused heat mitigation strategies.
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FEMA BRIC Grant Update
As of March 25, 2026, the combined FY24–FY25 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been released and is now available on Grants.gov. Applications are due by July 23, 2026, at 3:00 PM ET. This NOFO provides $1,000,000,000 in funding for States, Territories, and Tribes, with $757 million available nationwide through a competitive grant program that includes a $20 million cap on the federal share. Applicants are encouraged to review their Hazard Mitigation Plans to identify eligible mitigation actions and ready-to-go projects.
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MyCoast Connecticut Looking to Expand Statewide
MyCoast Connecticut is being used by a few towns in CT and we are looking to expand statewide. This tool invites residents to take photos of high tides, flooding, and storm damage in their communities. Local planners and municipal officials can then use this data to support planning efforts, increase awareness, and build a stronger, more resilient shoreline. It allows for an important record of how communities experiences coastal flooding and storm events. Learn more at https://mycoast.org/ct
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USDA: Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants
in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island
Application Deadline: Rolling
This program supports rural communities, nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that need help preparing for or recovering from an emergency that threatens safe, reliable drinking water. Eligible areas are rural towns with populations of 10,000 or less, tribal lands in rural areas, or colonias with household incomes below the state’s non-metro median. Funding may be used for waterline repairs, new wells, treatment plants, or other improvements to restore or secure water supplies. Applications are accepted year-round through your local USDA Rural Development office or online.
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EPA: Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in
Community Buildings Funding Opportunity
Deadline: April 15, 2026
EPA’s Office of Radiation and Indoor Air is announcing the availability of funds and soliciting applications from eligible entities to improve public health protection against smoke from wildfires by enhancing preparedness in community buildings. EPA is soliciting applications for projects that support this effort through activities such as:
- Smoke readiness planning,
- Outreach and training for smoke readiness,
- Indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring,
- Deployment of portable air cleaners,
- Identification and preparation of cleaner air shelters, and
- Significant improvements to buildings such as upgrading and repairing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units or systems and weatherization.
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Climate-Smart Forest Stewardship Grant Program
Deadline: April 30, 2026
CLCC’s Climate-Smart Forest Stewardship Grant Program is a new initiative that enables land trusts to take care of their forests. Connecticut’s forests are a vital natural climate solution. They store carbon, support biodiversity, and buffer our communities against extreme weather. They are facing a new reality, from drought to the steady creep of invasive plants, pests, and pathogens, to development pressure that calls for a shift from passive conservation to active, climate-smart stewardship. To help land trusts face these challenges, CLCC will provide funding for land trusts that integrate climate mitigation, resilience, and adaptation strategies into their long-term forest stewardship. CLCC prioritizes proposals for climate-smart forestry implementation projects that:
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Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2026 Request for Proposals
Deadline: May 19, 2026
Proposal Labs: March 3, 2026 - April 30, 2026 | Register for the Lab HERE
The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound (Sound). 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 Partnership (LIS Partnership). Major funding is from EPA through the LIS Partnership.
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FEMA BRIC Grant
Deadline: July 23, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET
As of March 25, 2026, the combined FY24–FY25 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been released and is now available on Grants.gov. This NOFO provides $1,000,000,000 in funding for States, Territories, and Tribes, with $757 million available nationwide through a competitive grant program that includes a $20 million cap on the federal share. Applicants are encouraged to review their Hazard Mitigation Plans to identify eligible mitigation actions and ready-to-go projects.
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Long Island Sound Partnership: Grant Writing Assistance and Planning Support Available in New Round of Funding
Application Deadline: Rolling
The Long Island Sound Partnership sustainable and resilient communities extension professionals have established two assistance programs–the Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program and the Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program. As of October 1st, 2024 a third round of the Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Support Program is available for municipalities and community organizations. The Program assists New York and Connecticut communities within the Long Island Sound coastal boundary to hire a grant writing consultant to develop successful sustainability and resilience-focused project grant proposals and increase capacity within municipalities and community organizations to navigate the funding landscape. Up to $9,950 in funding is available per application and match is not required! The Program is open on a rolling basis until all the available funding has been allocated.
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2026 Lear-Conant Environmental Symposium
Sea Level Rise: Measurement, Understanding, Adaptation
April 10 - 11th, 2026
Location: Connecticut College - 270 Mohegan Avenue Parkway
New London, CT 06320
Attendees are invited to explore sea level rise and climate change with national experts as they examine the human and ecological challenges facing today’s coastlines. The Goodwin‑Niering Center for the Environment at Connecticut College is proud to host the 2026 Lear‑Conant Environmental Symposium, Sea Level Rise: Measurement, Understanding, Adaptation. In the coming decades, sea level rise, accelerated by climate change, will present major challenges to densely populated coastal regions, including significant ecological and human impacts along coastal Connecticut and the Long Island Sound region. Relative sea level, defined as the height of sea level relative to land at a specific location, is a complex phenomenon shaped by multiple variables such as water temperature, global sea level rise driven by melting ice, sedimentation, coastal infrastructure, and land subsidence.
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The Path Forward: Regional Strategies for Climate Resilience
April 17, 2026 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Stuart F. Smith Reading Room, Starr Hall - UConn School of Law - 55 Elizabeth St, Hartford
Join UConn Law’s Center for Energy & Environmental Law for a solutions-based conference exploring the priorities and pathways toward regional resilience. Their discussion will range from law and policy to science and engineering. Panels feature historians, climate scientists, municipal planners, and even a few law professors. The conference will conclude with a collaborative workshop in which participants will help shape a report to the National Science Foundation outlining key priorities for regional resilience in the Northeast. The day will end with a networking and post-conference discussion session over UConn Dairy Bar ice cream!
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Basic Training for Land Use Commissioners
April 18, 2026 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
Location: UConn Middlesex County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT 06438
Cost: $45.00 (In-person or Virtual) Complimentary continental breakfast provided for in-person participants.
UConn CLEAR is offering a basic training session designed for new Land Use Commissioners or anyone looking to refresh their foundational knowledge. The program is recommended by the CT Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to satisfy three hours of the state’s commissioner training requirements.
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FEMA Elevation Certificate Virtual Workshop
April 23, 2026 9:00am - 4:30pm
CT DEEP is hosting this all-day training opportunity to understand how to both 1) fill out and 2) review submittals using FEMA's Elevation Certificate. The workshop is limited to 50 participants with Connecticut registrants receiving priority. 6 CECs are available for CFMs.
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CT Outdoor Recreation Day at the State Capitol
April 30, 2026 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Connecticut State Capitol, North Lobby, 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford
Connecticut Outdoor Recreation Day seeks to raise awareness of Connecticut’s growing outdoor recreation industry and the many opportunities for residents and visitors to recreate in the outdoors. The event will showcase a mix of outdoor industries (retailers, manufacturers, corporate brands, etc.), experiences (guides, instructors, coaches, etc.), and recreationists (associations, nonprofits, community groups, etc.).
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Map Reading and Mapping Resources for Land Use Commissioners
May 16, 2026 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Doors open at 8:30 a.m.)
Location: UConn Middlesex County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT 06438
Cost: $45.00 (In-Person only)
Complimentary continental breakfast provided.
UConn CLEAR is offering a training session on Map Reading and Mapping Resources for Land Use Commissioners. Participants will earn three or more hours of general commissioner training, along with one hour dedicated to Fair and Affordable Housing Practices, as required under CGS 8‑4c.
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Connecting Through Water: Eastern Connecticut Watershed Summit
May 30, 2026 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Project Oceanology, 1084 Shennecossett Rd #1, Groton, CT 06340
The Eastern Connecticut Watershed Summit brings together watershed groups, municipalities, nonprofits, local organizations, and community members to connect, collaborate, and build partnerships while exploring tools, strategies, and solutions that support watershed health and local action. The summit will feature a presentation on the Unified Water Study by Save the Sound, a regional panel discussion with leaders from across Eastern Connecticut, interactive workshops, and dedicated time for networking and collaboration. Participants will select one workshop per session, for a total of two workshops. Space is limited, and workshop sessions have limited capacity.
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The New England Environmental Finance Center's
Environmental Funding Navigator
The Environmental Funding Navigator is a dynamic, evolving resource designed to help communities across New England access funding for environmental work. The Navigator features an expanding list of grants, loans, tax credits, and other financing options to support your organization’s mission and project goals.
| | State and Regional News Clips | | |
Rising Sea Levels Are Driving Coastal Changes
Greenwich Time - March 7, 2026
The tides are turning for coastal development in Connecticut. With a state-mandated planning target of 20 inches of sea-level rise by 2050, rising seas are driving tangible changes in zoning regulations, construction standards, and project feasibility along the coast. As Connecticut’s towns move from theoretical vulnerability studies to concrete regulatory changes, developers can expect both heightened regulatory constraints and emerging incentives for resilience-oriented design and infrastructure.
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Sneezing, Runny Nose, Itchy Eyes: Allergy Symptoms
Start Earlier with Climate Change
WHYY News - March 30, 2026
Early spring means beautiful tree blooms, but also an increase in pollen that can trigger allergy symptoms like itchy eyes, runny nose and sneezing. Allergists say these symptoms may become more intense as allergy season starts earlier than past seasons because of the effects of climate change. Temperature and precipitation pattern changes mean trees are blooming earlier and vegetation is growing more rapidly, producing more pollen in the atmosphere. “The growing knowledge and awareness that things are changing is of paramount importance, that the atmosphere is impacted, and our health is also being impacted by the changes in temperature and precipitation patterns associated with global warming,” said Dr. Neelu Tummala, an ear, nose and throat physician at New York University Langone Health.
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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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