December 2023

Thank You for Attending CIRCA's Summit:

A Climate Resilience Roadmap for Connecticut

CIRCA held a conference at UConn School of Law in Hartford on Dec. 1, 2023 to present an update on the Resilient Connecticut program, updates on projects including the Environmental Justice Mapping Tool and the Resilience Roadmap policy recommendations for Connecticut. The conference featured panel discussions with state experts in climate resilience focusing on topics including the interdisciplinary nature of climate challenges and equity in advancing climate solutions. Click HERE for more meeting details and a recording of the conference.

Phase III Updates

The first 7 planning projects that were initiated under Phase III of Resilient CT 1.0 (Fairfield and New Haven Counties), are coming to a close. Final reports have been posted for Resilient Meadow Street Branford and Resilient East Ditch Danbury. A draft final report for Resilient Fair Haven has been posted for comment. Additional final reports and deliverables will be added to the Resilient CT Phase III website in the coming weeks. These projects included local community and stakeholder engagement, climate impacts analysis, development of concept designs for projects, and benefit/cost analysis to support project implementation. Stay tuned as the next round of Phase III projects in Southeastern CT gets underway in 2024.

CIRCA Climate Resilience Zoning Library

CIRCA is launching a new tool, a Climate Resilient Zoning Library.  As climate change threatens people and the environment, municipalities can implement strategic land use planning and zoning regulations to improve local climate adaptation and resilience. The factsheets in the library will cover explanations of policies and how they apply to climate resilience with examples of towns where they have been adopted. More factsheets will be added throughout the coming weeks. Click Here for more information.

Grants

Restore America’s Estuaries Announces RFA for the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund

Letter of Intent Due: December 1, 2023

Full Proposal Due: March 15, 2024

The Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is a partnership between Restore America’s Estuaries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). Funding for LISCIF is provided by EPA through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will help meet the goals of the Justice40 initiative which calls for 40% of certain Federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The purpose of LISCIF is to build capacity for organizations located in communities affected by disproportionate environmental and human health risks. Additionally, the Fund seeks to provide technical assistance for organizations in historically underserved areas and support proposals which ultimately improve access to the Long Island Sound, while reducing overall environmental health risks. Eligible projects and activities will be community driven and address challenges/risks faced by communities experiencing environmental justice issues.   Prospective applicants should read the RFA in totality before applying.

NOAA’s Climate Ready Workforce for Coastal and Great Lakes States, Tribes, and Territories Initiative

Letters of Intent Deadline: November 30, 2023

Full Proposals Deadline: February 13, 2024.

Sea Grant and the NOAA Climate Program Office, with support from the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, seek to establish programs aimed at at placing people across the country into good jobs that advance climate resilience and assisting employers in developing a 21st century workforce that is climate literate, informed by climate resilience, and skilled at addressing consequent challenges. NOAA will assist communities in coastal and Great Lakes states, territories and tribes so they may form partnerships that train workers and place them into jobs that enhance climate resilience. NOAA envisions making between 10-20 awards under this competition, at amounts ranging from $500,000-$10 million each. NOAA expects projects to range in duration from 24 months to 48 months, beginning no earlier than August 1, 2024. This opportunity is open to state, tribal, territorial and local governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations in coastal states or territories. Resources from NOAA’s Climate Program Office, Office for Coastal Management, and National Sea Grant Office and its partners will be available to provide technical assistance to applicants and recipients to support these innovative efforts. 

SeaGrant 2023 Long Island Sound Resilience Planning and Updated Grant Writing Support Opportunities

A new LIS Resilience Planning Support Program in addition to a second round of the Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program are now available for municipalities and community organizations. These separate programs ( Track 1 and Track 2) are intended to assist with the development of sustainability and resilience focused projects that will impact a community or communities within or partially within the Long Island Sound coastal boundary.

Track 1: Long Island Sound Resilience Planning Support Program

Expression of Interest Deadline: December 15, 2023

Through the Track One Program, NYSG and CTSG will provide assistance to New York and Connecticut communities to help identify and develop sustainability and resilience focused projects. This program aims to help communities assess local climate risks, conceptualize project ideas, and conduct preliminary planning efforts/steps in order to be well positioned to access funding to design and implement successful sustainability and resilience focused projects. At the conclusion of the Track One Program, it is anticipated that awardees will be ready to seek funding for resilience-focused projects and can choose to utilize the Track Two Program. Receiving support through Track One is not a pre-qualification to receive support through Track Two. Click HERE for more information.

Track 2: Long Island Sound Resilience Grant Writing Assistance Program

Through the Track Two Program, NYSG and CTSG will provide grant preparation and writing capacity to New York and Connecticut communities that are pursuing funding for sustainability and resilience focused projects. This program aims to help communities develop successful sustainability and resilience focused project grant proposals and for municipalities and community organizations to develop capacity for navigating the funding landscape. Receiving support through Track One is not a pre-qualification to receive support through Track Two. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all the available funding has been allocated. Click HERE for more information.

FEMA: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities

Application Deadline: February 29, 2024

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

Awards made under this funding opportunity will be funded, in whole or in part, with funds appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also more commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure, which will grow a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy by enhancing U.S. competitiveness, driving the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, and ensuring stronger access to economic and environmental benefits for disadvantaged communities. The BIL appropriates billions of dollars to FEMA to promote resilient infrastructure, respond to the impacts of climate change, and equip our nation with the resources to combat its most pressing threats.

DOT: Rebuilding American Infrastructure with

Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program 

Application Deadline: February 28, 2024

The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 2024. The popular program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the state and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that may be harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs. As was the case in previous years, the Department is encouraging applicants to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity, and remove barriers to opportunity. The Department also intends to use the RAISE program to support lowering costs for household budgets, wealth creation and the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, the incorporation of strong labor standards, and training and placement programs, especially registered apprenticeships. 

Events

CT DEEP: Connecticut's Climate Pollution

Reduction Grant Program

December 18, 6:00 p.m.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will hold a public information meeting, regarding the development of a Priority Climate Action Plan and a grant application to implement that plan with funding from the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program, designated by the federal Inflation Reduction Act (2022).

Norwalk Draws Inspiration From NYC and Rilling’s Green City Pitch to Write Sustainable Zoning Rules

The Hour - November 13, 2023

As Norwalk undergoes its citywide zoning rewrite, sustainability has been a key topic with which commissioners and staff have grappled, aiming to balance green policies and feasibility. Taking cues from the memo prepared by Norwalk’s Conservation Commission, Planning and Zoning commissioners revised language and implemented sustainable development standards into the proposed regulations. Requiring solar and green roofs was already a proposed requirement for developments over 25,000 square feet; however, the Conservation Commission suggested requiring developments 5,000 square feet or larger to include a solar or green roof.

Norwalk's Harbor Management Commission 'impressed' With Updated Zoning Rewrite; Public Hearings Set

The Middletown Press - November 20, 2023

Ahead of the public hearings on the proposed rewrite of Norwalk’s citywide zoning rules, the Harbor Management Commission said it is “impressed” with the changes made to the waterfront zoning rules after criticizing previous proposals. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved Norwalk’s Industrial Waterfront Study, which suggested changing the zone on the northern half of Water Street to expand the uses to include residential development. But the commission held off on making any zone changes to Water Street until the city decides what to do about flooding and street elevations. A study from the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation and consultant AECOM suggests some South Norwalk streets need to be raised about 3 feet. 

Experts Present Final Plan to Raise South Norwalk Streets 3 Feet for ‘Resilient’ Corridor

The Hour - November 21, 2023

A year-long study of resilience in South Norwalk showcased experts' findings, including a 'toolkit' proposing tactics to combat flooding and heat most notably a plan to elevate streets by about 3 feet. Throughout 2023, CIRCA and AECOM met with community members and a city advisory committee to understand climate impacts Norwalkers face. Flooding was quickly identified as a major issue for many South Norwalk residents who experience it frequently during large storms and high tides. Based on projections of a 20-inch sea-level rise by 2050, CIRCA and AECOM devised a plan to create a 'resilient corridor' in South Norwalk, connecting the highest elevated roads to the bottom of the city. This plan involves raising streets by around 3 feet to meet the necessary elevation.

Climate Change Altering U.S. in Profound Ways, Major Report Finds

Axios - November 14, 2023

A sweeping new federal report finds the effects of climate change are increasingly evident across the U.S., from the Florida Keys to Alaska, and argues for transformational adaptation policies and steep emissions cuts. The Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) shows how warming is rippling across regions and economic sectors and emphasizes the steps governments are already taking to better adapt. The congressionally mandated report is the most complete and authoritative look yet at U.S. climate change impacts and responses. It's the product of hundreds of authors from 13 federal agencies and academic experts.

3 Climate Impacts The U.S. Will See if Warming Goes Beyond 1.5 Degrees

NPR - November 29, 2023

As world leaders gather at COP28, the annual climate change negotiations held in Dubai this year, one number will be front and center: 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). That's the amount countries have agreed to limit warming to by the end of the century. The world is already perilously close to that number. Since the Industrial Revolution, the planet has warmed by about 1.2 degrees Celsius, predominantly due to heat-trapping emissions that come from burning fossil fuels. This year is expected to be the hottest on record, with temperatures in September reaching 1.8 degrees Celsius above average.