October 2023

2023 CIRCA Summit: A Climate Resilience

Roadmap for Connecticut 

December 1, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Join the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation for a one day conference at UConn School of Law in Hartford on Dec. 1, 2023 to learn about the Resilient Connecticut program, updates on projects including the Environmental Justice Mapping Tool and the Resilience Roadmap policy recommendations for Connecticut. The conference will feature panel discussions with state and nationally known experts in climate resilience focusing on topics including the interdisciplinary nature of climate challenges, need for economic and workforce development, and focus on equity in advancing climate solutions. Register and check back regularly for the conference agenda and speaker information HERE.

Resilient Ansonia Public Meeting

October 19th, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.



Mayor Cassetti, CIRCA with the University of Connecticut, and AECOM invite you to join them for a public forum (via zoom) this October 19th. During the meeting you will have the opportunity to participate in discussions about how climate change could impact Ansonia and will learn about some resilient strategies for future planning and development. This planning project seeks to understand the impacts of climate change on our neighborhoods in Ansonia and to develop adaptation strategies for a more resilient future. Click HERE to learn more information about Resilient Ansonia.

To Join Online:

Meeting ID: 83017503298

Passcode: 666010

Join by Phone: (US) +1 309-205-3325

Click HERE to Join.

Connecticut Energy Expo

October 19 - 23, 2023

Connecticut Power and Energy Society’s annual expo to showcase renewable energy and energy efficiency strategies for residents and businesses. Explore everyday energy efficiency solutions for tenants, landlords, and residents looking for cost-saving strategies of today and tomorrow. Learn about cutting-edge products and services that can change the future of energy consumption for businesses owned and operated in CT. The CIRCA legal team staff will be manning a table at the CT Energy Expo where anyone can stop by for information about our local resilience initiative. Click HERE for more information.

Grants

EPA: Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program

Application Deadline: November 6, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $19 million in new grant funding that will work to improve the climate resilience of the nation’s water infrastructure. EPA’s Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability grant program will support drinking water systems in underserved, small and disadvantaged communities that are working to prepare for and reduce vulnerability to impacts from climate change ranging from extreme flooding to extreme drought.



This grant will be made available through a competitive Request for Application process. Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include public water systems, a water system located in an area governed by an Indian Tribe, eligible territories, and states on behalf of communities that are underserved and small or disadvantaged. Eligible activities for funding include planning, design, construction, implementation, operation, or maintenance of a program or project that increases drinking water system resilience to natural hazards. 

Rockfall Foundation Invites Applications for Environmental Grants

November 9, 2023

The Rockfall Foundation in Middletown, Connecticut, invites applications for its 2024 Annual Environmental Grant Program. Grants will be awarded to support projects that support the environment in the Lower Connecticut River Valley through preservation, conservation, restoration, or education and increase public knowledge of and respect for its natural resources. Projects that demonstrate new and imaginative ways to achieve this are encouraged. Organizations or projects must be based in one of the focus towns of Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, or Westbrook. Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000 but may be requested for up to $15,000. The available pool for all grant awards in 2024 is $30,000. Eligible applicants include organizations certified as 501(c)(3) nonprofits, towns, religious institutions, and schools. To comply with this requirement, prospective applicants may partner with a 501(c)(3) or a municipality as co-applicants.

Transformational Habitat Restoration and

Coastal Resilience Grants

Proposal Deadline: November 17, 2023

$240 million in funding is available for habitat restoration and coastal resilience through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Projects selected through this funding opportunity will have a transformative impact for coastal communities and tribes across the country. They will help sustain our nation’s fisheries, make significant strides in the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and help protect coastal communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. They will support efforts such as reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains, out planting corals to rebuild reefs, building living shorelines that protect coasts from erosion and sea level rise, and more.

Applicant Webinars

A pre-recorded applicant webinar is available for download in the “For Applicants” section below.

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. RAE will host two informational webinars for prospective applicants: October 10, 10:00 a.m. and October 17, 2:00 p.m.

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. 

Events

Connecticut Green Bank Fall Update Webinar

October 11, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Join the CT Green Bank for an update on Green Bank programs and solutions for homes, buildings, and investments. Topics will include potential implications of the Inflation Reduction Act, update on Energy Storage Solutions, news on C-PACE, Green Liberty Notes and more.

Lessons Learned: How We Adapt on the Road to

Climate Adaptation

October 12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Climate change adaptation is characterized by flexibility—our ability to adapt to an unprecedented crisis. Across geographies, scales, and focus areas, we’ve seen many successful examples of climate adaptation projects, many of which we’ve featured in our forums. But these successes would not have been possible without the ability to pivot in the face of obstacles. Learn from our expert panel as they reflect on the limitations and challenges they’ve encountered in a wide variety of climate change adaptation projects, and how those challenges can inform our next steps as a community of practice.

CAFM 10th Annual Conference 

The Connecticut Association of Flood Managers (CAFM) will hold its annual conference on November 1, 2023 at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Registration for attendees and vendors is available. Speakers from CIRCA, DEMHS, DEEP, USGS, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the consulting community are confirmed. In addition, a brief training on the new Elevation Certificate is planned. As always, attendance at the annual conference will grant CAFM membership for the following year!

Announcements

Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island Sign First-Time Agreement for Multi-State Offshore Wind Procurement

Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island announced New England’s first offshore wind multi-state coordination memorandum of understanding (MOU), which creates a pathway for a potential coordinated selection of offshore wind as each state solicits offshore wind energy generation through their respective state procurements. This MOU is the first of its kind in the United States. Through this MOU, the three states will together seek multi-state offshore wind proposals that would expand benefits for the region, capture cost reductions by developing projects at scale, and develop into viable projects. In coordinating, the states will amplify efforts to foster regional economic development, create high-paying, in-demand jobs, and promote environmental justice and equity.

Governor Lamont Announces Connecticut's Strategic Roadmap for Offshore Wind, Launches Connecticut Wind Collaborative

Governor Ned Lamont announced the publication of Connecticut’s first strategic roadmap for economic development in the offshore wind industry, which will be supported by a newly-formed public-private group known as the Connecticut Wind Collaborative. “Connecticut’s deepwater ports, direct water access, and long history of advanced manufacturing make our state a natural home for offshore wind projects serving all of New York and New England,” Governor Lamont said. “The offshore wind industry has the opportunity to create even more high-quality, well-paying jobs in Connecticut, and we want to make sure those jobs are created here. Our administration is focused on building an offshore wind ecosystem that boosts local economies while also providing families and industries with clean, reliable, and affordable power.”

Introducing the Connecticut

Environmental Justice Screening Tool

CT Planning- October 5, 2023

Let’s start with a quiz. Which of the following factors has the biggest impact on an individual’s health outcomes: income, race, education level, or zip code? We may be inclined to choose one of the first three, but according to Harvard research, it’s actually the last. The notion that all people are entitled to equitable health outcomes, regardless of where they live, is called environmental justice (EJ). Over the last several years, it has become a top priority for Connecticut and for the Lamont administration.

This Summer Broke the World Record for the Highest Temperature Officially Recorded

AP News - September 6, 2023



Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, WMO and the European climate service Copernicus announced.

Biden Administration to Put $4.6 Billion Toward State and Local Climate Plans

The Hill - September 20, 2023

The Biden administration announced that it will make $4.6 billion available to help states, localities and tribes implement their climate plans. The funds represent the bulk of a $5 billion effort under the Inflation Reduction Act to help local and state governments cut their greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.