Lynn EDIC Project Coordinator Bill Bochnak was one hand at the Winthrop Ferry Terminal last Friday morning, to receive a $73,000 Coastal Resiliency grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Coastal Zone Management division.
Bochnak joined officials from several of the 15 communities that received grants that were announced and awarded by Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Secretary of Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton, joining several state legislators including the Speaker of the House Representative Robert A. DeLeo.
In all, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced over $2.2 million in grants to support local efforts to reduce risks from coastal storms, flooding, erosion and sea level rise. The grants, provided by the Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), were awarded to Barnstable, Boston, Brewster, Chelsea, Dennis, Edgartown, Essex, Falmouth, Lynn, New Bedford, Plymouth, Quincy, Sandwich/Barnstable, Scituate and Winthrop.
“These grants are part of our administration’s commitment to helping the Commonwealth’s cities and towns address the impacts of coastal storms and the effects of a changing climate in new, innovative and effective ways.” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “With these programs and others, we will ensure that Massachusetts continues to be a leader in addressing climate change.”
Bochnak joined State Representative Donald Wong in representing Lynn at the event. The Lynn grant award of $73,000 will help the city assess public infrastructure and natural resources at risk of flooding and sea level rise inundation and develop potential short, mid and long-term adaptation strategies to address high risk areas. The City will develop public outreach materials, including a web-based platform, to communicate vulnerability assessment results.
“Coastal communities face significant challenges from flooding, erosion and other impacts of storms, challenges that are exacerbated by climate change,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “These projects provide communities both the funding and the technical assistance needed to proactively protect important infrastructure and coastal shoreline habitats and natural resources.”
CZM’s Coastal Community Resilience Grant Program and the Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience Grant Program advance local efforts to increase awareness and understanding of climate impacts, as well as implement measures that use natural or non-structural approaches as a viable alternative to hard structures like seawalls and groins. Grants can be used for planning, feasibility assessment, analysis of shoreline vulnerability, design, permitting, construction and monitoring for projects that provide storm damage protection and enhance natural resources.
“These grant programs have proven very successful for developing local tools, techniques, and on-the-ground actions to address coastal storm damage issues,” said CZM Director Bruce Carlisle. “The lessons learned from the projects help inform plans and efforts in other coastal communities that are experiencing similar issues, further extending the reach of this grant funding.”
“These grants will have an immense and lasting impact on Massachusetts,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “The funding will allow Winthrop to improve its transportation infrastructure, save money and address public health concerns. I thank the Baker Administration, Secretary Beaton and Director Carlisle for their help in protecting our state’s natural resources and making towns like Winthrop better places to live, work and raise a family.”
Over $5 million has previously been awarded through these two grant programs to 27 different coastal cities, towns and non-profits for 37 projects. The following 16 projects have been funded through this year’s grants:
Barnstable, Coastal Resiliency at Sandy Neck Public Beach Facility, $148,500
Boston, Boston Climate Preparedness Planning Initiative, $350,000
Brewster, Developing a Coastal Adaptation Strategy for Brewster, $159,474
Chelsea, Designing Coastal Community Infrastructure for Climate Change, $90,000
Dennis, Improving the Coastal Resiliency of Dr. Bottero Road and Chapin Beach, $73,125
Edgartown, Improving the Coastal Resilience of Fuller Street/Lighthouse Beach and Lighthouse Pond, $62,250
EssexIncreasing Resilience through Community Engagement: Facilitating Implementation of Climate Adaptation Strategies in the Great Marsh, $62,943
Falmouth, Design and Permitting for Restoration at Chapoquoit Beach through Beneficial Reuse of Dredged Materials, $120,000
Lynn, Waterfront Resiliency Assessment, $73,000
New Bedford, New Bedford Sewer Pump Station Flood Proofing, $255,000
Plymouth, Warren Cove Cobble Nourishment, $73,350
Quincy, Hydrodynamic Modeling and Community Education, $75,000
Sandwich/Barnstable, Assessment of Century Scale Sediment Budget for the Towns of Sandwich and Barnstable, $157,930
Scituate, Assessing Coastal Erosion, Sediment Transport and Prioritization Management Strategies for Shoreline Protection, $180,000
Winthrop, Lewis Lake Tide Gate Replacement and Structure Rehabilitation, $317,625 and Coughlin Park Green Infrastructure Feasibility Study, $75,000