Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Awards $11.6 Million in Climate Change Funding to Cities and Towns

NEW BEDFORD — Continuing its historic investment in climate change resiliency, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced $11.6 million in grants to cities and towns through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. The popular grant and designation program, which was created in 2017 as part of Governor Baker’s Executive Order 569, provides communities with funding and technical support to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change. With these grants, 82% of Massachusetts cities and towns are now enrolled in the MVP program.

“Our administration is committed to working with local communities to build long-term resilience for critical infrastructure and ensure they have the resources they need to prepare for the challenge of climate change,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The MVP program is providing a glimpse at the monumental scale of this challenge, which is why I filed the ResilientMA legislation, which would provide a new and sustained funding source for climate resilience projects.”

“The MVP Program pairs local leadership and knowledge with a significant investment of resources and funding from the Administration to address ongoing climate change impacts like sea level rise, inland flooding, storms, and extreme temperatures,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We are proud that 82 percent of municipalities across the Commonwealth are partnering with us through this program, and that these awards will ensure all communities across the state can begin making investments in strategies that protect residents and natural resources, and contribute to strong economic growth and innovation throughout the state.”

Over $1 million in MVP Planning Grants were awarded to 38 cities and towns to pursue a community-led planning process to identify vulnerabilities to climate change and priority actions. Results of the workshops and planning efforts inform existing local plans, grant applications, and policies. When complete, these municipalities will be eligible for MVP Action Grants to implement priority on-the-ground projects.

Over $10.5 million in MVP Action Grants were awarded to 52 cities, towns or regional partnerships to implement projects that build local resilience to climate change in the Commonwealth’s third round of MVP Action Grant funding.  Projects are focused on proactive strategies to address climate change impacts and may include retrofitting and adapting infrastructure, detailed vulnerability assessments or design and engineering studies, stormwater upgrades, dam retrofits and removals, culvert upgrades, drought mitigation, actions to protect environmental justice communities and improve public health, energy resilience, mosquito control initiatives, and implementing nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration and floodplain protection.

“The record participation in the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program underscores the need for forward-looking solutions that build strong, resilient local economies, provide necessary adaptation for vulnerable infrastructure and mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides.  “The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to supporting municipalities in getting this work off the ground, and has committed to an ambitious goal to spend a total of $1 billion on climate resiliency by 2022.”

The following communities will receive funding to complete the MVP planning process in 2020:

TOTAL                                                                                                   $1,018,050

The following communities were awarded Action Grants in 2020:

“We’re grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration for their commitment to investing in resilience and infrastructure, including protecting the Port of New Bedford, the economic engine of southeastern Massachusetts,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. “Mitigating the effects of climate change, including sea level rise, will ensure the continued success of the port, the fishing industry that makes it the top commercial fishing port in America, and the entire maritime economy that calls New Bedford home.”

“Towns like Uxbridge have worked hard to assess their vulnerability needs and develop plans to raise the standards to meet their needs,” said State Senator Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “This is why I am proud to see Uxbridge receive $256,926 for the Integrated Vector-borne Disease Control Program. I’d like to thank the Baker-Polito Administration and the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Kathleen Theoharides for recognizing the leadership of Uxbridge, and all of the towns that received grants, for their hard work and dedication to making their towns a safer place to live and work.”

“My communities, and communities throughout the Commonwealth are always working towards more sustainability and resiliency.  These funds allow the communities to plan and take action on what is right for them,” said State Senator Anne M. Gobi (D-Spencer), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.  “I appreciate the support of the Baker-Polito Administration and I am glad to continue to support MVP in the budget.”

“Resiliency has become an integral part of planning for municipalities across the Commonwealth in order to protect important assets from environmental change,” said State Representative James Kelcourse (R-Amesbury). “The Baker-Polito Administration has taken significant steps to ensure support for our communities through programs such as the MVP grant.”   

“Climate change is a real and pressing issue facing our communities and our planet at a steadily increasing rate,” said State Representative Pignatelli (D-Lenox), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. “I am grateful to the Baker-Polito Administration and Secretary Theoharides for ensuring we have options such as the MVP Program available for communities across the Commonwealth to effectively use state resources to invest in infrastructure necessary to combat climate change in the long run. I am happy to see the Berkshires and hilltowns included in this year’s list of recipients and I hope to see the MVP Program continue to flourish and benefit Massachusetts for years to come.”

MVP supports implementation of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan, released in September 2018, provided a national model of integrating hazard mitigation priorities with forward-looking climate change data and solutions. The plan engaged over 500 stakeholders and is the first in the nation to fully integrate federal hazard mitigation planning requirements, with a proactive approach to addressing the impacts from climate change. The plan is implemented within state government by the Resilient MA Action Team, an inter-agency team launched in August by Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito an inter-agency team led by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, and staffed by designated Climate Change Coordinators from each Executive Office. In its first year, the Resilient MA Action Team will provide guidance and decision-making for Plan implementation, further refine priority actions, and ensure actions are integrated into agency practice and policy. The RMAT will also be exploring development of climate resilience standards for state agencies and a resilience evaluation for the annual capital planning process to ensure that investments are climate-smart.

Governor Baker also filed the Resilient MA legislation to support municipalities and help protect Massachusetts residents, communities, economy, natural resources and infrastructure from the adverse effects of climate change, through an increase in the excise on real estate transfers to fund a substantial and sustained investment in climate change adaptation through programs like MVP and the implementation of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan. The revenue would be directed towards investments in resilient infrastructure to help make communities safer, keep vital services online, reduce the long-term costs of climate-related risks and protect the value of property across the Commonwealth. The proposal is estimated to generate $1.3 billion over 10 years which would be deposited into the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund to support municipalities, regional municipal partnerships, and agencies to implement priority adaptation projects.

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