Coastal Resilience Grant Program

The Coastal Resilience Grant Program is open to the 78 municipalities located within the Massachusetts coastal zone. Certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations hat own vulnerable coastal property that is open and accessible to the public, and federally recognized and state acknowledged Massachusetts Tribes.

Eligible projects must fall under one (or more) of the following five categories:

1. Detailed Vulnerability and Risk Assessment - Projects that evaluate vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure using best available techniques, data, and climate projections (e.g. sea level rise and precipitation). Vulnerability assessments should build on Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program and other assessments and set the stage for implementation of actions.
2. Public Outreach - Projects that increase community understanding of coastal storm and climate impacts and build effective partnerships to develop support for implementation of proactive climate adaptation actions. Outreach projects that promote engagement in local adaptation efforts are most competitive. Creative outreach and communication products that are accessible to all residents are encouraged.
3. Proactive Planning - Projects to develop, amend, and implement community-based resilience plans, local ordinances, bylaws, standards, zoning, and other planning tools or management measures to reduce the exposure of existing and future development and infrastructure to coastal storm damages and climate impacts. Projects that facilitate retreat of vulnerable development and infrastructure and reduce future development in hazardous areas are highly encouraged. Projects that result in formal local adoption are most competitive.
4. Redesigns and Retrofits - Engineering and construction projects that upgrade or adapt vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure (e.g., seawalls, port and harbor infrastructure, wastewater treatment plants, pump stations, and critical municipal roadways/evacuation routes) to withstand flooding and erosion over the design life given higher tides, greater storm surges, and more intense precipitation. Projects that relocate public facilities and infrastructure outside of hazardous areas, where feasible, are strongly encouraged.
5. Shoreline Restoration - Projects that evaluate suitability, design, permit, construct, and/or monitor non-structural approaches that restore or enhance natural systems to provide erosion and flood protection services provided by public beaches, dunes, coastal banks, salt marshes, shellfish, and other habitat types. Projects must specifically address current erosion and flooding impacts of public facilities and infrastructure and be able to adapt as sea level rises (e.g., build up or shift landward).

What projects have been funded?

• Featured Coastal Resilience Grant Projects - This web page provides links to summaries of a variety of Coastal Resilience Grant projects to highlight the range of projects eligible for funding and to demonstrate some of the lessons learned through project implementation.
• FY 2023 Project Summaries (PDF, 122 KB)
• FY 2022 Project Summaries (PDF, 197 KB)
• FY 2021 Project Summaries (PDF, 189 KB)
• FY 2020 Project Summaries (PDF, 177 KB)
• FY 2019 Project Summaries (PDF, 154 KB)
• FY 2018 Project Summaries (PDF, 135 KB)
• FY 2017 Project Summaries (PDF, 131 KB)
• FY 2016 Project Summaries (PDF, 115 KB)
• FY 2015 Project Summaries (PDF, 134 KB)
• FY 2014 Project Summaries (PDF, 134 KB)

What resources are available to help identify issues and develop resilience strategies?

CZM encourages applicants to review the following information when developing a proposal for this grant program:

• CZM Grant Viewer - This interactive map provides information on Coastal Resilience Grant projects. Filter information by grant program, category (including Construction - Living Shoreline or Other Infrastructure, Design & Permitting, Planning & Outreach, and Vulnerability Assessment), and year. Pop-up boxes provide details on each project, such as award amounts and links to deliverables.
• EEA Beta Climate Grant Viewer - This viewer shows MVP Planning and Action grants as well as other grant programs offered through EEA that work to build local resilience. To find climate vulnerability assessments, select the MVP Grant Program section of the viewer, choose the Planning Grants tab, and then click on a community to open a pop-up box with a link to “More info.”
• MassGIS Environmental Justice Viewer - This interactive map identifies Environmental Justice populations (i.e., low income, minority, and English isolation) throughout Massachusetts.
• CZM Coast Guide Online - This online map includes public access sites that are owned by government agencies and non-profit organizations along the coast.
• Massachusetts Climate Change Clearinghouse - This website provides access to climate change adaptation resources and a map viewer, which includes sea level rise projections and Massachusetts Coast Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM) layers. Applicants should review sea level rise projections and MC-FRM layers and specify which scenarios are being utilized.
• Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan - This 2018 plan comprehensively integrates climate change impacts and adaptation strategies with hazard mitigation planning by assessing risk and vulnerability within state agencies, communities, and across the Commonwealth. An update to this plan will be released in fall of 2023 and will integrate data, information, and findings of the Massachusetts Climate Change Assessment.
• Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report - This 2011 report provides a broad overview of climate change impacts and includes a coastal chapter with a range of potential strategies to address sea level rise and coastal storms.
• Massachusetts Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Viewer - This interactive viewer displays community facilities and infrastructure along the Massachusetts coast that are vulnerable to coastal flooding from sea level rise and storm surge.
• StormSmart Properties fact sheets - These fact sheets provide information on a range of measures that can effectively reduce erosion and storm damage while minimizing impacts to shoreline systems. The techniques currently covered are:
  • Artificial dunes and dune nourishment
  • Controlling overland runoff to reduce coastal erosion
  • Planting vegetation to reduce erosion and storm damage
  • Bioengineering - coir rolls on coastal banks
  • Bioengineering - natural fiber blankets on coastal banks
  • Sand fencing
  • Repair and reconstruction of seawalls and revetments
• StormSmart Coasts - This website includes additional information on assessing the vulnerability of coastal properties to erosion and flooding, tools for local officials to improve coastal floodplain management, options for coastal property owners to effectively reduce erosion and storm damage while minimizing impacts to shoreline systems, information on landscaping options for controlling erosion and storm damage, interactive maps of erosion along the Massachusetts coast, and more.

What is the proposal deadline (and other important dates)?

The FY24 Coastal Resilience Grant application period is now open. The Request for Responses is available on COMMBUYS. Applications are due by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11. Questions on the RFR must be submitted in writing to patricia.bowie@mass.gov by 4:00 p.m. on June 13. Projects awarded funding must be completed by June 30, 2024, or June 30, 2025, if selected for an extended contract.

What is the level of funding?

In FY24, applicants may request up to $2,000,000 in funding per project. Applicants are encouraged to provide at least 25% of the total project cost, but match is not required. Match may be cash or in-kind contributions or a combination of the two provided by the applicant and direct project partners.

What do proposals typically include?

Specific proposal requirements are provided in the RFR, which is available on COMMBUYS. Previous RFRs have included the following proposal requirements:

• A brief description of community’s current vulnerability and approach to management of erosion and flooding hazards including any climate adaptation efforts.
• A description of the issue(s) or problem(s) and the need for assistance.
• A detailed description of the proposed project that identifies the project type, as well as the selected sea level rise scenario(s), if applicable, and how the project will benefit the public and public interests.
• A description of the transferability of the proposed project (i.e., how the project approach, techniques, and products can be used by other coastal communities facing similar issues).
• A detailed timeline with anticipated completion dates for the project.
• A detailed budget and explanation of how the funding and other support provided by CZM or other project partners will ensure success of the project. Applicants are encouraged to match at least 25% of the total project cost with in-kind services and/or cash, but it is not required.
• The name of a qualified individual who will serve as the local project manager and point of contact, along with resumes for the local project manager and other staff who will work on the project.
• Support letters from all relevant local boards, departments, commissions, and other partners that include their commitment to participate in the project as necessary.

Contact Information

Please contact the following CZM staff and Regional Coordinators with any general questions (please note that email is the better contact option):

Patricia Bowie
Coastal Resiliency Specialist
patricia.bowie@mass.gov
Phone: (617) 626-1186

Kathryn Glenn
North Shore Regional Coordinator
kathryn.glenn@mass.gov
Phone: (978) 281-3972

Joanna Yelen
Boston Harbor Regional Coordinator
joanna.m.yelen@mass.gov

Jason Burtner
South Shore Regional Coordinator
jason.burtner@mass.gov
Phone: (781) 546-6012

Stephen McKenna
Cape Cod & Islands Regional Coordinator
stephen.mckenna@mass.gov
Phone: (508) 375-6856

Sam Haines
South Coastal Regional Coordinator
samuel.haines@mass.gov
Phone: (774) 377-6001