Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness ProgramKara RunstenMunicipal Vulnerability Preparedness ManagerMA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental AffairsJanuary 2020

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Changes in precipitation

Sea level rise

Rising temperatures

Extreme weather

• 18% increase in consecutive dry days• 57% increase in days with > 1 in. rainfall• 7.3 inches additional annual rainfall

MA Climate ProjectionsBy end of century:

• 4-10.5 feet along the MA coast

• 10.8°F increase in average annual temperature

• Up to 64 fewer days/year with min. temperatures < 32* F

• Up to 64 more >90-degree days/year

• Increase in frequency and magnitude

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Executive Order 569 - 2016

• Comprehensive approach to reduce GHG emissions to combat climate change and prepare for the impacts of climate change

• State Adaptation Plan• Climate Coordinators• Agency Vulnerability Assessments• Municipal Support

Environmental Bond - 2018

• $2.4 billion bond bill with focus on climate change resiliency

• Over $200 million authorized for climate change adaptation

• Codifies EO 569, including the MVP Program

Massachusetts State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) - September 2018

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Evaluates the Commonwealth’s existing capabilities to implement agency-specific and statewide activities to reduce risk and increase resilience

Acknowledges that climate change is already worsening natural hazards, integrating information and planning elements for 14 natural hazards that affect the Commonwealth

Uses best scientific data and projections to assess risk and vulnerability

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Inland flooding

Drought

Landslide

Coastal flooding

Coastal erosion

Tsunami

Extreme temperatures

WildfireInvasive species

Hurricanes/ Tropical storms

Severe winter storms / Nor’easters

TornadoesOther severe weather

Earthquakes

108 actions,including:

Develop climate change design standards

Incorporate climate effects into capital planning functions

Maintain and enhance climate change projections

14 hazardsOver $9.1M in damages/year,2007-2014

Create MA Coastal Flood Risk Model

SHMCAP Key Risk Assessment Findings and Actions

200+ critical facilities in tornado hazard zones

On average, 6 events/ year, 2009-2018

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Leading by example

State and local partnerships

ResilientMA Action Team (RMAT)

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP)

SHMCAP Implementation

RMAT: Resilient MA Action TeamResponsible for the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) implementation, monitoring, and maintenance, with representatives from each Secretariat and key state agencies

• RMAT Technical Advisor (Aug 2019-2021)

• Statewide resilience standards and guidance

• Resilient capital planning evaluation tool

• Action tracker

First year initiatives

+ Templates for municipalities

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Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program

A state and local partnership to build resilience to climate change by building capacity to respond to climate effects at the local level and pilot innovative adaptation practice

300 high-hazard dams12,000+ culverts and small bridges needing replacement

1,100 municipally-owned coastal structures

Across the Commonwealth, cities and towns need financial and technical resources to prepare their residents, businesses, and aging infrastructure:

96% DHCD housing developments to see 5.4⁰ increase in max temperature by 2070

• Employs local knowledge and buy-in

• Utilizes partnerships and leverages existing efforts

• Is based in best available climate projections and data

• Incorporates principles of nature-based solutions

• Demonstrates pilot potential and is proactive

• Reaches and responds to risks faced by EJ communities and vulnerable populations

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Why nature-based? Where appropriate, nature-based solutions can be more cost-effective, protect water quality and quantity, sustain lands that provide food and recreation opportunities, reduce erosion, and minimize temperature increases associated with developed areas and climate change.

A community-led, accessible process that

MVP Principles

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Define and characterize hazards using latest science and data

Identify existing and future community vulnerabilities and strengths

Develop and prioritize community adaptation actions

Receive MVP designation

MVP Planning Grant

Implement priority adaptation actions identified through planning process

MVP Action Grant

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Determine overall priority actions

MVP Process/ Grant Types

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MVP Designations71% of the Commonwealth 249 communities

Action Grant ProjectsFY 18: 37FY 19: 36

Total Awards$17M+ in planning and action grants to date

Three Years of MVP

MVP Regions

Central

Northeast

Greater Boston

Southeast

Berkshires & Hilltowns

Greater CT River Valley

Regional Coordinator: Michelle Rowden – DEP Lawrencemichelle.rowden@mass.gov

Regional Coordinator: Carolyn Meklenburg – EEA Bostoncarolyn.meklenburg@mass.gov

Regional Coordinator: Courtney Rocha – DEP Lakevillecourtney.rocha@mass.gov

Regional Coordinator: Carrieanne Petrik - DCR Pittsfieldcarrieanne.Petrik@mass.gov

Regional Coordinator: Hillary King – DEP Worcesterhillary.king@mass.gov

Regional Coordinator: Andrew Smith– DEP Springfieldandrew.b.smith@mass.gov

MVP Planning Grant• Next RFR expected to open in spring 2020• $15,000- $100,000 per plan• Some expanded scopes• $1M available

MVP Action Grant• Next RFR expected to open spring 2020• Open to MVP communities• $25,000- $2M per project, 25% local match required• $10M available annually

13https://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-preparedness-mvp-program

2 Types of MVP Grants

MVP Planning Grant TrainingsFor Municipal Staff

January 23: WEBINAR February 4: 2-4pm at the Mass Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke, MAFebruary 13: 1-3pm at the Berkshire Athenaeum in Pittsfield, MA

• These workshops will train municipal staff in supporting their communities through MVP’s vulnerability assessment and resiliency planning process, that uses the Community Resilience Building Framework (CRB) developed by the Nature Conservancy. The workshop will be led by MVP Regional Coordinators and will introduce relevant resources including climate projections for the Commonwealth including:

– the Climate Change Clearinghouse (resilientMA.org), – guidance on how to incorporate nature-based solutions into the planning process, – effective outreach and engagement, – how to cross-walk the MVP process with creating and/or updating a local Hazard Mitigation

Plan.

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Initial Findings Related to MVP Planning Grant Reports

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80

100

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Coastal ReportsInland Reports

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Top HazardsMVP: What we’re hearing - 2018 & 2019 MVP Planning Reports

1 Inland floodingExtreme precipitation and precipitation-induced flooding, ice jams, dam failures

2 Severe winter stormsSnow/Ice storms, Nor'easters

3 Average/ Extreme temperaturesExtreme heat, extreme cold, average higher temperatures

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2 3

1. Stormwater Management2. Emergency Management & Preparedness3. Water Use/Supply4. Natural Resources5. Public Health & Safety

Top Vulnerabilities

Driver

Impact

Tree & Forest Management

Local Economy

WastewaterTreatment & Septic Systems

WatershedManagement

Power

1. Emergency Management & Preparedness2. Stormwater Management3. Data & Maps4. Regulations, Zoning, & Policy5. Power

Top Priority Actions

Driver

Impact

Tree & Forest Management

Public Health & Safety

WatershedManagement

Water Use/Supply

Natural Resources

Nature-Based Solutions in the Planning Process

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of towns included nature-based solutions in their priority

actions

65%

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Stakeholder groups by % of workshops attended

*1% of workshops did not document participant affiliation

99% 88%

City Officials Public Safety

77%

Civil Society

38%42%

Building Management, Permitting, Construction

Utilities

Environmental Groups

Education Elected Officials

74%

63% 54%Business

62%

State Officials38%

51%Healthcare

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MVP Action Grants: Project Types, Findings, and Case Studies

MVP Action Grants: Project Types

• Detailed Vulnerability and Risk Assessment*• Community Outreach and Education • Local Bylaws, Ordinances, Plans, and Other

Management Measures• Redesigns and Retrofits***• Nature-Based Flood Protection, Drought

Mitigation, Water Quality, and Water Infiltration Techniques**

• Nature-Based, Infrastructure and Technology Solutions to Reduce Vulnerability to Extreme Heat and Poor Air Quality

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* Most common project type** Second-most common project type***Third-most common project type

• Nature-Based Solutions to Reduce Vulnerability to other Climate Change Impacts

• Ecological Restoration and Habitat Management to Increase Resiliency

NEW IN 2019• Energy Resilience • Chemical Safety• Land Acquisition for Resilience• Subsidized Low-Income Housing

Resilience Strategies• Mosquito Control Districts+ Expanded eligibility of project location

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MVP Action Grants: Project Types (cont.)

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Nature-Based Solutions

MillburyGreen infrastructure in

downtown revitalization

ConcordReforestation and municipal tree resilience

FalmouthRiver restoration

Essex, Ipswich, Newbury (Regional)Sedimentation study

SouthwickStream crossing

replacement with upstream nature-based

flood mitigation measures

MVP Planning Grant/Designated Communities (2017-2019)

NorthamptonDetaining, retaining,

treating stormwater with green infrastructure

Oak BluffsBeach nourishment

Example Action Grant Projects

Purchasing 120 acres of forest, streams, freshwater wetlands and coastal salt marsh as conservation land to prevent development in vulnerable areas

Mattapoisett

Land Acquisition for Resilience

Data utilization

Proactive

Example Action Grant Projects

Utilizing green infrastructure like stormwater planters, bioretention bump outs, rain gardens, and other measures like porous pavers and pervious pavement to reduce heat island effects and stormwater runoff into the Blackstone River.

Millbury

Nature-Based Flood Protection, Drought Prevention, Water Quality, and Water Infiltration Techniques

Nature-based solutions

Example Action Grant Projects

Boston

Local Bylaws, Ordinances, Plans, and Other Management Measures

Pilot potential

Proactive

Redesigns and Retrofits

Nature-based solutions

Community co-benefits

Developing its first ever resilient building code so that development in the future floodplain is prepared for at least three feet of sea level rise, the likely scenario by late century.

Retrofitting a major waterfront park into a legacy park that uses nature-based solutions to address climate vulnerabilities while providing important access to recreation for residents.

Nature-Based Flood Protection, Drought Mitigation, Water Quality, and Water Infiltration Techniques

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Designing and permitting for a replacement water storage tank that would increase storage capacity and resiliency to drought, and completing a feasibility/ concept design of a rainwater harvesting system at Belchertown High School to irrigate the athletic fields.

Belchertown

Example Action Grant Projects

Nature-based solutions

Pilot potential

FY18 Action Grant Projects

Conducted a detailed demographic analysis of individuals who arrived in Holyoke from Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Maria and develop recommendations for planning for future climate change migrants in Holyoke

Holyoke

Detailed Vulnerability and Risk Assessment, Further Planning

Informational graphics from Holyoke's final

report

Image credits: Town of Holyoke, Hunter College CUNY, El Instituto UCONN

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Example Action Grant Projects

Salisbury Increasing the resilience of the neighborhood of Ring’s Island by raising its access/egress roads and by improving tidal flushing through culvert replacements

Redesigns and Retrofits

Vulnerable communities

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MVP Resources

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• Building on success of existing programs like MVP: Proposed new source of revenue for loans, grants, and technical assistance to municipalities and regional partnerships for priority adaptation projects

• Proposed deeds excise increase est. $137M annually ($1B in ten years)

• Recurring, long-term revenue stream for multi-year project feasibility

Next Steps: Climate Change & the Commonwealth

Bill S.10: An Act for Climate Change Adaptation Infrastructure Investments in the Commonwealth

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• Critical Infrastructure Mapping• Emergency & Security Preparedness

• Climate Change Information & Resources• Emerging Contaminants/Cyanobacteria Support

Supporting drinking water & wastewater resilience in the Commonwealth

WATER UTILITY RESILIENCE PROGRAMmass.gov/guides/water-utility-resilience-program

kara.runsten@mass.govhttps://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-

preparedness-program

https://www.mass.gov/municipal-vulnerability-preparedness-program

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