Page 10 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 Mystic Watershed communities secure $3.6M in climate resilience funding F ollowing the release of $20 million in state fiscal year 2022 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grants, the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) announced that Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC) cities and towns had secured a total of $2.6 million in state funding to help prepare for extreme weather. Of these funds, $1.1 million were grants for multi-community projects and $1.5 million went to individual municipalities. In addition, the Barr Foundation awarded the RMC a two-year, $950,000 renewal grant, bringing the total in new climate resilience funding to over $3.6 million. Such regional partnerships are critical to addressing the increasing risks communities face. “The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report painted a daunting picture of the hotter, stormier Massachusetts we are becoming,” said MyRWA Deputy Director Julie Wormser. “These new resources, added to our work together over the past three years will help Mystic Watershed communities protect their people and places from increasingly extreme weather events.” Convened by MyRWA in September 2018 and led by senior staff from 20 cities and towns and nongovernmental partners, RMC focuses on: • Managing stormwater fl ooding on a regional scale • Preparing critical energy, transportation, food and wastewater infrastructure for coastal storms • Increasing the resilience of vulnerable residents and workers to extreme weather events • Working with state agencies Long weekends... The best kind of weekends. Happy Labor Day from your friends at Everett Bank! We’ll be closed Monday September 6th in observance of the holiday. As always, you can access your accounts using our ATMs and Online & Mobile Banking. to lower the bar for Massachusetts communities to prepare for climate challenges RMC includes 20 of 21 communities (Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Burlington, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Somerville, Stoneham, Reading, Revere, Wakefi eld, Watertown, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn) representing 98 percent of the Mystic River Watershed. It includes nonprofi t and private sector partners as content experts, with senior municipal staff serving as the group’s voting members. All Mystic Watershed municipalities are welcome to participate. “Malden’s $354,600 FY2022 MVP Grant will continue to allow us to move forward with the design work on Malden River Works which is our community’s eff ort to incorporate a climate resilient park at the city’s Department of Public Works yard,” said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “This is a crucial precedent-setting project for Malden as it establishes new models of community engagement, implements green infrastructure, and promotes the Malden River Greenway.” “Winter 2018’s record nor’east WWW.EVERETTBANK .COM Member FDIC | Member DIF ers repeatedly fl ooded the New England Produce Center with corrosive salt water,” said Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria. “This $716,500 MVP grant couldn’t have come at a better time. It will allow Everett and Chelsea to complete the engineering, design, community engagement, and permitting needed to prevent coastal fl ooding in this part of Everett for decades to come.” The City of Revere received $165,516 in MVP funding to support a living shoreline solution in Gibson Park that includes marsh restoration and a waterfront walkway. On June 30, the Barr Foundation awarded MyRWA $950,000 over two years to provide professional staffi ng and direct expenses for RMC, as well as to perform a program evaluation for its fi rst three years. RMC staff include MyRWA Deputy Director Julie Wormser, MyRWA Climate Resiliency Manager Melanie Gбrate, MyRWA Environmental Resiliency Manager Catherine Pedemonti and collaboration expert/CH Consulting Principal Carri Hulet. “The communities involved in the Resilient Mystic Collaborative have made tremendous progress over their fi rst three years together,” said Barr Foundation Climate Resilience Program Officer Kalila Barnett. “Their watershed approach and focus on social resilience and regional projects need to be replicated across the Commonwealth. We are glad to be able to provide the resources to help communities work together to protect people and places from harm.” RMC was recognized in June by the Environmental Business Council of New England with its Award for Leadership by a Non-Profi t Organization. “EBC was pleased to present this award in recognition of the incredible partnership of the 20 communities in the Mystic River Watershed working together to protect their people and places from climate intensifi ed risks,” said incoming EBC Executive Director/President Ann Gisinger. “The Collaborative has supported incredible projects and made steps to close the climate equity gaps among residents in the Mystic River Watershed.” “It can feel like there is not much to celebrate in the world of climate change, but the incredible partnership among the municipalities in the Resilient Mystic Collaborative is a true ray of hope,” said Hulet. “The residents and workers in these 21 communities can take real comfort in knowing that their leaders are working together to build resilience to these changes.” This weekend and throughout the year, we celebrate all those who work to make our community better. 100 Salem Turnpike, Saugus, MA 01906 win-waste.com
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