capacity

This factsheet summarizes the findings of a 2022 informal needs assessment of coastal Long Island Sound communities conducted by the Long Island Sound Study’s Sustainable & Resilient Communities (SRC) Working Group Extension Professionals Team. The goal of the needs assessment was to guide future SRC work and to understand: 1) which environmental threats communities are most concerned about, 2) what communities are already doing to address these threats (including their goals and priority projects), 3) what barriers are preventing actions, and 4) what support is needed to overcome those barriers. 

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) recently released a comprehensive report on understanding and addressing the occurrence of local flooding. Developed in collaboration with leading engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill, the study was motivated by the need to address the growing concerns surrounding flood risks across Connecticut. The report evaluates current flood management practices and outlines a series of strategic interventions actionable recommendations to enhance community resilience.

The Long Island Sound Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) Team held our 2024 Annual Workshop virtually as three sessions over two days. Session topics focused on our assistance programs, new regional resilience resources and tools, and a discussion on planning for inundation and different considerations communities may face.

Session 1 – SRC Resilience Assistance Programs was held on Tuesday, December 10th from 10-11:30 AM. Participants learned about our Sustainable and Resilient Communities resilience assistance programs and heard from communities who have successfully utilized them to advance resilience project plans, build capacity, and secure competitive grant funding!

The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) provides funding, expertise, training, and other resources to help communities advance their climate resilience plans and projects while also developing the strategies and capacities that communities nationwide will need as climate impacts intensify.

The second round of grantmaking for the Environmental Justice Data Fund (EJDF) will be supported by a $4 million fund. The EJDF aims to help frontline communities historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice in the United States use data to address environmental hazards, with special attention to matters regarding air and water quality. The EJDF will support eligible organizations to unlock resources, increase their access to federal infrastructure funding, and advocate for new policies that empower communities to address past environmental harm and pave the way to a more sustainable, climate-resilient future.