Resources for

Drought

Report

Level of Effort:

The Fifth National Climate Assessment

The Fifth National Climate Assessment is the US Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States.

New York State
Connecticut State
Flooding
Nature-based Solutions
Environmental Health Hazards
Sea Level Rise
Economic Impacts
Infrastructure
Extreme Weather & Storms

Resource

Level of Effort:

Conservation Commissions and Natural Resource Resilience

This fact sheet for Conservation Commissions in Connecticut reviews the role of these commissions for enhancing the climate resilience of their communities. The resource was developed by CIRCA and covers the authority and duties of conservation commissions as well as detailing specific strategies and approaches.

Connecticut State
Flooding
Habitat
Land Use
Nature-based Solutions
Water Quality
Planning
Recreation & Access
Wetlands
Green Infrastructure

Funding

: Oct 4, 2024

$500 - $1,000

Seed Grants Program

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

Connecticut State
Water Quality
Green Infrastructure
Marine Debris
Waste Management
Wetlands
Community Engagement
Policies & Regulations
Extreme Weather & Storms
Recreation & Access
Planning
Incentive Programs
Infrastructure
Erosion
Stormwater Management
Environmental Justice
Economic Impacts
Aquatic Resources
Sea Level Rise
Environmental Health Hazards
Nature-based Solutions
Land Use
Habitat
Flooding

Plan

Level of Effort:

Connecticut Physical Climate Science Assessment Report (PCSAR)

This study by Seth et al. provides up-to-date information on observed trends and projections of temperature and precipitation in Connecticut.

Connecticut State
Flooding
Environmental Health Hazards
Extreme Weather & Storms

Funding

: Oct 12 – Dec 15, 2023

$1B total available

FY23 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants (BRIC) – New York

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

New York State
Connecticut State
Flooding
Nature-based Solutions
Environmental Health Hazards
Sea Level Rise
Stormwater Management
Infrastructure
Planning
Extreme Weather & Storms
Green Infrastructure

Past awards have ranged from $15,000-$825,000, depending on project type and scale

Climate Resilient Farming

The Climate Resilient Farming program aims to reduce the impact of agriculture on climate change and to increase the resiliency of New York State farms in the face of a changing climate. The CRF grant program provides cost-share assistance to farmers to reduce GHG emissions and increase resiliency through Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

New York State
Land Use
Water Quality
Extreme Weather & Storms
Waste Management

Funding

: Jan 1 – Apr 15, 2023

~$1,500

EPOC 2022 Environmental Grant Program

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment.

Connecticut State
Erosion
Flooding
Habitat
Nature-based Solutions
Environmental Health Hazards
Aquatic Resources
Environmental Justice
Stormwater Management
Water Quality
Community Engagement
Wetlands
Green Infrastructure

Funding

: Mar 20 – Sep 17, 2024

$1,000 - $4,000

Grow Grants Program

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

Connecticut State
Water Quality
Green Infrastructure
Marine Debris
Waste Management
Wetlands
Community Engagement
Policies & Regulations
Extreme Weather & Storms
Recreation & Access
Planning
Incentive Programs
Infrastructure
Erosion
Stormwater Management
Environmental Justice
Economic Impacts
Aquatic Resources
Sea Level Rise
Environmental Health Hazards
Nature-based Solutions
Land Use
Habitat
Flooding

Funding

: Oct 24 – Feb 20, 2024

$25,000 to $150,000

New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)

NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program is an environmental education program that promotes place-based experiential learning for K–12 students and related professional development for teachers.This funding opportunity focuses on projects combining long-term, classroom-integrated “Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences” and capacity building for K-12 Environmental Literacy at the state and local level.

Connecticut State
Aquatic Resources
Water Quality
Community Engagement

Funding

: Oct 4 – Feb 27, 2024

up to $2,000

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals Grant Program

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals Grant Program provides funding for local projects in Connecticut that benefit the environment. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Any application meeting the grant guidelines that is not successful in one cycle may reapply during any following cycle. The applications will be judged based on the environmental benefits of each project, in comparison to others. “Environmental benefits” can vary widely and successful applications have ranged from property clean-ups to environmental education.

Connecticut State
Stormwater Management
Marine Debris
Wetlands
Community Engagement
Policies & Regulations
Extreme Weather & Storms
Recreation & Access
Planning
Incentive Programs
Infrastructure
Water Quality
Erosion
Environmental Justice
Economic Impacts
Aquatic Resources
Sea Level Rise
Environmental Health Hazards
Nature-based Solutions
Land Use
Habitat
Flooding

Funding

: Oct 4, 2024

Up to $5000

Community Match Fund

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund is an innovative program that provides fast, flexible funding and support for engaging your community on wide-ranging sustainability projects. Eligible projects receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds from Sustainable CT.

Connecticut State
Stormwater Management
Waste Management
Wetlands
Community Engagement
Policies & Regulations
Extreme Weather & Storms
Recreation & Access
Planning
Incentive Programs
Infrastructure
Water Quality
Erosion
Environmental Justice
Economic Impacts
Aquatic Resources
Sea Level Rise
Environmental Health Hazards
Nature-based Solutions
Land Use
Habitat
Flooding

Funding

: Oct 4 – Apr 20, 2023

$200,000 - $5M depending on category

America the Beautiful

Intended to streamline grant funding opportunities for new conservation and restoration projects around the U.S., the America the Beautiful Challenge consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale projects that address shared funder priorities and span public and private lands.

New York State
Connecticut State
Habitat
Land Use
Nature-based Solutions
Sea Level Rise
Planning
Recreation & Access
Community Engagement
Wetlands

Funding

: Oct 12 – Jan 23, 2024

$1B total available

FY23 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grants (BRIC) – Connecticut

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

New York State
Connecticut State
Flooding
Nature-based Solutions
Environmental Health Hazards
Sea Level Rise
Stormwater Management
Infrastructure
Planning
Extreme Weather & Storms

$5M min (small communities) or $20M min (large communities)

Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA)

The WIFIA program accelerates investment in our nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. Managed out of USEPA Headquarters. Projects eligible for CWSRF would also be eligible for this loan.

New York State
Connecticut State
Environmental Health Hazards
Stormwater Management
Water Quality
Infrastructure
Waste Management

varies by program

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs

The NRCS offers a suite of programs and initiatives that provide technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers and landowners. Relevant programs include:
1) NRCS Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)
ACEP helps landowners, land trusts, and other entities protect, restore, and enhance wetlands or protect working farms and ranches through conservation easements.
2) NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is NRCS’ flagship conservation program that helps farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners integrate conservation into working lands.
3) NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) helps you build on your existing conservation efforts while strengthening your operation.
4) NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) helps partners co-invest in impactful and innovative solutions to on-farm, watershed, and natural resource concerns.

New York State
Connecticut State
Erosion
Habitat
Land Use
Nature-based Solutions
Water Quality
Incentive Programs
Wetlands

Case Study

East Haddam, CT

East Haddam Community Resilience Building Summary of Findings

With support from the Nature Conservancy and Sustainable CT, East Haddam organized a Community Resilience Building process and workshop, the results of which were compiled into this summary. The team engaged with community members to determine the present hazards and vulnerabilities and identify resilient solutions.

Connecticut State
Water Quality
Waste Management
Wetlands
Community Engagement
Policies & Regulations
Funding/Grants
Extreme Weather & Storms
Recreation & Access
Infrastructure
Erosion
Stormwater Management
Aquatic Resources
Sea Level Rise
Nature-based Solutions
Land Use
Habitat
Flooding

Mapper

Level of Effort:

U.S. Drought Monitor

The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) is a map released every Thursday, showing where drought is and how bad it is across the U.S. and its territories. The map uses six classifications: normal conditions, abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) and exceptional (D4).

New York State
Connecticut State
Extreme Weather & Storms

Plan

Level of Effort:

Nassau County Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Nassau County Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed through a year-long interactive planning process in close coordination with stakeholders. The process included identifying the hazards of concern within the County, assessing those hazards, estimating risk, and developing a strategy to mitigate risk to these hazards throughout the County.

New York State
Erosion
Flooding
Environmental Health Hazards
Infrastructure
Extreme Weather & Storms
Policies & Regulations

Story Map

Level of Effort:

EPA CREAT Climate Change Scenarios Projection Map

This Story map illustrates climate change projections, considering scenarios that factor in temperature, precipitation, extreme heat, storms, and sea level.

New York State
Connecticut State
Flooding
Sea Level Rise
Extreme Weather & Storms

Guidance Tool

Level of Effort:

An Extreme Heat Toolkit for Connecticut Municipalities

Provides resources that help Connecticut’s municipal leaders fill gaps in local
extreme heat planning including
1. Communication templates
2. Cooling center best practices
3. A diverse collection of policy and planning actions
4. Advice on creating a heat response plan
Also provides Connecticut-specific information on how extreme heat impacts the
health of residents, especially vulnerable people, and extreme heat safety tips.

Connecticut State
Environmental Health Hazards
Extreme Weather & Storms
Policies & Regulations

Resilience Steps

Connect

LISS
EPA Sea Grant New York Sea Grant Connecticut