The Resilient Taunton Watershed Network (RTWN) and the Taunton green infrastructure analysis developed by Manomet are playing an important role in the evolution of the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program (MVP) program. The Massachusetts MVP provides support for cities and towns to begin the process of planning for resiliency to climate change and related impacts. The state is providing grant funding for localities to complete an initial assessment and stakeholder participation process. The first round of grants have been awarded and the grantee localities are depicted on the MVP Program 2017-2018 map below. Grantees will work with trained service providers to structure and complete a climate change and natural hazard vulnerability assessment.

 

Manomet, Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, and Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District hosted a webinar on December 18 for grantees that used RTWN as an example of regional cooperation and the Taunton green infrastructure analysis as an example of a natural systems-based approach to climate resiliency.

 

 

Several members of the RTWN team (including Manomet) are approved MVP service providers and will be working with grantee communities to complete the vulnerability assessments. The RTWN team is able to leverage the Taunton green infrastructure analysis in developing the analytic mapping that will serve as an input to the local stakeholder process. For localities within the Taunton watershed we will use the recently completed green infrastructure analysis as an input, and for localities outside the watershed we can rapidly develop equivalent mapping. If your locality is interested in working with Manomet as a service provider, please contact Eric Walberg at ewalberg@manomet.org.

 

SNEAPA Conference Presentation

Jennifer Hushaw, Eric Walberg, and other RTWN members gave a presentation titled A Green Infrastructure-based Approach to Climate Change Resiliency Planning on October 27 at the Southern New England American Planning Association (SNEAPA) conference in Providence, RI. The SNEAPA conference includes participants from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, providing a great opportunity for expanding the reach of this work to the northeast region of the U.S. The presentation was well received with much interest and discussion of the Taunton green infrastructure analysis.