Webinars Set on New Resilience Grants

There will be two interactive webinars later this month on a new grant funding opportunity for resiliency projects by local governments in the 20 coastal counties covered by the Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA.

The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management will host the free, interactive webinars 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 18 and 1-3 p.m. Aug. 25 to learn more about the new North Carolina Resilient Coastal Communities Program, funded through the N.C. State Legislature and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Geared toward local governments in the 20 CAMA counties, planning consultants, councils of government, academia, nongovernment organizations, protected land managers and others can join the webinars. Register for the Aug. 18 webinar here or the Aug. 25 webinar here.

The N.C. Resilient Coastal Communities Program aims to facilitate a community-driven process for setting coastal resilience goals, assessing existing and needed local capacity, and identifying and prioritizing projects to enhance community resilience to coastal hazards, according to the division. Participating communities will walk through a framework leading to the development of “shovel-ready” projects.

Local governments throughout the 20 coastal counties will be eligible to apply for direct technical assistance to complete a community engagement process, risk and vulnerability assessment, and develop a resilience project portfolio.     

DCM will also be soliciting feedback from participants on the new state Resilient Coastal Communities Program.

For additional details about the upcoming webinars, contact Samantha Burdick at Samantha.Burdick@ncdenr.gov