The Town of Concord, in partnership with OARS 3 Rivers and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), has been awarded a $450,000 state grant to launch a Regional Climate Collaborative. The two-year initiative will focus on enhancing climate resilience for the entire Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord (SuAsCo) Rivers watershed.

The grant was awarded through the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, a highly competitive program administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). The MVP program supports communities in identifying climate hazards, developing resilience strategies, and implementing priority actions to adapt to climate change. The SuAsCo Climate Collaborative is one of 54 projects to receive action grant funding in this latest round.

"This project is a critical opportunity to strengthen Concord's resilience, protect our natural resources, and work with neighboring communities on solutions that will benefit the entire region," said Kerry Lafleur, Town Manager.

This award comes at a crucial time, as communities across the country face historic flooding and extreme weather events that threaten infrastructure, displace residents, and create significant financial burdens. 

“A key way to improve resilience is to adopt a regional approach that considers the needs and risks of multiple communities at the watershed scale,” commented Undersecretary for Decarbonization and Resilience Katherine Antos, “This project is a perfect example of the collaboration needed across the state. It will address the challenges presented by climate change, focusing on natural strategies like wetland, riparian and floodplain restoration, green stormwater infrastructure and increasing tree canopy. By working together, we can protect communities during periods of drought and heavy rainfall." 

The SuAsCo Climate Collaborative will empower the region to prepare for these risks by:

• Building a Unified Regional Framework: Establishing a formal structure for the SuAsCo Climate Collaborative to foster ongoing communication and action across the watershed.
• Assessing Vulnerability: Conducting a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of critical infrastructure and natural assets throughout the region to pinpoint areas of greatest risk.
• Prioritizing Shared Solutions: Identifying shared regional priorities and data needs to guide future projects and secure additional funding for climate resilience efforts.

The first year of the initiative will focus on laying the groundwork for this collaboration, including stakeholder outreach to municipal and community partners and establishing the Collaborative’s governance framework.

Created in 2017, the MVP program provides funding for community-driven climate resilience planning and action. Ninety-nine percent (349 out of 351) of the Commonwealth’s cities and towns are now participating, with over $210 million awarded for local climate resilience projects since the program’s inception.