$1.2M for: Johnston Flood Mitigation, Block Island Dunes Restoration, and Pawtuxet River Fish Passage

Senators Reed, Whitehouse to Announce ~$1.2 Million in NCRF Grants for Rhode Island TODAY

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, will join Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena, Jr., RIDEM Director Terry Gray, New Shoreham Town Planner Alison Ring, and Pawtuxet River Authority Chairman Bob Nero on Thursday to celebrate $1,186,200 in federal funding to:

* mitigate flooding in Johnston

* restore dunes near Block Island’s Town Beach

* reopen a fish migration passage in the Pawtuxet River

The two grants for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Pawtuxet River Authority are funded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), which was developed by Senator Whitehouse to restore and strengthen the natural infrastructure protecting coastal communities.

The announcement will be made at an event TODAY, January 22nd at 10:30am at Johnston Memorial Park in Johnston.

The National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF), established in 2018, invests in nature-based solutions that protect coastal communities while enhancing habitats for fish and wildlife. The National Coastal Resilience Fund invests in conservation projects that restore, increase and strengthen natural infrastructure such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, rivers and floodplains, coastal forest, and barrier islands that mitigate the impacts of storms and other coastal hazards to communities.

Coastal communities and ecosystems are under threat from rising sea-levels, more intense storms, and changing rainfall patterns. While almost 40 percent of Americans call the coast home and coastal communities contribute $10 trillion in goods and services annually to the U.S. economy, these areas are increasingly affected by flooding and other coastal hazards. In 2023, the U.S. experienced 28 separate weather and natural disasters costing at least $1 billon, for a total of $92.9 billion.

With sea-level rise and increasing development in coastal areas, the annual cost of flooding in the U.S. is increasing. At the same time, the U.S. is losing valuable coastal ecosystems that help to buffer communities from these impacts and provide important habitats for fish and wildlife. For example, the 2009-2019 Wetlands Status and Trends national report indicates that wetland loss rates have increased by 50 percent over the last decade, with salt marshes experienced the largest reduction. These and other important coastal habitats are “squeezed” by rising sea levels and increasing development on the coast.

The National Coastal Resilience Fund supports the implementation of nature-based solutions to strengthen resilience of coastal communities and ecosystems to these threats. The fund invests in building capacity and plans for coastal resilience, the design of nature-based solutions and implementation of coastal resilience projects to support communities and habitats to withstand, recover and adapt to changing environmental conditions. Nature-based solutions include natural and hybrid (“green-gray”) solutions, such as restoring coastal marshes, reconnecting floodplains, rebuilding dunes or other natural buffers, and installing living shorelines. Additionally, NFWF prioritizes investments that are community-led or incorporate direct community outreach and engagement.