Belchertown, Brockton, Pittsfield, Rehoboth, Southwick, Spencer, Uxbridge, and Walpole were among the 34 Massachusetts communities to receive a portion of the $10 million in Action Grant funding under the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program. Fuss & O’Neill assisted these eight municipalities identify project opportunities and complete the grant funding applications that resulted in nearly $2.5 million for assessing and implementing changes in response to climate change threats.

The MVP Program and Planning Grants were created to provide funding to Massachusetts cities and towns to bring community stakeholders together to identify local climate change strengths and vulnerabilities and to prioritize actions to reduce risks to infrastructure, society, and the environment. MVP Action Grants provide funding to these communities to implement their priorities.

This is the second time Fuss & O’Neill has helped Massachusetts communities receive MVP Action Grant funding. In 2018, the firm helped 5 municipalities receive more than $700,000 in Action Grant awards to fund projects including assessing culverts, bridges, and dams for flood resiliency; identifying forest fire protection options during drought conditions; assessing feasibility of green backup power for critical infrastructure; and identifying green and nature-based solutions to manage flooding. This year’s awarded projects include water conservation and re-use, culvert replacements, floodplain restoration, and green infrastructure.

The leader of these efforts, Mary Monahan, Director of Business Development, is deeply passionate about these grants and the positive impacts they have on communities. Not only does Mary spearhead the grant application process, she goes out into municipalities and leads the planning meetings, along with Fuss & O’Neill’s additional eight MVP certified trainers. Mary is excited about this year’s awarded funding, noting: “This year we helped eight municipalities receive nearly a quarter of the available Action Grant funding. The impact these funds will have on protecting our towns and cities from climate change impacts well into the future is staggering. I get to see, firsthand, the positive change this proactive approach has on our communities.”