Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced that the second round of Resilient Communities Fund grants will fund buyouts of flood-vulnerable homes, floodplain restoration, and other natural resource projects that will help protect life and property from future floods in Vermont. More than $2.1 million in grants will go to towns and non-profit organizations in round two of the program.
The Flood Resilient Community Fund program was created in 2021 to enhance community resilience to flooding and improve water quality in Vermont. The $4.8 million program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. The first round awarded $2.6 million to cities, towns, and non-profits in December of last year.
“The response to the program has been encouraging,” said Governor Scott. “It’s clear there’s a strong desire to protect against flood damage and to make the state a safer place for Vermonters. I commend the communities and organizations taking on these projects for their vision and commitment.”
The twelve projects awarded funds in round two include bridge removals, tree planting, river and stream improvement projects, and voluntary home buyouts.
“When we started this process, we asked applicants to think creatively about how they can use the funding to mitigate the impacts from future flooding,” Vermont Emergency Management Director Erica Bornemann said. “They came back with sound ideas and strategies that will pay dividends for Vermonters for years to come.”
Funds will be awarded to:
- Town of Huntington ($1,055,628) – purchase and removal of flood-prone structures
- Tri-Park Cooperative Housing Corporation ($450,000) - purchase and removal of flood-prone structures (Brattleboro)
- Tri-Park Cooperative Housing Corporation ($75,075) – bridge project scoping (Brattleboro)
- Town of Wolcott ($238,323) – floodplain restoration to Wolcott recreation fields
- Vermont River Conservancy ($20,162) – floodplain restoration (Guildford)
- Addison County Regional Planning Commission ($81,900) – old bridge removal and restoration (Starksboro)
- Addison County Regional Planning Commission ($31,500) – project scoping – Lewis Creek Reaches (Starksboro)
- Town of Putney ($31,500) – project scoping, Sacketts Brook wetland
- Town of Dover ($66,914) – Snow Lake Dam removal project scoping
- Bennington County Regional Commission ($54,862) – project scoping – Bourn Brook from Vermont Route 7 downstream to the confluence of Batten Kill (Manchester)
- Bennington County Regional Commission ($39,900) – project scoping – Lye Brook from Vermont Route 7 downstream (Manchester)
- The Newton School (Strafford) ($4,560) – native tree planting along the West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River.
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