Municipal Officials and Professionals

Goal for Municipal Officials and Professionals section of this Plan

The goal for this section of the Plan is to help communities identify and plan high-impact Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to increase their climate resilience in a way that builds social and environmental equity and promotes the health of the larger watershed as a whole. The information here can help communities interested in applying for grant funds to implement NbS projects through programs like the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program. Many of NRWA’s existing programs and emerging projects are relevant to communities seeking to improve climate resilience, and we welcome conversations about your community’s goals and needs.

How to use this Plan section

This section is organized by the climate-related Risk Categories that your community may be looking to address. Each Risk Category page includes:

• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) strategies for the Risk
• Potential NbS to be implemented to address the Risk
• Study community Site Studies with maps, a data viewer, NbS site-specific recommendations, and general project plans for implementing recommended NbS projects
• Suggestions for long term efforts to reduce community Risks

Community-specific maps and Site Studies come from the five study communities of Ashburnham, Groton, Fitchburg, Leominster, and Pepperell. Climate-related Risk Categories are interrelated, and may need to be co-managed; but most NbS provide many co-benefits beyond the single risk being addressed. Many of the NbS recommended in the Plan are “shovel in the ground” projects, while other solutions involve longer term efforts on zoning and planning, land protection, advocacy, and education.

Climate Resilience

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