The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is helping to fund 16 projects through the Coastal Resilience Grant Program with $5.2 million in grants. These projects are designed to enhance local planning and shoreline management, empowering communities to proactively combat the immediate impacts of climate change, according to state officials.

This funding is crucial for building resilience and sustainability along the state’s coastline that is experiencing more frequent storms, storm surge, flooding, erosion, and sea level rise, according to Gov. Maura Healey.

“Climate change is not only an environmental threat to our coastline, it’s an economic threat to our state,” she said. “The recent hurricanes have underscored the urgency of this issue, reminding us that we must be proactive in safeguarding our communities.”

CZM’s Coastal Resilience Grant Program provides funding and technical assistance to evaluate local vulnerabilities to coastal flooding and erosion. It also aims to raise community awareness and action on these issues, plan for changing conditions, redesign vulnerable community facilities and infrastructure, and restore shoreline systems to enhance natural resources and provide storm damage protection.

Grants advance feasibility assessments, public outreach and engagement, design, permitting, and project implementation.

The following is look at the 16 projects to receive the most recent funding:
 
Barnstable: Sandy Neck Beach Long-Term Coastal Resiliency Project ($90,542). The town will finalize permits and complete the bidding process for a project to relocate the beach parking lot and gatehouse to a more landward location and restore dunes to reduce storm damage risk and preserve recreational access.
 
Brewster: Intermunicipal Shoreline Management for Southeastern Cape Cod Bay Phase 2 ($381,680). The town will continue its partnership with Dennis and Orleans to advance a regional shoreline management strategy for their shared 14.5-mile stretch of Cape Cod Bay coastline. The towns will also create an online public data portal and educational resource for shoreline management projects.

Falmouth: Feasibility of Beach and Dune Nourishment to Build Resiliency for Surf Drive ($153,466): The town will evaluate the performance and longevity of beach and dune nourishment designs under storm conditions for the Surf Drive area. The town will also continue a public outreach program that informs residents of flood risks.

Hanover: Beal Water Treatment Plant and Wellfield Flood Resilience Planning and Conceptual Design ($116,423). The town will conduct a planning study and develop conceptual designs to address flooding vulnerabilities to the Beal Water Treatment Plant and a proposed per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment facility.

Hingham: Hingham Harbor Waterfront Resiliency Project Salt Marsh Analysis,, Compliance/Permitting, and Project Management ($287,928). The town will work to permit a comprehensive coastal flood protection strategy for Hingham Harbor to address storm damage and sea level rise. The project will also assess the reestablishment of the tide gate in the Home Meadows culvert for flood control.

Hull: Adaptation Pathways for Critical Facilities Phase 2 Detailed Site Assessment and Public Outreach for DPW and Municipal Light Plants ($152,805). The town will advance the design of facility improvements to address flooding for its Department of Public Works and Municipal Light Plant. The project will also continue stakeholder engagement on potential building relocation to adjacent parcels.

Marblehead: State Street Landing and Harbormaster’s Tucker’s Wharf Resilience Project ($210,502). The town will perform a site-specific analysis of coastal flood risk of town-owned properties and infrastructure in the State Street Landing area, including the harbormaster’s office, commercial and recreational boating and fishing facilities, and a waterfront park. The project will engage the community on conceptual design plans to mitigate flooding and improve public access.

Marion: Silvershell Pump Station Resiliency Improvement Project ($85,000). The town will complete improvements at the Silvershell Pump Station to address coastal storm risks. The project includes the construction of a bypass connection and the assessment of additional flood resilience measures for the pump station, force main pipe, and standby generator.

Marshfield: Bay Avenue Beach Nourishment Project ($1,998,885). The town will continue construction of a beach nourishment project along Bay Avenue with the placement of 36,190 cubic yards of sand, gravel, and cobble, enhancing flood and erosion protection for nearby infrastructure.

Revere: Beachmont Residents Fringing Belle Isle Marsh Near-Term Actionable Flood Adaptations ($72,192). The city will evaluate a range of near-term emergency actions and long-term solutions to address flooding in the Beachmont neighborhood. This project will build on previous regional vulnerability assessments and directly engage with environmental justice populations in the Belle Isle Marsh area.

Salem: Winter Island Park Pathway and Bank Restoration Project Phase 2 ($419,346). The city will evaluate potential options to stabilize three sections of eroding shoreline around Winter Island Park while considering the archaeological and historical significance of the site. The project will continue efforts to manage the impacts of pedestrian access and improve community understanding of coastal storms and sea level rise.

Resilient Together: Collins Cove Park Neighborhood ($500,069). The city will develop a flood risk reduction strategy and preliminary designs for the Collins Cove Park neighborhood, building on previous studies that identified flooding risks to critical infrastructure and environmental justice populations.

The Nature Conservancy: Proactive Planning for Collaborative, Equitable Retreat & Relocation in Massachusetts ($265,928). TNC will collaborate with coastal municipalities and other partners to launch a coast-wide peer learning network, develop a resource database, and host public engagement events to identify best practices and barriers to proactive, community-led managed retreat.

Wareham Land Trust: North Water Street Beach Shoreline Resiliency Project ($85,000). The land trust will document the existing condition of North Water Street Beach and associated infrastructure, evaluate present and future vulnerabilities, and develop a suite of feasible alternatives to improve the long-term resilience of the site.

Westport: Westport Beach Management Plan ($174,138). The town will develop a Beach Management Plan for the town’s three barrier beaches. The project will assess existing conditions and shoreline change, develop best practice recommendations, and conduct public outreach to build support for long-term adaptation recommendations.

Yarmouth: Packet Landing Resiliency Design and Permitting ($255,383). The town will advance design and permitting for improvements to Packet Landing Marina to reduce coastal flooding and sea level rise impacts and to preserve public access.