By Adam Swift
Last week, Governor Maura Healey announced just over $12 million in funding for local Mystic River Watershed Association communities, including Revere, East Boston, Chelsea, and Everett through the FY2025 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grants program.
The MVP grants will be used to help fund community-designed projects to prevent harm to residents, workers, and resources in Resilient Mystic Collaborative cities and towns, according to MRWA outreach coordinator Isaiah Johnson. The funding was included as part of the $52.4 million in MVP grants awarded across the state for FY25.
“Convened by ten Mystic watershed communities and the Mystic River Watershed Association in September 2018 and now led by senior staff from twenty cities and towns and non-governmental partners, the RMC designs and completes on-the-ground projects to protect our most vulnerable residents and public services from harm due to increasingly extreme weather,” Johnson stated.
These MVP grants bring the total resources secured for RMC climate resilient projects to nearly $140 million in state, federal, and foundation grants since the voluntary partnership began. “What is extraordinary is that about three quarters of all the funding we’ve secured are for regional projects,” said Mystic River Watershed Association’s Julie Wormser, who helps facilitate the RMC. “These are critical investments that communities can’t accomplish without partnering with their neighbors.”
Multiple FY2025 MVP grants build on the accomplishments of prior successful proposals, according to Wormser.
The local funded projects include $456,000 for the Resilient Bennington Street and Fredericks Park Project in East Boston and the Belle Isle Marsh section of Revere.
“That project will be a continuation of our partnership with the city of Boston furthering the designs of our flood mitigation solution along Bennington Street and Fredericks Park and within the Belle Isle Marsh, kind of a regional solution to flood proof that area,” said Tom Skwierawski, Revere’s Chief of Planning and Community Development. “Or at least make it more resilient, we are never going to flood-proof it entirely. It’s an emergency access road for folks in Winthrop trying to leave, and obviously it is important for Boston and Revere.”
The MVP grant will be used to create 25 percent design plans which can then be used to help find additional funding for the work. Skwierawski said the planning will also help lead to more work in Fredericks Park to improve flooding issues and add more programming to the park itself.
The Island End River Flood Resilience Project in Everett and Chelsea are slated to receive $5 million in MVP funding over the next two years.
“The Island End River flood barrier will protect thousands of residents in Chelsea and Everett and billions of dollars in infrastructure,” said Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez. “This $5,000,000 grant will advance this project and ensure that our cities remain viable economic engines for the foreseeable future, while also beautifying the area for locals to enjoy.”
The Wicked Cool Mystic – Súper Fresco Místico is set to get almost $700,000 in the next two years to help Implement resident-led outdoor cooling solutions in environmental justice neighborhoods in Everett, Malden, Chelsea, and Arlington.
“We have seen the devastation caused by extreme weather and heard the calls for help,” said Healey in an event in Leominster on Thursday, August 1 to announce the MVP grants. “Today, we are continuing our promise to help communities in addressing last year’s challenges and taking proactive steps to reduce future climate risks. These grants are more than just financial support – they are a strong statement of our commitment to resilience. Our goal is to empower every community to adapt, thrive, and lead in the face of climate challenges.”
Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll said that as a former mayor, she has witnessed firsthand the challenges posed by climate change in the state’s communities.
“These grants are crucial because they empower us to take proactive steps against future flooding and relieve the immense burden that climate change places on the shoulders of local leaders,” said Driscoll. “By securing these funds, we ensure our community’s resilience and ability to thrive amidst environmental challenges. This initiative not only sets a powerful example for sustainable development but also underscores our collective responsibility in safeguarding our future and mitigating the economic impacts that would otherwise burden our municipality.”
The MVP Program combines local leadership and expertise with a significant investment of resources and funding from the state to tackle the ongoing impacts of climate change, such as inland flooding, more frequent and severe storms, rising sea levels, drought, and extreme temperatures. The MVP Action Grant will be used to carry out priority climate change adaptation measures identified through the MVP Planning process, or a similar climate change vulnerability assessment and action planning. A total of 71 projects have been awarded grants, including 62 for municipalities, seven for regional planning agencies, and two for tribes, according to state officials.
