NH Delegation Announces Nearly $300K to Support Project to Strengthen Climate Resilience in Coastal Granite State Communities

(Manchester, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee which funds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, (NOAA) announced with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) that NOAA will award $299,990 to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES). Specifically, the funding would support a new DES program titled, “Advancing Scale-Appropriate Climate Resilience: The New Hampshire Coastal Neighbors Technical Assistance Program.” The program will help strengthen climate resilience in coastal Granite State communities by supporting a neighborhood-scale, peer-to-peer technical assistance approach to future coastal flood risk assessments and resilience planning. The program seeks to identify how this approach can boost engagement and information shared among coastal residents at-risk of sea-level rise and coastal flooding. 

“As climate change intensifies, coastal communities in New Hampshire are on the frontlines of the devastating consequences of this crisis – from damage to critical infrastructure to homes and lives at risk,” said Senator Shaheen. “Addressing impacts of the climate crisis must be an all-hands-on-deck effort that prioritizes communities facing the greatest danger, which is why this grant is so important. The federal funds awarded will help inform our coastal communities with the knowledge and expertise they need to boost their resilience in the face of our rapidly changing climate. Securing federal investments to protect Granite State communities from the effects of climate change and combating this crisis have long been a top priorities of mine, and I’ll continue to fight for more funding through my work on the Senate Appropriations Committee.”  

“We need to immediately address the threat posed by climate change, particularly for coastal communities that are already facing the impact of rising sea levels on their homes and businesses,” Senator Hassan said. “This federal funding will help Granite Staters in our coastal communities better understand how their neighborhoods may be impacted by climate change and help strengthen their resilience to future flooding. I will continue working to secure additional federal resources to help ensure that our state is prepared for the impacts of climate change, including by pushing through the infrastructure bill that includes critical funding for coastal resiliency programs.”

“We must ensure our infrastructure is resilient enough to withstand the severe weather and storms that are hitting New Hampshire more and more frequently,” said Congressman Pappas. “These funds will help our communities share information, invest in effective improvements, and protect Granite Staters from the harmful effects of sea-level rise and climate change. We must be prepared for these continued environmental impacts, and I’ll continue fighting in Congress for funding and investments that will ensure the resiliency of our infrastructure.”
 

Senator Shaheen is a leader in the Senate for safeguarding our environment and combating the effects of climate change. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Shaheen traveled to Paris to participate in high-level discussions at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that led to the international Paris Climate Accord. She introduced the International Climate Accountability Act – legislation to prevent President Trump from using funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and direct the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan for the U.S. to meet its commitment under the Agreement. Shaheen also introduced widely praised bipartisan legislation with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to save American homes and businesses billions of dollars in energy costs and dramatically reduce the United States’ carbon footprint. Key provisions of this legislation were included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in August. Shaheen is a founding member of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, which brings together an equal number of Republicans and Democrats to craft and advance bipartisan solutions to address climate change.   

Senator Hassan is working to address climate change and reduce its impacts in New Hampshire and across the country. Senator Hassan successfully led efforts to secure significant federal funding to strengthen coastal resiliency efforts for coastal communities in New Hampshire and across the country in the bipartisan infrastructure package that passed the Senate. Senator Hassan also led a number of her colleagues, including Senator Shaheen, in reintroducing bipartisan legislation to support and expand programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a collaborative effort across 11 states, including New Hampshire, that uses market-based tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.

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