The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $400,000 in federal funding to the state of rhode island through the inflation reduction act

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $400,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Office for Coastal Management (CFDA 11.473) Federal Grant Program to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). The funding will enable RIDEM's Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) to implement projects, initiatives, and programs that increase the climate resilience of coastal communities within Rhode Island's coastal counties. Specifically, the award will support the hiring of a Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) who will collaborate with the NERR manager and a Community and Ecological Resilience Team to develop funding and technical assistance programs with The Nature Conservancy and the RI Infrastructure Bank. The goal is to enhance community resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions, building on the success of the RI Municipal Resilience Program. The CRO will also coordinate statewide resilience activities across multiple agencies. RIDEM will also hire regional resilience coordinators to assist the CRO with program administration and community engagement.

This funding will build the ability of the narragansett BAY national estuarine research reserve (NERR) within the rhode island department of environmental management (RIDEM) to implement projects, initiatives, and programs that increase the climate resilience of coastal communities within coastal counties. Specifically, the narragansett BAY NERR will use the funds to support a chief resilience officer (CRO) hired by RIDEM. The CRO will collaborate with the narragansett BAY NERR manager and the community and ecological resilience team (CERT) to develop funding and technical assistance programs with the nature conservancy and the RI infrastructure bank. The goal is to enhance community resilience to climate change through nature-based solutions, building on the success of the RI municipal resilience program. The CRO will also coordinate statewide resilience activities across multiple agencies via the executive climate change coordinating council (EC4), its advisory board, and its science and technical advisory board. RIDEM will also hire support staff in the form of regional resilience coordinators to assist the CRO with program administration and community engagement.