Project Grant 96392801

DESCRIPTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARP FUNDED GRANT IS TO STRENGTHEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY'S CAPACITY TO ADDRESS FLOODING AND WATER QUALITY IN LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, AN INDEPENDENT CITY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, WHERE FLOOD OCCURRENCE, WATER CONTAMINATION, AND EXTREME TEMPERATURE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CURRENT HAZARDS WHICH, DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, WILL LIKELY BE EXACERBATED DURING HURRICANE SEASON. LYNCHBURG IS KNOWN AS THE 'CITY OF SEVEN HILLS' OR THE 'HILL CITY' AND LIES AT THE CENTER OF A WIDER METROPOLITAN AREA CLOSE TO THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF VIRGINIA. IT IS THE FIFTH LARGEST METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA (MSA) IN VIRGINIA, WITH A POPULATION OF 260,320. ACTIVITIES: THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO ENGAGE LOW-INCOME, MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THESE HAZARDS, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR RISKS AND TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO ADDRESS THEM. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: 1) KICK-OFF AND PROJECT REVIEW THAT PRODUCES A PROJECT WORK PLAN, 2) DATA COLLECTION TO ASSEMBLE THE LATEST HAZARD, CLIMATE, AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO IDENTIFY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AT RISK, 3) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES FIVE FACILITATED MEETINGS (INCLUDING MVOC CONFERENCE SESSIONS), FIVE SETS OF MEETING MINUTES, A FACILITATION FINDINGS REPORT, AND 15-20 ACCEPTABLE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES, AND 4) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, WHICH WILL GENERATE AN OUTREACH PLAN AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, INTERACTIONS WITH 300 RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, AND INPUT INTO THE LOCAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. A LONG-TERM OUTCOME WILL BE THE IDENTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CONCERNS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A FUTURE LOCAL RESILIENCY PLAN. . OUTCOMES: THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROPOSED PROJECT INCLUDE USING THE LATEST HAZARD, CLIMATE, AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO IDENTIFY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AT RISK, ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS ON WATER QUALITY AND REDUCING HAZARD IMPACTS, AND DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL TO PROMOTE HAZARD AWARENESS, AND CARRYING OUT NO-COST/LOW-COST HAZARD MITIGATION AND WATER QUALITY ACTIVITIES. FLOOD AND EXTREME TEMPERATURE HAZARDS WERE IDENTIFIED DUE TO THE LIKELIHOOD OF CLIMATE CHANGE EXACERBATING THESE HAZARDS. THIS INITIAL TASK WILL ALLOW THE TEAM TO MEET, REVIEW PROJECT GOALS AND ACTIVITIES, FINALIZE A SCHEDULE, AND ANSWER ANY STAKEHOLDER QUESTIONS. A LIST OF DATA AND THEIR SOURCES WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE TEAM TO ENSURE ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION IS IDENTIFIED AND CAN BE COLLECTED IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE RESULT OF THIS TASK WILL BE A WORK PLAN THE TEAM WILL FOLLOW. OUTPUTS FROM THE PROJECT INCLUDE: 1) INFORMATION GATHERED TO IDENTIFY NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN LYNCHBURG THAT WOULD BE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED IN HAZARD EVENTS, 2) RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ENGAGED TO LISTEN TO THEIR CONCERNS AND SEEK INPUT ON WAYS TO INCREASE HAZARD MITIGATION ACTIVITIES, AND 3) EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED. OUTCOMES INCLUDE: 1) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS AWARE OF AND ADDRESSING HAZARDS, AND 2) COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN. THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE THE RESIDENTS OF LOW-INCOME AND MINORITY NEIGHBORHOODS OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY HAZARDS SUCH AS FLOODING, WATER CONTAMINATION, AND EXTREME TEMPERATURES. SUBRECIPIENT: LESLIE KING CONSULTING WILL PARTNER WITH MVOC, A LYNCHBURG NON-PROFIT COMMITTED TO ADVANCING RACIAL JUSTICE IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA BY INSPIRING ACTION AND SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND ADVOCACY.