text: Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank and The Nature Conservancy are hosting an informational session for municipalities interested in applying for the 2022 round of the Municipal Resilience Program (MRP Request for Responses [riib.org]). The program equips municipalities with the tools necessary to assess their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change, while providing the necessary funding to take on specific community resilience projects. Successful applicants gain access to technical assistance from The Nature Conservancy and the opportunity to apply for action grants through the Infrastructure Bank. The Bank has committed $9.5 million in grant funding for projects identified across the 2019, 2020, and 2021 MRP rounds, and additional funding will be available for participating municipalities in 2022.
  Since the program’s inception in 2019, 20 municipalities statewide have completed Community Resilience Building workshops. During the workshop process, each participating municipality built on existing local planning efforts to develop a resilience plan and a list of priority projects; municipalities subsequently applied to the Bank for action grant funds. A range of resilience project types have emerged from these workshops and have been funded, including: stormwater management, coastal restoration, dam repair/removal, tree planting, culvert repair, and flood mitigation.
  All Rhode Island cities and towns can apply for the 2022 Municipal Resilience Program here [riib.org]. Municipalities are encouraged to apply as regional clusters or multi-municipal groups. MRP workshops are scheduled to start in May 2022. Applications are due no later than 4 PM on December 17th, 2021.
  The informational call will provide a program overview, highlights of the Community Resilience Building and action grant processes, address municipal eligibility, and answer questions from interested applicants. Previous MRP municipalities will also be joining to share their past experiences with the program.
  When: Friday November 19th, 10am-11am
  Where: Online via Zoom
  Link: https://riib.zoom.us/j/85641777963?pwd=MGszSHVVeUJNb0VWUEdpNzlHZnA2UT09 [riib.zoom.us]
  Meeting ID: 856 4177 7963
  Passcode: 077720
  One tap mobile
  +13017158592,,85641777963# US (Washington DC)
  +13126266799,,85641777963# US (Chicago)
  Who:
  Kimberly Korioth – Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
  Shaun O'Rourke – Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
  Sue AnderBois – The Nature Conservancy
  About Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank
  Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is Rhode Island’s central hub for financing infrastructure improvements for municipalities, businesses, and homeowners. We leverage capital in a revolving fund to offer innovative financing for an array of infrastructure-based projects including water and wastewater, road and bridge, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and brownfield remediation. These quality of life projects improve the State’s infrastructure, create jobs, promote economic development and enhance the environment. For more information, please visit riib.org [riib.org].
  About The Nature Conservancy
  The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions such as Community Resilience Building to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org [nature.org] or follow @nature_press on Twitter.