Climate Resilience 101 for Elected Municipal Officials
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Local governments know to invest in police to protect communities from crime. They know to invest in firefighters to protect communities from fire. But mayors, city councilors and select board members are not yet giving nature based solutions the attention they deserve as protection from flooding, heat, and air pollution.
Our Climate Resilience 101 sessions focus on educating elected officials and select board members within the Charles River watershed on the importance of climate resilience to gain legislative support for cities and towns to take proactive roles to adapting to climate change. |
Climate Resilience 101:
- Assists with educating elected officials and select board members on the importance of climate resilience
- Builds legislative support around nature based solutions and their community benefits
- Brings together communities in the Charles River watershed to work on climate adaptation and strategies at a regional scale
- Convenes watershed communities to raise issues together, as needed
- Addresses public health and safety and environmental health and justice issues while prioritizing resiliency planning
Climate Resilience 101 Toolkit
reducing stormwatwer pollution through local code and policy
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In the natural environment, almost half of the rainfall we receive each year - about 45 inches in MA - filters into the ground, with most of the rest returning to the sky as water vapor. However, in developed areas, because we have paved over the ground and cut down many of the trees, well over 50 percent of the rain in a typical year quickly becomes polluted stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff from municipal systems is regulated under the “MS4 permit.” The MS4 permit requires communities to improve the ways in which they manage stormwater in order to protect water quality in our rivers and streams.
The best way to reduce problems associated with stormwater runoff in developed areas and comply with state and federal requirements is to design and implement stormwater management measures that slow, filter, and cleanse runoff and mimic the way nature handles water. These “green infrastructure” measures include installing rain gardens, restoring wetlands, and planting trees. |
MODEL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BYLAWS AND REGULATIONS
U.S. EPA recommends these models as being compliant with the MS4 permit:
Communities in the Charles River watershed have additional requirements under the MS4 permit to significantly reduce phosphorus pollution in stormwater discharges. CRWA developed the following language to be added to the model bylaw and regulations above in order to assist Charles River communities in complying with their phosphorus reduction requirements:
- Model Stormwater Bylaw, Northern Middlesex Stormwater Collaborative
- Model Stormwater Regulations, Northern Middlesex Stormwater Collaborative
Communities in the Charles River watershed have additional requirements under the MS4 permit to significantly reduce phosphorus pollution in stormwater discharges. CRWA developed the following language to be added to the model bylaw and regulations above in order to assist Charles River communities in complying with their phosphorus reduction requirements:
FUNDING STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS: STORMWATER UTILITIES
A stormwater utility raises funds to support a community’s stormwater program. Typically, the funding is based on fees that are applied to developed areas (i.e., areas with impervious cover such as parking lots, building roofs, roads, etc..)
GREEN STREETS: INCORPORATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INTO THE STREETSCAPE
Green streets are designed and operated to treat and infiltrate stormwater runoff close to its source through use of green infrastructure while creating more vibrant and livable communities. Green streets build upon complete streets principles that focus on safety and accessibility, as well as place-making principles that focus on beautiful and vibrant spaces, to create a comprehensive approach to streetscape design that also addresses stormwater runoff and protects the local environment.
Note: complete streets on their own do not necessarily incorporate green stormwater infrastructure measures - green streets, on the other hand, incorporate complete streets principles resulting in a comprehensive design approach that creates better outcomes for safety, the community, and the environment.
Note: complete streets on their own do not necessarily incorporate green stormwater infrastructure measures - green streets, on the other hand, incorporate complete streets principles resulting in a comprehensive design approach that creates better outcomes for safety, the community, and the environment.
PROMOTING CLIMATE RESILIENCE THROUGH LOCAL WETLANDS CODE
The state Wetlands Protection Act provides a baseline level of protection for most wetlands, streams, and rivers and gives local Conservation Commissions permitting authority over projects in and around these areas. In addition to these protections though, it is critically important to think about wetlands protection in the context of climate resilience. By protecting and restoring wetlands, new and redevelopment projects can contribute to the community’s ability to adapt to climate change and avoid further exacerbating impacts like flooding and heat islands.
Recommendations for enacting/updating local wetlands code to improve climate resilience:
Good examples of local wetlands code that improves climate resilience:
Recommendations for enacting/updating local wetlands code to improve climate resilience:
Good examples of local wetlands code that improves climate resilience:
PROMOTING CLIMATE RESILIENCE THROUGH LOCAL TREE CODE
When a community’s trees are removed by developers or private property owners, overall tree coverage decreases, reducing the benefits this coverage brings to the community (improved air and water quality, reduced heat island effects and energy costs, reduced flooding, and more). Many communities in the Charles River watershed have identified maintaining and expanding tree canopy as an essential climate resilience measure through the MVP process.
Recommendations for enacting/updating local tree code to improve climate resilience:
Good example of local tree code that improves climate resilience: Resource for identifying areas of tree canopy to protect and restore:
Recommendations for enacting/updating local tree code to improve climate resilience:
Good example of local tree code that improves climate resilience: Resource for identifying areas of tree canopy to protect and restore:
Implementing Nature Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions (NBS) are adaptation measures focused on the protection, restoration, and/or management of ecological systems to safeguard public health, provide clean air and water, increase natural hazard resilience, and sequester carbon. Incorporating NBS in local planning and design projects produces long-term solutions that benefit human and natural systems. These are often the most cost-effective way to build climate resilience, and they bring numerous co-benefits in terms of improving air and water quality, decreasing local temperatures, and adding green space.
Building Blue Framework
CRWA developed the Building Blue Framework to provide recommendations on incorporating nature-based solutions into new and redevelopment projects. The framework prioritizes climate-resilient design and construction practices relating to site planning, stormwater management, and landscape design. It is intended to be used by developers, designers, and project reviewers such as Planning Boards and Conservation Commissions when designing and approving projects. The accompanying checklist can be used to evaluate a project’s overall climate resilience.
Building Blue Framework
CRWA developed the Building Blue Framework to provide recommendations on incorporating nature-based solutions into new and redevelopment projects. The framework prioritizes climate-resilient design and construction practices relating to site planning, stormwater management, and landscape design. It is intended to be used by developers, designers, and project reviewers such as Planning Boards and Conservation Commissions when designing and approving projects. The accompanying checklist can be used to evaluate a project’s overall climate resilience.
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Nature-Based Solutions Conservation Tool
CRWA developed a Nature-Based Solutions Conservation Tool in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The tool is designed for urban and developed areas like our watershed where conservation opportunities may be somewhat limited or small scale. The tool incorporates many of the traditional metrics for prioritizing conservation opportunities but also brings in climate adaptation considerations. The tool generates priority areas to conserve and/or restore that will have water quality and flood mitigation benefits. The tool supports climate change scenario analysis and planning at the watershed level. To use the tool, go to the website. Under “Datasets” title on the left open the dropdown menu “Charles River Watershed”. Check under the categories of the drop down menus check the blue circles to see the various map layers. Add the options that most interest you to see on the map. To see descriptions of the map layers click the three dots on the right of the description of the layer. To find a location click on the magnifying glass icon on the top right of the website, fill out your desired location in the search bar and click enter. Or you can drag the map and zoom in and out to your desired location. |
Nature-Based Solutions Conservation Tool
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Funding Opportunities
Nature-based solutions, like other infrastructure projects require funding for implementation, and maintenance. The following presentation has information on grant opportunities for nature-based solutions.
Climate Resilience into Local Planning
Appointed and elected officials and other municipal staff should be familiar the wide range of local plans that define a future for the community. Incorporate your ideas into community priorities. To promote local climate resilience, details should be included in local plans.
Nature-based solutions, like other infrastructure projects require funding for implementation, and maintenance. The following presentation has information on grant opportunities for nature-based solutions.
Climate Resilience into Local Planning
Appointed and elected officials and other municipal staff should be familiar the wide range of local plans that define a future for the community. Incorporate your ideas into community priorities. To promote local climate resilience, details should be included in local plans.
PROMOTING CLIMATE RESILIENCE THROUGH LOCAL NATIVE SPECIES CODE
Invasive species and other non-native species can outcompete native species, harming the local ecosystem. Non-native species typically require more care to survive in terms of additional watering or fertilizers, both of which can negatively impact the environment and our rivers. As we prepare for a changing climate, planting more native species ensures that they will be more resilient and require less maintenance.
Good example of local native planting code that improves climate resilience:
Note: The Somerville ordinance encourages native species plantings but does not require 100% planting of native species in order to allow for flexibility around other important considerations such as challenges with planting in urban contexts for survivability, planning for the extreme weather of climate change, and plant species diversity. This provision is for certain non-native plants (but NOT invasive plants). CRWA encourages native plantings whenever possible.
Good example of local native planting code that improves climate resilience:
Note: The Somerville ordinance encourages native species plantings but does not require 100% planting of native species in order to allow for flexibility around other important considerations such as challenges with planting in urban contexts for survivability, planning for the extreme weather of climate change, and plant species diversity. This provision is for certain non-native plants (but NOT invasive plants). CRWA encourages native plantings whenever possible.
Community-Specific Information
The following are presentations that we have made to local leaders in watershed communities about building climate resilience.