Aquidneck Resilience outlines $2 million NOAA-funded island climate plan to town boards

Aquidneck Resilience told the Middletown Conservation Commission on July 30 that it received a 2024 NOAA grant to support a multi-year, island-wide climate resilience planning effort and that the project will focus on implementable projects across land, water and people. Glenny LeBaron, representing Aquidneck Resilience, said the grant funds technical assistance and staff capacity and asked committee members to identify priority projects the group could help advance.

"So NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It's a federal agency, and they gave us a $2,000,000 grant back in 2024," LeBaron said, explaining the grant term runs through 2028 and that larger funding tracks exist for future work. Presenters emphasized the plan's goal is to produce 'shovel-ready' projects—designs and actions that towns can bid or take to RFP—rather than only high-level strategies. Emma Plinske of Aquidneck Resilience described four program priorities—risk reduction, regional collaboration, community engagement and enduring capacity—and invited committees to contribute local knowledge through a short survey and follow-up conversations.