Overview
CMRPC provides resiliency planning services to communities throughout Central Massachusetts. These services include hazard mitigation planning, low-impact development bylaw reviews, and municipal vulnerability preparedness planning. These plans and reviews can guide communities as they apply for funding, modify regulations, and implement projects so that the resiliency of their infrastructure and community resources can increase in the face of natural hazards. This work is especially important because communities must adapt to the increased severity and frequency of natural hazards which is projected to occur due to climate change.
Hazard Mitigation Planning
Hazard mitigation means to permanently reduce or alleviate the losses of life, injuries, and property resulting from natural hazards through long-term strategies, such as planning, changes in policy, educational programs, public works projects and preservation of floodplains and wetlands.
Hazard Mitigation Plans inventory the recent natural hazards, critical infrastructure, and vulnerable populations in individual communities and provide mitigation strategies to reduce the negative effects of potential future hazards, including floods, winter storms, and severe wind events.
Our Services
CMRPC offers natural hazard mitigation planning services for Central Massachusetts communities that have received planning funds from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).
CMRPC offers grant writing assistance for Federal grants including for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program. These programs can support projects that help improve communities’ resilience to natural hazards.
Hazard Mitigation Planning Project Highlights
CMRPC has recently completed Hazard Mitigation Plans to cover the entire region.
Oxford Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Plan is part of a combined hazard mitigation and municipal vulnerability preparedness planning effort. The Plan meets all of FEMA’s updated local mitigation planning standards as additional outreach to vulnerable populations is conducted.
Hopedale Hazard Mitigation Plan
The Town of Hopedale recently completed a Hazard Mitigation Plan that was approved by local officials, MEMA, and FEMA.
Low Impact Development
CMRPC regularly carries out Low-Impact Development Bylaw Reviews on behalf of our 40 municipalities using Mass Audubon’s Bylaw Review Tool for Low Impact Development (LID) and Climate-Smart, Nature-Based Solutions.
Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness (MVP) Program
The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) managed by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA), provides technical assistance for municipalities to complete climate change vulnerability assessments, develop action-oriented resiliency plans and implement high-priority climate change resilience projects with the help of CMRPC. CMRPC has assisted over 25 municipalities in the region with their MVP planning process since 2018, including data collection, community outreach, research, and final report writing
