NEW SALEM — The town has partnered with the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ Planning Department to address climate resiliency and disaster mitigation, and residents are invited to a meeting Wednesday to discuss strategy.
The meeting will start at 3 p.m. at the Town Offices, 19 South Main St.
New Salem is crafting a combined Community Resilience Building and Hazard Mitigation Regional Plan through the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program. By doing so, the 58.6-square-mile town would become a certified MVP community, and would therefore become eligible for state and federal grant money to fund projects, once the new plan gets approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
According to information from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments, the plan’s purpose is to identify natural hazards affecting the communities; inventory each town’s societal, infrastructural and environmental assets and vulnerabilities; pinpoint the greatest risks of damage by hazards; discuss each town’s relevant policies, programs and regulations; prioritize action steps to prevent loss of life and damage to property; and spot shared needs and resources for making New Salem more resilient in the face of climate change.
Last month, the Baker-Polito administration announced $11.6 million in grants through the MVP program. New Salem is set to receive $27,000 of this money.
Contact New Salem Town Coordinator Nancy Aldrich at 978-544-6437 or newsalemwendell@gmail.com for more information about this project and how to get involved.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.