Senator Stone Creem Sponsors Bill To Expand Climate Change Readiness Program

NEWTON, MA – Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton) has sponsored a new bill to increase the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program’s capacity, the Charles River Watershed Association announced.

The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program provides support for municipalities to prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Because nearly 99% of Massachusetts municipalities participate in the program, there is fierce competition for limited funds for projects, causing many projects to slow down in speed and scale, according to the Charles River Watershed Association.

The new bill (S. 599) would establish an MVP Trust Fund to increase the program’s capacity, with support for the fund coming from bond monies and other sources, such as the MVP Coalition's advocacy goal of $100 million per year.

Additionally, the bill would create a category of MVP+ communities that would adopt a specialized stretch resilience code for building and residential construction projects. The code would ensure that residents are protected from flooding, and communities would get to choose proactive measures to fit their particular needs, such as:

• Implementing stormwater utilities, which provide funding and incentives to reduce stormwater runoff, the biggest source of pollution to the Charles River;
• Creating climate resilience hubs to help community members find resources for climate change preparedness;
• Adopting a green infrastructure policy and training local municipal public works employees to build and maintain these nature-based features, which absorb rainwater and protect residents from flooding;
• Creating floodplain overlay districts to guide development to protect communities from flooding;
• Adopting tree ordinances or bylaws to expand the tree canopy and keep people cool;
• And incorporating up-to-date rainfall data in town planning and zoning efforts.

"The MVP Program has been a tremendous success, but it's time to make it more ambitious. The MVP+ program that I'm proposing would reward cities and towns that adopt local climate resilience policies with an automatic stream of funding for adaptation projects," State Senator Cynthia Creem said in a news release.

The Charles River Watershed Association will urge the Joint Committee on Financial Services to support and advance the bill on Tuesday, June 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Massachusetts State House.