The Division of Coastal Management (DCM) invites local governments throughout the 20 Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) counties to apply for Phase 3 of the NC Resilient Coastal Communities Program (RCCP). Municipal and county governments are invited to apply for funding for the engineering and design of a prioritized project identified in their RCCP Resilience Strategy, or other existing plan that meets the RCCP’s Phases 1 and 2 planning criteria. Proposals for development of ordinances or policies to further resiliency in the community may also be submitted for consideration. DCM will be hosting an informational webinar on Monday, April 25, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. to answer questions regarding the application. To register for the webinar, click here.
In the 20 CAMA counties, applications from communities within the 12 Hurricane Florence declared counties (Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Dare, Carteret, Craven, Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, and Tyrrell) must feature a nature-based component. Communities in the other eight counties are highly encouraged to submit a project that includes a nature-based component. DCM will review applications and select proposals for consideration based on available funding and alignment with program goals and objectives. Funding will be prioritized for projects that create engineering and design plans towards a shovel ready project that includes a nature-based component or create an ordinance or policy to further resilience goals.
The RCCP is intended to help overcome barriers in coastal resilience and adaptation planning, boost local government capacity, and support a proactive, sustainable, and equitable approach to coastal resilience planning and project implementation. The program aims to facilitate a community-driven process for setting coastal resilience goals, assessing existing and needed local capacity, and identifying and prioritizing projects to enhance community resilience to coastal and climate hazards.
The RCCP contains four major phases:
Phase 1: Community Engagement and Risk/Vulnerability Assessment
Phase 2: Planning, Project Identification, and Prioritization
Phase 3: Engineering and Design
Phase 4: Project Implementation
DCM received funding from the State Legislature and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to develop and implement the RCCP in coordination with the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency, The Nature Conservancy, and NC SeaGrant. The RCCP is a component of the statewide North Carolina Resilient Communities Program, called for in the 2020 North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan.
Additional information about the RCCP can be found on the program website.
# # #