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What are you passionate about? Transitioning to clean energy? Making sure all Virginians have access to healthcare? Caring for our trees, farms, and coastlines? What matters to you, matters to us. Resilient Virginia connects the dots between all of the things we're so passionate about to help our communities build comprehensive resilience. Whether we're connecting people to knowledge through our webinars and conferences, connecting communities to funding opportunities, or connecting college students to real-world experiences, Resilient Virginia is there to bridge the gap. And it's because of your support that we can do all of this!
Our fall fundraising campaign starts soon but you can get ahead by contributing now. You can strengthen the resilience of Virginia communities and support our important work by donating today.
And we have exciting news! This fall, every donation received will be matched (up to $10,000 total) by an anonymous donor.
However you decide to support Resilient Virginia, know that you are helping our communities adapt to climate, environmental, social, and economic challenges to become more resilient, healthy, and safe places to live, work, and prosper. Donate, become a member, or sponsor today!
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Since we are experiencing a growing number of climate challenges – storms that leave our communities without power, drought affecting crops and animals, excessive heat affecting our health, and much more – it’s time to come together to create shared priorities for Central and Southwest Virginia that can address these risks in the short and long term. Help us start this process by contributing your perspective, local knowledge, and expertise at this one-day facilitated meeting at Sinkland Farms in Christiansburg, VA.
Why should you come?
Share your concerns and priorities
Collaborate with colleagues on potential goals and solutions.
What will you do at the meeting?
Learn about current efforts going on in the region that are addressing clean energy, transportation, economic development, agriculture and natural resources, and water infrastructure.
Voice your concerns and priorities and brainstorm goals and solutions in breakout sessions.
Network with others.
When is all of this happening?
September 25th, 11:00am - 3:00pm
(10:30-11am: Check-in and networking + optional networking time after the meeting adjourns)
Where are we meeting?
Sinkland Farms, 3060 Riner Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073 (I-81, exit 114)
Will lunch be provided?
Yes! And coffee and snacks too.
What is the cost of registration?
It's free thanks to support from Launch! Consulting
Register by September 18th to let us know you're coming (this is required so we can plan accordingly). |
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We had a packed room at our 2024 Annual Meeting in July and we'd like to thank our speakers, attendees, sponsor, and host for making it such a huge success. We look forward to our next gathering with everyone! To our Members: You can view slides from the meeting on our Member Site. Not a member? Join today and get access to these slides plus slides from previous Resiliency Academies and conferences. |
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Three more Resiliency Academy sessions are scheduled for this fall and you won't want to miss any of them! October 8th - Session 2 - FEMA Regulations: Requirement and Benefits November 12th - Session 3 - Hazard Mitigation Tools: Saving Lives, Building Resilience December 2nd - Session 4 - Trailblazers Talk: Insights from the Field Learn more about these sessions on our website. All sessions are free thanks to funding from MARISA! Registration is currently open for Session 2. |
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Resilient Virginia Collaborative Alliance working groups continue to meet monthly this fall: September 18th - Clean Transportation September 26th - Agriculture October 9th - Water Infrastructure October 16th - Clean Transportation October 31st - Agriculture November 14th - Water Infrastructure November 20th - Clean Transportation All are welcome to join these meetings. Email RVCA@ResilientVirginia.org for more information. |
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Program and Project Updates |
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Virginia Energy Resilience Study |
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We are pleased to announce that outreach to communities for the Virginia Energy Resilience Study (VERS) has started. The VERS program is working with communities across the state to measure their energy resilience and identify practical long-term solutions to reduce vulnerabilities. Resilient Virginia is partnering with Virginia Energy and Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia to identify and engage communities across the state to participate in the program. Communities that participate can:
- Apply for Advanced Support: Eligible communities can apply for one of ten “solar plus storage” case study design projects, providing you with a customized engineering design for an energy resilience hub.
- Access Practical Solutions: Learn about actionable, long-term strategies to safeguard their community’s energy infrastructure.
- Receive a Customized Energy Resilience Profile: Understand their specific vulnerabilities and receive tailored recommendations to address them.
- Gain Key Insights: Assess their community’s energy resilience and discover where improvements are most needed.
If you would like to learn more about this program, including how your community can participate, you can attend the informational session on September 16th at 11am, check out the website, or email resilience@energy.virginia.gov. |
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Learn more about the Resilient Virginia Collaborative Alliance: Website Email |
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A note from Alleyn Harned, Transportation Working Group Leader: The transportation working group has met regularly virtually and covered community needs including hearing from regional officials about transportation energy and resilience issues, as well as following up and immediate updates where requested to communities on these calls. Common interest are grants and planning, transit improvements, and electric passenger vehicles. The working group is open-invitation and we encourage all to join or communicate with RVCA on transportation resilience needs.
A note from Denise Nelson, Water Infrastructure Working Group Leader: The Water Infrastructure Working Group has hosted monthly meetings with public and private sector professionals to support networking and knowledge sharing. We created a spreadsheet to track current resilience plans and projects in the region and discussed potential gaps/needs and priorities. We defined the actions we can take to support the RVCA goals and hosted knowledge sharing discussions on FEMA's NFIP Community Rating System and DCR's Community Flood Preparedness Fund. |
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Board of Directors Updates |
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Please join us in welcoming Jessica Lassetter to Resilient Virginia's Board of Directors. Jessica is a Senior Environmental Specialist and Civil Engineer with City of Alexandria's Stormwater Management Division. She has over 20 years of professional experience in environmental science, policy, and planning, with a specialization in water resources management. We are very pleased that she has joined our Board of Directors. Her knowledge and experience are a great asset to the Resilient Virginia team! |
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2024-2030 National Heat Strategy |
The first ever National Heat Strategy was recently published by the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and Interagency Working Group on Extreme Heat to facilitate proactive coordination around heat planning, response, and resilience. The strategy outlines 4 goals to ensure the nations resilience to heat: - Understand needs and perceptions, expand awareness, and inspire action to address the impacts of heat;
- Advance understanding of heat and its impacts to develop science-based services and solutions for enhanced resilience;
- Improve and facilitate an integrated approach with access to heat information, services, and solutions to support international, national, state, local, territorial, Tribal, and individual actions; and
- Solidify NIHHIS to ensure continuity as the primary integrated federal source for heat-related health information and solutions.
Read more |
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It takes the whole community to collaboratively plan and implement solutions in response to the challenges of flooding. Sharing your flood story enables Virginia’s leaders to better anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods. These stories aid in crafting effective flood prevention strategies and help inform the Flood Resilience Master Plans created by DCR. Stories can also be provided to other flood resilience practitioners to help shape flood management efforts across the state. Visit the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Flood Story Web App to help create a flood-resilient Virginia.
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Climate Change Indicators in the United States |
In July, EPA published the fifth edition of Climate Change Indicators in the United States. This report documents how climate change is impacting the United States, the significance of these changes, and their possible consequences for people, the environment, and society. Themes covered in the report include greenhouse gases, heat on the rise, extreme events, water resources at a glance, changing seasons, ocean impacts, rising seas, and Alaska's warming climate. Read more |
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DOT Climate Change Center 2024 Fall/Winter Webinar Series |
The US Department of Transportation Climate Change Center is hosting a 2024 webinar series on climate change and transportation topics. Fall/Winter sessions include: September 24th: Climate Equity and Environmental Justice: Leveraging Data and Evidence October 9th: Advancing Low Carbon Materials November 14th: Resilient Transportation Infrastructure: DOT Climate Adaptation Plan 2024-2027 December 11th: Parking Reform as a Climate Strategy January 15th: Navigating Climate Challenges: Enhancing Transportation Resilience Read more and register |
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EPA's Meaningful Engagement Policy |
The Meaningful Engagement Policy is grounded in the acknowledgment that EPA's actions to protect public health and the environment are stronger when they are informed by and reflect the lived experiences of the communities and individuals the agency serves. The policy outlines updates on how the agency intends to engage with the public and provide meaningful public participation opportunities in all of its programs and regions. Read more
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Funding Opportunity: Community Change Grants |
US EPA is accepting applications on a rolling basis for $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding available to support community-driven project that build capacity for communities to tackle Environmental Justice and Climate Justice challenges, strengthen their climate resilience, and advance Clean Energy. Deadline to apply for grants is November 21, 2024. Read more |
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Funding Opportunity: GHHI's EPA Region 3 Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program |
GHHI’s Thriving Communities Grantmaking program, in collaboration with the EPA, will award $40 million in grants, flowing from the Inflation Reduction Act, to fund 171 eligible projects in historically disinvested communities throughout EPA’s Region 3 (includes Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and 7 federally recognized tribes). Read more
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Funding Opportunity: 'Build to Scale' Program |
The U.S. Economic Development Administration is accepting applications for its FY24 $50 million Build to Scale program to support organizations that strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems to support entrepreneurs as they build and scale technology-driven businesses—and the employees in the new, good jobs they create—to make and deliver new technology products and services. Read more |
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Funding Opportunity: Community Flood Preparedness Fund Round 5 |
DCR is now accepting applications for Round 5 of Community Flood Preparedness Fund grants. This fund was established to provide support for regions and localities across Virginia to reduce the impacts of flooding, including flooding driven by climate change. The fund will prioritize projects that are in concert with local, state and federal floodplain management standards, local resilience plans and the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. The fund will empower communities to complete vulnerability assessments, and develop action-oriented approaches to bolster flood preparedness and increase resilience. Applications are due November 9, 2024. Read more |
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Resilient Virginia Resources |
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Big Stone Gap Receives $2 Million for Big Cherry Reservoir Recreation Project
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A project aimed at expanding recreation opportunities at the Big Cherry Reservoir in Big Stone Gap received $2 million earlier this month from the Virginia Department of Energy’s Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program (AMLER). Read more |
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Wind Turbine Blades Could Soon Be Recyclable |
Researchers have developed a new plant-based material for wind turbine blades that could help address the growing waste problem caused by old turbines. Read more |
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Organizers Hope Federal Program for Flexible Capacity and Workforce Development Could Become a Blueprint for Rural Funding |
As the Biden administration ends, a recent pilot funding program focused on creating jobs and supporting workers in an innovative, flexible way could shape Biden’s rural legacy. Read more
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An Unlikely Line of Defense During Heat Waves: Food Banks
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Food pantries and meals-on-wheels organizations are taking on a new role during climate emergencies. Read more |
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Thank you to our Annual Sponsors |
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Resilient Virginia • PO Box 309 • Gordonsville, VA 22942
Copyright © 2024 Resilient Virginia. All rights reserved.
resilientvirginia.org
Resilient Virginia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on accelerating resiliency planning in communities across the Commonwealth.
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