State and regional officials want to hear from the public about priorities for making the Cape Fear region more resilient.
The Cape Fear Council of Governments, North Carolina Rural Center and North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency are hosting two in-person workshops Sept. 13 in Leland as part of NCORR’s Regions Innovating for Strong Economies and Environment, or RISE, program to develop a portfolio of priority projects that strengthen regional resilience.
Sponsor Spotlight
The project is to identify ways to help communities in Columbus, Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties prepare for and recover from natural disasters and climate hazards. The multiphase effort includes a forward-looking vulnerability assessment, identifying five to 10 high-priority projects and creating a list of the actions needed to implement each proposed project.
An online draft of the Climate Change and Natural Hazards Vulnerability Assessment for the Cape Fear Region describes past problems and future risks associated with extreme weather events such as hurricanes, flooding, extreme temperatures, droughts and wildfires. The report outlines the impacts of these climate hazards on housing, the environment and the economy.
The project’s second phase is to develop the portfolio of projects that have regional benefits for resilience, such as construction projects, nature-based solutions, outreach and capacity-building activities or development of planning and policy.
Goals can include reducing downstream flooding, offering a resource to multiple local governments or crafting a pilot project that can be replicated elsewhere. Proposed projects could be selected for seed funding from the Duke Energy Foundation RISE Accelerator Grant Program.
The workshops are set for 10-11 a.m. and 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the Cape Fear Conference Room at Leland Town Hall, 102 Town Hall Drive. Officials said both sessions will cover the same information.
Sponsor Spotlight
Workshop attendees are expected to hear about the project and will be given opportunity to provide feedback on potential regional projects to build resilience.
Attendees are asked to register online by Sept. 9.
More information about the Cape Fear Regional Resilience Portfolio is available online.
