East Providence will receive a sizable share of the latest Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank "Action Grants," Executive Director Bill Fazioli and Gov. Dan McKee announced late last week, the city accessing $1.8 million for continued shoreline repair at Crescent Park.

A total of $12 million will be dispersed to 35 of the state's 39 municipalities for participants of the Municipal Resilience Program for the implementation of projects to increase their climate resilience. The funds comes from the Green Bond referendum approved by voters at the November 2022 election, which provided for $16 million for municipal resilience projects and was part of McKee's FY2023 budget.

"Investing in Rhode Island's communities isn’t just a prudent decision but a crucial step in securing a resilient future. The impacts of flooding and storms have been wide-ranging throughout our state, but with this funding from the voter-approved Green Bond, we can mitigate those risks, improve our response, and adapt to meet the climate change challenge," McKee said.

Applications are screened and chosen by a selection committee composed of representatives from the Infrastructure Bank, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Statewide Planning and the Coastal Resources Management Council.

“In just the last few weeks, communities across Rhode Island have experienced the effects of extreme storms, severe flooding, and coastal erosion, all of which are anticipated to increase due to the impacts of climate change,” said Fazioli, an East Providence resident and former Planning Department director in the city.

He continued, “Rhode Island needs to invest in resilient infrastructure solutions now, and that is exactly what this $12 million in 20 Municipal Resilience Program Action Grants will allow 19 communities across our state to do. We look forward to continuing to work with our city and town partners through the Municipal Resilience Program, and to partnering with our state and federal leaders to create a sustainable financial framework to address the mounting challenges posed by acute and chronic climate related events.”

The Municipal Resilience Program also receives backing from the non-profit The Nature Conservancy. Municipalities are eligible to submit applications for MRP Action Grants with a 25% local match requirement. For this round grants, the Infrastructure Bank received 41 proposals from 30 communities, totaling $52 million in grant requests.

“As recent storms have once again demonstrated, municipalities across the state are already feeling the impacts of climate change – from severe flooding, to coastal erosion, to property damage,” said Sue AnderBois, The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Climate and Government Relations. “The Nature Conservancy is proud to have partnered with the Infrastructure Bank to bring these planning workshops to 35 of the state’s 39 municipalities, and we are so pleased to see municipalities taking advantage of these action grants to implement the recommendations from their workshops.”

Specifically, East Providence requested its funding for "Crescent Park Shoreline Protection & Slope Stabilization."

In its application summary, the city explained it will use the monies to "construct slope stabilization measures at the city’s Crescent Park waterfront. This grant would fund Phase 2 of the city’s planned efforts which includes construction of approximately 250 feet of hybrid shoreline protection measures to protect the coastal bluff. Protection will consist of a stone revetment backed by a coir log system and a vegetated slope."

According to industry descriptions, coir logs are an "erosion control fiber roll used for soil stabilization and erosion control applications on streams and slopes." They are designed to last anywhere from two to five years as permanent vegetation grows around them.

The city's summary also noted recent attempts to address the once-failing seawall at Crescent Park, specifically its use of federal COVID response American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and other sources to rebuild portions of the structure. The latest round of grant dollars are earmarked to "address crucial erosion issues with this hybrid approach to the slope immediately to the south."

Of the funding announcement for the city, Mayor Bob DaSilva said, "Preserving and protecting our treasured shoreline is of the utmost importance to our administration. We are experiencing more frequent and severe storms that have eroded our beaches. We are so grateful to the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank for its support /investment in our city, which will go a long way in protecting this beautiful natural resource that we call Crescent Beach."

Added Ward 4 City Councilor Rick Lawson, in whose district the park is located, said, “Any investment is Crescent Park is a good investment. I am grateful we have access to these funds to ensure Crescent Park will be enjoyed by Townies for many more years.”