Governor Scott and Vermont Emergency Management announced on June 3rd, $90 million of federal funding is now available to Vermont municipalities to implement hazard mitigation measures that reduce future flood risk. These funds are available to all Vermont towns with no local match requirement.

The federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funds to municipalities to harden infrastructure against future flood losses and for voluntary buyouts of homes in floodplains. The program traditionally requires towns to pay 25% of total project costs; the state of Vermont will now pay the local match.

“After the July flooding that many areas of the state experienced, it was clear local communities needed more resources to help them strengthen their infrastructure to mitigate future disasters,” said Governor Phil Scott. “That’s why my budget included $12.5 million to fund the local match portion of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.”

HMGP funds pay for projects that help prevent future damage in areas of repetitive flooding. Vermont towns have installed spillways and large culverts in downtowns, flood-proofed public buildings, restored river corridors to keep water within their banks, and purchased homes in floodplains to allow water to flow through without damaging structures.

Cities and towns are strongly encouraged to identify problem areas and submit a pre-application by August 16th. Pre-applications need only provide basic information on a proposed project; more technical information will be reviewed as the application progresses. Vermont Emergency Management and Regional Planning Commission staff will assist communities throughout the process.

“Taking the local match off the shoulders of cities and towns lifts a significant barrier that may have deterred towns from applying in the past,” Vermont Emergency Management Director Eric Forand said. “The process may seem daunting to communities that have limited staff, but we are here to help. We encourage towns to apply.”

For more information on the federal and state Hazard Mitigation programs, visit the Vermont Emergency Management mitigation website at www.vem.vermont.gov/funding/mitigation, or contact [email protected].