Resilience Authority of Annapolis
and Anne Arundel County
ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE WHILE DRIVING REGIONAL ECONOMIC SUCCESS
Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County
With 500+ miles of coastline including the waterfront state capitol of Annapolis, Maryland’s Anne Arundel County is a bellwether of climate change. Long prone to flooding and other adverse effects associated with sea level rise, the two jurisdictions came together to create the nation’s first multi-jurisdictional resilience authority to accelerate the pace and scale of infrastructure improvements needed to prepare, mitigate, and adapt the region to the impacts of a changing climate.
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The urgency of intervention drove the creation of the Authority as well as the need to expedite projects mitigating flooding, erosion, structural damage, stormwater runoff and other effects of climate change. Additionally, limited state, county, and local funds were available to allocate to the nearly 600 square mile geography, so identifying and accessing new sources of funding was imperative. Finally, the organization was inundated with the number of potential projects and sought an equitable approach to prioritization that drove both mitigation and adaptation in addition to best driving economic growth.
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As a key supporter of the Resiliency Authority, Council Fire:
• Evaluated grant opportunities recommending “best fit” proposals
• Identified regional resources to execute projects driving the local economy
• Based on organizational mission and priorities, created a project decision-making tool to prioritize projects
• Prepared a suite of impact metrics to hold the organization and its partners accountable to funders, legislators, and the general public
• Designed, developed, and launched a new website to better capture and communicate the full breadth of the organization including its projects and impacts
• Secured $23 million in initial grant funding supplementing city/county budgets to address the effects of climate change
• Working to secure $58 million in new funding with current applications in process