GUEST ARTICLE – Reconnecting America: Massive new federal funding offers hope for renovating antiquated passenger rail system Oklahoma State University is one of 11 winners of $56 million from National Science Foundation to study rural climate resilience The Port of Tacoma wins award for cleaning, redeveloping and ecologically restoring a 133-acre site contaminated by local company Guess which Midwest U.S. state has “Historic Economic Asset Lifeline” (HEAL) grants to revitalize dilapidated downtown buildings? 13 historic building restoration and reuse projects win $10 million to revitalize 12 rural community economies across America Academic researchers in Kentucky aim to help revitalize neighborhoods by defining exactly what it is that makes them healthier This $195 million investment boosts drought resilience across America by cooperatively restoring watersheds & aquatic ecosystems Climate Restoration: Guess which major U.S. city is renovating all municipal buildings to completely eliminate the use of fossil fuels? Adaptive reuse turns vacant former Buffalo hospital into $15 million affordable housing to revitalize neighborhood near downtown Demonstrating the importance of habitat restoration, this rare cat is returning to places it hasn’t been seen in a long, long time New Jersey Economic Development Authority gives $407,800 to nine adaptive reuse and catalytic redevelopment projects Restoration Economy: $32 million investment to help restore America’s vitally important estuaries and make them more resilient New strategy aims to revitalize rural and urban communities in a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable manner throughout Ireland National Park Service is investing $44 million to boost ecological restoration and climate resilience at parks all across America Ecological restoration management plan for a wildlife refuge in North Carolina boosts resilience for surrounding communities After extensive public engagement, a new use is emerging for this historic 1917 armory to help revitalize a Bronx neighborhood HUD’s $85 million competition supports new national “Housing Supply Action Plan” to boost office-to-housing conversions Civil War battlefield at Pea Ridge National Military Park expanded, restored & reopened, thanks to 140-acre gift from local family Dakota Sioux will restore bison to tribal lands in Minnesota, revitalizing both their culture and local environmental health San Francisco State University engineering professor wins a $510,000 NSF grant to study the resilience of green infrastructure Flower farm in Providence, Rhode Island wins $500,000 to revitalize a neighborhood and clean up old contaminated industrial site Albany, New York launches a long-awaited $3.3 million streetscape revitalization effort to bring new life to the downtown area Positive Trend: As disasters proliferate and worsen, 21 U.S. states now have a Chief Resilience Officer, with more on the way For first time, FEMA funds natural resource restoration (reefs) as ecosystem services component of resilient disaster recovery America’s National Marine Sanctuary System gets a climate resilience boost with $50 million for infrastructure renovations Four communities in Virginia win over $8 million from the Industrial Revitalization Fund to reuse vacant or blighted properties The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues evolving from most ecologically destructive to the most restorative federal agency What do Wilmington, Delaware and Miami, Florida have in common? $90 million for public housing neighborhood revitalization. In Charlotte, North Carolina, this historic 1918 courthouse is beautifully restored, renovated and expanded for a long new life 24 ecological restoration projects at 95 sites throughout Maryland win $22.9 million to boost biodiversity and climate resilience
