Massachusetts is bracing for significant challenges in its efforts to enhance climate resilience, as approximately $90 million in federal funding aimed at preventing flooding has been withdrawn.
This funding, crucial for stormwater infrastructure upgrades and coastal protection initiatives, is now expected to be reallocated to federal agencies or returned to the US Treasury.
Trump administration officials labeled the grant program “wasteful” and “politicized” in their announcement of the cuts.
The loss of these funds is a setback for local leaders dedicated to safeguarding Boston from the impending consequences of climate change, particularly rising sea levels that pose an imminent risk to the city’s waterfront.
With a deadline looming—Boston anticipates increased flood risks by the 2030s—city officials assert they will continue pushing forward with planned projects to protect their extensive 47-mile coastline.
Brian Swett, Boston’s chief climate officer, remarked on the unfortunate nature of the funding cuts, stating that they would not derail the city’s existing efforts for coastal resilience.
“This does present a challenge that now we have a bigger wedge to fill in terms of construction costs,” he added, acknowledging the financial gap left by the loss of federal support.
The city had counted on receiving $23 million from Washington to help with the construction of the Moakley Park project, which is crucial for flood prevention.
Additionally, a state agency had applied for $12 million in federal grants through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, aimed at enhancing Tenean Beach.
This program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), received a substantial funding boost as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed during the Biden administration.
In light of this development, numerous other communities in Massachusetts, including Chelsea and Everett, are also facing obstacles as they reevaluate plans without the anticipated FEMA funds.
These municipalities had looked forward to a combined total of $50 million to develop storm surge flood barriers and restore salt marsh areas in a tributary of the Mystic River.
The urgency of establishing flood barriers cannot be overstated; sea levels in the Boston region have already risen by about one foot since the 1920s, largely attributed to climate change influences such as glacier and sea ice melt as well as warming ocean temperatures.
By 2050, Boston is projected to experience an additional foot of sea level rise compared to levels in the year 2000.
City officials are currently making plans to construct infrastructure capable of withstanding an anticipated 40 inches of rising sea levels by 2070.
The redevelopment of Moakley Park, projected to be approximately $250 million, is designed to include a coastal marsh for water absorption and a berm designed as a walking pathway.
While the removal of the $23 million in federal funding for this project is a setback, city officials insist that it will not impede the established timeline for the redevelopment.
Construction on the park is not scheduled to commence for several more years, which provides some buffer for securing alternative funding sources.
Swett conveyed hope that the city would still be able to secure federal funding to support construction efforts on the park, stating, “We’re going to continue to do everything we can to make sure something comes from Washington.
I don’t think this is the end of the federal story of investment in this project.” On the other hand, the state has plans to elevate a parking lot, part of Conley Street, and sections of the Harborwalk at Tenean Beach to combat rising sea levels.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation, which sought the $12 million from the now-defunct FEMA grant program, warned that the loss of this funding will heighten flood risks for impacted communities and delays will only escalate the overall construction costs.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll expressed her disappointment during an interview, stating, “When you lose dollars like this, you just don’t get them back.
Nothing is cheaper five or ten years from now.
We need these dollars now.”
image source from：https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/17/science/trump-fema-bric-grant-boston-coastal-resilience/
