REGION – The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2025. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Services are adaptable based on the community’s needs, and can include support with community engagement processes, strategic planning, technical assistance, and/or project implementation. Community leaders submit a simple online application at www.forms.gle/hcAmKe8zP3dgTxw38 that will be reviewed on a rolling basis until Jan. 7, 2025.
“Vermont communities are seeking to become more economically, ecologically, and climate resilient. VCRD’s Climate Economy Resilient Communities program provides adaptable assistance to support progress on community-defined climate projects,” says Climate Economy Program manager Laura Cavin Bailey.
Resilient Community projects should result in carbon reduction, address the needs of low-income household community members, and/or engage partners willing to assist with implementation. Priority will be given to communities that show a mix of strong collaboration and equitable engagement across diverse stakeholders; increase human, built, and natural resilience; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; strengthen the local climate economy; and can be models for other communities across Vermont.
“The newly formed Chittenden Energy and Climate Committee received strategic planning assistance from the Climate Economy Resilient Communities program in early 2024. VCRD served as the facilitator for our committee, helping us bring our ideas and passions to the successful creation of vision and mission statements, as well as identifying local area partners,” says Christie Garofano, chair of the committee. “Since then, our committee participated in the Chittenden Day festivities, hosted a ‘Warm Up Chittenden’ event as part of Efficiency VT’s Button Up Campaign, and were awarded an outreach grant through the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant program. Thanks to VCRD, we are off and running with a bright future ahead.”
Projects must have a place-based community as their focus – an individual or group of town(s), village(s), or other municipal entity. Eligible entities include town or volunteer committees or groups (energy committee, planning committee, or community-serving nonprofit/volunteer groups).
For more details and application, visit www.vtrural.org/climate-economy/resilient-communities. For questions, contact Laura Cavin Bailey, Climate Economy Program manager, at laura@vtrural.org or 802-234-1646.
Since 2017, the Climate Economy Resilient Communities program has helped advance climate economy efforts in Johnson, Arlington, Barre, Chittenden, Dorset, Marshfield/Plainfield, Middlebury, Pownal, Randolph, Rochester, Sharon, Swanton, and the White River Valley.