Pew Urges Robust, Statewide Guidelines for Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund

The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments on Jan. 27 to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) regarding draft rules for the commonwealth’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund, a new revolving loan and grant program to finance projects that will limit the effects and cost of floods. Pew highlighted the importance of developing transparent project evaluation criteria that incentivize nature-based solutions, cross-jurisdictional collaboration within watersheds, and investments in historically marginalized communities. The comments further urged DCR to ensure that the rules not only encourage local resilience planning but also simultaneously support near-term risk-reduction projects in coastal and inland localities.