EastBayRI — In Portsmouth: Building a path toward climate resiliency

Replacing the stormwater system in Portsmouth Park — Aquidneck and Narragansett avenues — is considered the No. 1 priority on a draft list of local resilience capital infrastructure improvement projects. JIM MCGAW

Oct 14, 2021

By Jim McGaw — Portsmouth Park, Prudence Island and a shelter on the draft list for capital projects

PORTSMOUTH — The town isn’t waiting around for Park Avenue to go under water permanently.

Working proactively in an attempt to stem the tide of climate change, the town and the Southeast New England Program Network (SNEP) hosted a public working last week to engage the community in the development of a local climate resilience planning and financing strategy.

SNEP brings together 16 partner entities including local environmental organizations, academic institutions, regional planners, and consultants who work collaboratively to provide municipalities and organizations access to free training and technical assistance to advance stormwater management and ecological restoration goals across the region. The Town of Portsmouth submitted a plan to SNEP to develop such a plan, which was approved in May 2020. Around the same time, the Portsmouth Climate Resiliency Work Group was formed and had about 27 members.

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