Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Healey-Driscoll administration on Aug. 14 announced more than $2.9 million in grants to support ecological restoration projects, such as culvert replacements, in 21 communities across the state.
The funding, provided by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration, is intended to strengthen resilience against extreme weather events, improve water quality, reduce flood risks, and restore crucial wildlife habitat.
“Massachusetts has over 25,000 culverts, most of which are undersized,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper in a prepared statement. “By replacing these outdated culverts with larger, safer structures, we can better prepare our communities for severe weather. Investing in these projects now will save our cities and towns money on disaster recovery in the future.”
The Division of Ecological Restoration is awarding more than $2.7 million through its Stream Continuity Program, which includes Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance grants and the Culvert Replacement Training Site Initiative. The grants help municipalities replace outdated culverts with new, improved crossings. The upgrades restore river ecosystems, enhance fish and wildlife passage, and reduce flood risks, improving climate resilience and public safety.
The Training Site Initiative will turn some of these project sites into training hubs, creating a network of locations for hands-on learning to teach local roadway managers about culvert replacements in Massachusetts.
The Division of Ecological Restoration is also awarding $200,000 to support the Herring River Estuary Restoration Project in Wellfleet through its Priority Projects Program, which is a vehicle for pursuing wetland and river restoration projects that present the greatest benefit to the state ecologically, socially and economically. Other Priority Projects underway include the removal of aging, unsafe dams; restoration of freshwater wetlands in former cranberry farmlands; replacement and removal of undersized and degrading culverts; and restoration of tidal flow to degraded coastal habitats.
Communities awarded culvert funding include: Agawam, Ashby, Douglas, Grafton, Hinsdale, Hopkinton, Kingston, Lincoln, Longmeadow, Mendon, Middlefield, Monroe, Norfolk, Palmer, Savoy, Stockbridge, Swansea, Wales, Washington, Westborough, and Williamsburg.