Construction at the South Meadow Wetland Reserve Easement Restoration in Carver, MA.Photo: Mass.Gov
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The impacts of severe storms like the one we just had go well beyond the short-term effects of all the snow that fell and the damage caused by high winds and coastal flooding.
Long-term, blizzards can damage vegetation, cause erosion, and trigger future flooding that hurts the ecosystem.
Combined with downed and broken trees, severe weather can cause ecological damage.
But the Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced a more than $1.4 million river and wetland restoration project that helps 12 communities restore rivers, wetlands, and streams.
Officials said the funding supports biodiversity, climate resilience, and public safety.
In a press release, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said that the project helps to make communities safer by adding protection from extreme weather events. “Investing in this work benefits all of us now and into the future. That’s why we put forward the Mass Ready Act – to ensure Massachusetts communities are prepared for the storms we are seeing now and the ones we will experience in the future.”
The funding is being provided by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration.