Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Pinellas and Miami-Dade counties Tuesday to announce the award of grants totaling over $404 million for 113 environmental resilience projects across the state through the Resilient Florida Grant Program, which will help prepare coastal and inland communities for the adverse impacts of flooding and storm surge.
“Today’s record investment, as well as the projects included in the statewide plan for future funding, will strengthen our infrastructure to withstand the impacts of flooding and storm surge,” DeSantis said. “For the first time ever, Florida has strategic coordination of statewide efforts to protect our coastal and inland infrastructure, and the dedicated funding to support these projects. This announcement is just the beginning. My administration will continue to support our communities’ resilience efforts across the state.”
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The projects awarded Tuesday include:
| County | Project Title | Approx. Total Project Cost | Expected Grant Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua | Hills of Santa Fe Drainage Improvements | $1,015,230.13 | $507,615.07 |
| Alachua | Pine Hills Drainage Improvements | $1,345,630.64 | $672,815.32 |
| Alachua | Wastewater Lift Station Force Main Resiliency SSO Reduction | $11,865,000.00 | $4,746,000.00 |
| Duval | Stormwater Pump Station | $40,000,000.00 | $20,000,000.00 |
| Duval | Wills Branch Dredge | $2,738,234.00 | $1,369,117.00 |
| Nassau | Historic Fernandina Beach Area 6 Drainage Project | $725,000.00 | $525,625.00 |
| St. Johns | Tidal Backflow Prevention Improvements | $461,282.00 | $230,641.00 |
| St. Johns | Lake Maria Sanchez Flood Mitigation/Drainage Improvements | $29,830,178.00 | $18,793,012.14 |
| St. Johns | Flood Mitigation/Drainage Improvements for Court Theophelia Neighborhood | $2,581,600.00 | $2,581,600.00 |
| St. Johns | South Whitney - West King Street Flood Mitigation | $1,822,600.00 | $1,202,916.00 |
| St. Johns | Groundwater Monitoring Network for Sea Level Rise Impacts | $217,100.00 | $201,903.00 |
| St. Johns | Inlet Drive Shoreline Resiliency | $711,090.00 | $711,090.00 |
| St. Johns | South Davis Shores Flood Mitigation/Drainage Improvements | $2,797,000.00 | $2,797,000.00 |
The projects awarded are intended to enhance Florida’s efforts to protect inland and coastal communities from storm damage spanning across 25 counties. Including the local match associated with these projects, the state and local investment for resilience totals more than $730 million.
“Sea level rise and flooding impacts our home insurance rates, our businesses, and our communities,” said House Speaker Chris Sprowls. “When I took office as Speaker, I knew we needed to approach this problem in a different and innovative way. That is why we passed the Always Ready bill, carried by Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera, giving our flooding and resiliency issues a long-term vision and plan, for the first time ever, to prepare Florida today for the challenges of tomorrow. Thanks to the hard work of Florida House Members, Senate President Wilton Simpson and his chamber, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida continues to be another example for the nation on how to lead the way on environmental resiliency.”
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-2022 budget included funding to support the most significant investment in the state’s history — over $640 million — to support efforts to ensure state and local communities are prepared to deal with the impacts of sea-level rise, intensified storms, and flooding, DeSantis’ Office said in a news release.
In his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22, DeSantis recommended the creation of the Resilient Florida Grant Program to help prepare communities for the impacts of sea level rise and flooding. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 1954, which was signed into law by DeSantis. As a result, for the first time ever, the state has a coordinated approach to Florida’s coastal and inland resilience and provides a structure for resilience projects to follow the best available science and data while enhancing efforts to protect inland and coastal resources that act as natural defenses against sea-level rise.
In December, DeSantis announced the state’s first ever Flooding Resilience Plan which proposes 76 projects across the state totaling over $270 million, subject to appropriation. DEP accepted applications through their online portal through September 1, 2021. A list of projects in the plan can be found here.