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The University of Mississippi Receives Over $250,000 to Promote Resilient Communities

Release Date: 09/05/2014
Contact Information: Danielle Jackson, (404) 562-9182 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main), Jackson.Danielle@epa.gov

Stennis Space Center, MS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced that the University of Mississippi will receive over $250,000 cooperative agreement for the project “Saving Money and Enhancing Resilience: Assisting Communities through the 2013 Community Rating System (CRS).” Niki Pace, Senior Research Counsel and Adjunct Professor of the University of Mississippi, will provide the leadership for the project.

Ben Scaggs, Director of the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Program said “The Gulf of Mexico Program is committed to supporting our partners in addressing mutual goals of improving, protecting and restoring the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico. We look forward to the sustainable environmental results that will be accomplished through this cooperative agreement with the University of Mississippi.”

“Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience and Saving Money is a valuable opportunity for The University of Mississippi to further coastal resilience by working with communities in the National Flood Insurance Program. “Through this funding opportunity, the University of Mississippi, along with the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and other key partners will assist Mississippi and Louisiana communities in implementing a Program of Public Information (PPI). The PPI will save those communities money on flood insurance premiums and serve as a model for other Gulf of Mexico communities. As a component of the PPI, floodplain management officials will work with local stakeholders to develop a tailored outreach campaign, which will enhance coastal community resilience by raising awareness of coastal hazards and flooding concerns for local residents and community leaders,” said Pace.

The project will assist local coastal communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program in the transition to the 2013 CRS Coordinator’s Manual. The recipient and its partners will strategically develop materials that best address the needs of communities participating in the CRS.

This cooperative agreement will further the strategic goals and objectives of EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program and lead to a healthy and prosperous ecosystem for generations to come.

Information on the Gulf of Mexico Program: https://www.epa.gov/gmpo.

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