Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Program RFA

The New York State Department of State’s Office of Planning, Development & Community Infrastructure (Department or DOS) is soliciting applications for grants to support the creation of Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Plans. The strategies and projects included in these plans will advance the goals and actions identified in established local plans. Approved, locally supported community plans are strategic or planning documents that have been formally adopted or endorsed by a local government, public agency, or multi-stakeholder planning body. These plans must reflect local priorities and include actionable items developed through community engagement or public input. These plans may focus on water quality, natural resources, or sustainable land use and include, but are not limited to, Coastal Lakeshore Economy and Resiliency Regional (CLEAR) Plans, Comprehensive Plans, Harbor Management Plans, Hazard Mitigation Plans, Local Waterfront Revitalization Plans (LWRPs), Natural Resource Management Plans, Resilient NY flood mitigation studies, and Watershed Management Plans.The purpose of this program is to support the development of Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Plans that identify, prioritize, and advance implementation readiness of actions and projects that reduce climate-related risks and strengthen overall community resilience. Counties are uniquely positioned to address these challenges because they serve as critical conveners of municipalities, infrastructure providers, emergency managers, economic development organizations, agricultural interests, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders. Counties also play an important role in coordinating investments, leveraging resources, identifying regional priorities, and advancing projects that benefit multiple communities and sectors.Over the past decade, local governments throughout New York State have developed a wide range of plans, studies, assessments, and strategies related to hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, economic development, infrastructure investment, watershed management, public health, housing, transportation, emergency management, natural resource protection, and community development. While these efforts contain valuable information and recommendations, many communities continue to face challenges in prioritizing actions, coordinating investments across sectors, and advancing projects from planning to implementation.The Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Program is intended to help bridge this gap by supporting counties and their partners in developing implementation-focused resilience strategies that identify priority risks, evaluate resilience opportunities, advance projects capable of reducing climate-related vulnerabilities and strengthen long-term resilience outcomes. The Program will advance Article 14 of the NYS Environmental Conservation Law, which recognizes the interconnectedness of upland and coastal ecosystems and fosters approaches that maintain ecological health and integrity, promote social well-being and economic development, and include broad public participation in planning processes and decision making.The program emphasizes action-oriented planning and project development rather than the creation of new stand-alone plans or technical assessments. Applicants are expected to leverage and synthesize existing plans, studies, geospatial analyses, community knowledge, and stakeholder expertise to develop a countywide understanding of resilience challenges and opportunities. The resulting Countywide Resilience Implementation Plan should serve as a practical decision-making and investment framework that helps guide future resilience actions, funding applications, project development efforts, and intergovernmental coordination.Through this program, applicants will identify and prioritize resilience risks across multiple sectors, engage local stakeholders and residents, develop a portfolio of resilience projects, and advance implementation-ready products that position priority projects for future funding, design, permitting, and construction.Countywide resilience strategies developed through this program should support integrated and multi-benefit approaches that strengthen resilience across sectors and communities. Strategies and projects should consider opportunities to provide multiple benefits such as reducing climate risks, protecting public health and safety, supporting economic vitality, improving environmental quality, enhancing ecosystem services, strengthening critical infrastructure, advancing equity, and improving quality of life. Applicants shall organize risks, opportunities, and projects using the following Resilience and Adaptation Categories:• Agriculture and Food Systems• Energy and Utilities (including clean, renewable, and reliable energy)• Community Health and Safety• Economy and Workforce• Emergency Management and Recovery• Housing, Land Use and Community Development• Infrastructure and Buildings• Natural, Coastal and Watershed Systems• Other locally significant resilience considerations identified through stakeholder engagement and project development activities.The Department seeks projects that produce tangible and actionable outcomes that can be implemented over time. Successful projects will identify priority resilience investments, strengthen partnerships among local and regional stakeholders, increase awareness of resilience challenges and opportunities, improve coordination among existing planning efforts, and advance projects toward implementation.At the conclusion of the project, applicants will produce a Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Plan that serves as a countywide resilience investment and implementation framework. The strategy shall identify priority resilience risks, recommend actions and projects to address those risks, establish implementation pathways, identify potential funding opportunities, and provide a roadmap for advancing resilience investments that reduce future climate risks and strengthen communities throughout the county. All selected applicants will participate in regular conference calls with one another, facilitated by the DOS Resilience and Community Infrastructure Division, to share insights, lessons learned, and other information gleaned during the planning process. These conference calls provide the applicants with technical assistance and the opportunity to learn from others that are underway in the Countywide Resiliency Planning process. Applications to prepare a Countywide Resilience Implementation Strategy Plan may only include one plan per application.Please see the RFA for specifications. Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: See attached file "Contract Reporter Results." Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) SDVOB Goal: 6.00% Minority / Women Business Enterprise contracting goals (MWBE) Total MWBE Goals: 30.00%