NWRPC was sent a Notice of Investment Award letter from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) this Fall in response to a proposal submitted for a Northwest Wisconsin Flood Resiliency Study.
EDA is committing $477,205 in Economic Adjustment Assistance funds to help support a $596,500 Northwest Wisconsin Flood Disaster Resiliency Project. In 2013, a pilot flood resiliency study project was completed by the Northwest Regional Planning Commission (NWRPC) for Taylor County, Wisconsin, which demonstrated the potential impacts of historic flood events, pre-identified likely impact areas and assessed the economic impacts to communities, businesses, and residents. The study was incorporated into the county’s hazard mitigation plan and now serves as a point of reference to guide flood mitigation activities across the county, which in turn, improves resiliency. The Northwest Wisconsin Flood Disaster Resiliency project will replicate the process model developed under the 2013 Taylor County pilot project. The model will be replicated for the seven-county area included in Presidential Disaster Declaration #DR-2476 which was impacted by historic flooding in July of 2016. NWRPC has committed $69,301 as part of the 20% recipient match requirement. One of NWRPC's partner organizations, Visions Northwest, has also submitted a proposal to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to support this important project with the remaining $50,000 of the match requirement. The project began October 1st and is set for completion by September 30, 2018.