Clark Announces Federal Climate Resiliency Funding in Watertown, Climate Projects Across MA-5

Clark secured nearly $11 million for climate projects in Arlington, Cambridge, Framingham, Malden, Medford, Revere, Watertown, and Woburn

WATERTOWN, MA - Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Watertown leaders today to celebrate the $240,000 she secured for the city's Stormwater Tree Trench Project to improve the community's climate resiliency. In total, Clark secured more than $20 million for the Fifth District, including $11 million for eight climate resiliency and environmental justice projects in Arlington, Cambridge, Framingham, Malden, Revere, Watertown, and Woburn.

These projects will help build green infrastructure and accessible outdoor public spaces, improve water quality, and protect natural resources from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.

"The pandemic and recent extreme storms have laid bare the inequities facing so many in our community - from unequal access to outdoor spaces to the rising threat of dangerous flooding," said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark."I'm thrilled to announce that I have secured nearly $11 million for critical community projects that will help our local partners tackle the climate crisis and ensure every family in our community has access to green space, clean water, and clean air."

In Watertown, this funding will help build 15 stormwater tree trenches to reduce storm runoff, filter out pollutants, and recharge the groundwater supply. This will help keep water clean for local families, as well as prevent damaging phosphorus pollution from reaching the Charles River.

"We are thrilled to receive this funding and are deeply grateful to Democratic Whip Katherine Clark for recognizing our efforts to address Watertown's climate resiliency programs," said Watertown City Manager George Proakis.

The investments include:

Carr Park Resilient Community Solar Project - Medford, MA: $1,500,000

This funding will help implement an innovative and resilient community solar array over the basketball court at Medford's Carr Park to power charging stations for electric vehicles, new LED lighting, phone and laptop charging stations in the pavilion, and the playground's water features. Additionally, any leftover electricity produced will be used to power the fire station across the street.

"This funding will help us transform Carr Park to a more accessible, sustainable and resilient green space for families and residents," said Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn."Thank you to Congresswoman Clark for delivering this critical investment in Medford and being a helpful partner as we work to expand our climate infrastructure and reduce our carbon emissions."

Chris Walsh Memorial Trail Project - Framingham, MA: $3,000,000

This funding will help construct the first phase of the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail. Before his untimely death in 2018, State Representative Chris Walsh worked for years to reunite the City of Framingham with Farm Pond. As an architect and historian who knew the historical significance of Farm Pondin the abolitionist and suffragist movements, he recognized the power of this natural resource to transform the quality of life for Framingham's diverse residents.

This project will use the Sudbury Aqueduct to connect Farm Pond and the Dudley Road recreational area, consisting of more than 100 acres of open space, to Downtown Framingham and its underserved population. It will also preserve the historic pump house seated on the Aqueduct. The trail's easternmost point will be at the edge of a MBTA commuter rail lot, making this trail accessible to other state residents via public transportation.

Clark previously secured $220,000 for the planning and development of this new trail in the FY22 federal budget.

"We are very appreciative of Congresswoman Clark's support for important projects in Framingham, including the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail," said Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky."The Chris Walsh trail will help connect Framingham's downtown area with the Farm Pond/Dudley Road recreational area. The $3 million provided by Congresswoman Clark for this project will enable us to construct a substantial portion of the trail and enhance access to the many amenities in the vicinity of Farm Pond."

Hurld Park Green Infrastructure Project - Woburn, MA: $2,916,370

The funding will be used to restore and protect eight acres of vulnerable wetlands by removing invasive species, improving water quality, and installing accessible boardwalks and walking trails. The funding will also be used to demolish the old school building currently on the site and create a new children's play area and community garden. This is in addition to the $262,500 that Clark brought to the district last year for the planning and development of the park.

"We appreciate Congresswoman Clark and her staff's continued strong advocacy and support for the 5th district," said Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin and Alderman Jeff Dillon."We are especially grateful for her successful effort to secure $3 million for the construction of the exciting new 11-acre open space and recreation project at Hurld Park, the site of the former Daniel P. Hurld Elementary School."

Lake Waushakum Clean Water Project - Framingham, MA: $1,700,000

This project will improve water quality at Lake Waushakum and improve the lake's climate change resilience to extreme weather events by retrofitting the 11 existing stormwater outfall pipes and headwalls at Waushakum Beach with green infrastructure and stormwater treatment. The retrofit will also be specifically conscious of recreational amenities and ADA compliance at the City beach, helping address environmental injustice in Framingham.

"The $1.7 million provided for Lake Waushakum will enable the City to upgrade the old drainage systems that currently transport stormwater directly into the Lake with new, state-of-the-art environmentally friendly systems that will greatly reduce pollution at the beach," said Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky."We are grateful to Congresswoman Clark for her interest and efforts in supporting important quality-of-life projects in Framingham that will benefit a substantial number of our residents."

Malden River Works Project - Malden, MA: $1,334,610

These funds will be used to build a public, climate-resilient riverfront park on the Malden River at Malden's Department of Public Works. This project will also reduce Malden's climate vulnerability by building green stormwater infrastructure to mitigate flood risks, planting over 100 new trees to increase the tree canopyand reduce urban heat, restoring the natural riverfront landscape, and building an elevated greenway path to serve as a flood barrier to combat rising sea-levels.

Alongside public enjoyment, reduced summer heat, and flood mitigation, these measures will also improve air quality, biodiversity, and pollination throughout Malden, which will improve the health outcomes for vulnerable City residents.

"The Malden River Works project represents a new planning approach for Malden that focuses on elevating the voices of marginalized community members to build a climate-resilient park on the Malden River," said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson."The funding secured by our federal delegation for the construction of this new park will play an essential role in the success of Malden River Works."

Mystic River Path Project - Arlington, MA: $1,000,000

This funding will be used to design a 1.7-mile shared-use path along the Mystic River and Lower Mystic Lake in Arlington, MA. It will also link the northern end of the Alewife Brook Greenway to the Minuteman Bikeway in Arlington Center, increasing safety and access for walkers and bike riders by adding a 12-foot-wide path along the waterways and redesigning the rotaries at major intersections.

"We are so appreciative of the effort and funding that Congresswoman Clark is channeling toward climate resiliency and equity in our watershed," said Patrick Herron, Executive Director, Mystic River Watershed Association."Each of these projects represents a significant contribution in a healthy environment, reduction of future climate-related harm and revitalization of our communities".

Regional Tree Protection and Planning Project for the Charles River Watershed - Watertown, MA: $115,000

These funds will help develop a regional plan to maximize the effectiveness of trees in building climate resilience in communities along the Charles River. Currently, the Charles River watershed is losing its tree canopy and this project will identify areas to plant new trees, where existing trees must be protected from invasive species, and identify situations where tree conflicts have the potential to cause hazards. Protecting and increasing the Charles River tree canopywill help mitigate stormwater erosion, lower extreme summer heat, improve the local air quality, and help prevent some pollutants from reaching the Charles River.

"We are grateful to Congresswoman Clark for her ongoing support for local climate resilience initiatives," said Emily Norton, Executive Director, Charles River Watershed Association.Across the region we see many areas losing tree cover, while in other dense urban neighborhoods it's been woefully inadequate for decades. This lack of trees exacerbates climate impacts, such as flooding and extreme heat. This funding will allow us to bring together a large constituency to chart a path toward maintaining and increasing healthy trees and forests that will clean our air and water, provide shade and cooling, and build resilience to climate change."

Riverside Climate Resiliency Project - Revere, MA: $1,977,220

As a seaside community in MA-5, Revere is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change-induced flooding, storms, and sea-level changes. This funding will mitigate current climate change stressors on the RiverFront Area in Revere, and prepare for the ongoing impact of worsening climate change, sea-level rise and extreme weather events.

"As the mayor of a rapidly growing coastal city, investments in climate resiliency is vital to improve the livelihood of our residents," said Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo."$2 million is transformative for the Riverside Climate Resiliency Project. I am thankful for Democratic Whip Katherine Clark's advocacy for this funding and am hopeful this will have a lasting impact on Revere and the surrounding communities."

Watertown Stormwater Tree Trench Project - Watertown, MA: $240,000

This funding will be used to help install stormwater tree trenches in Watertown. Stormwater tree trenches are tree plantingstructures that help control stormwater runoff, recharge groundwater, improve healthy tree growth, and support surrounding structures. Alongside mitigating uncontrolled storm runoff, the healthy tree growth will help improve air quality and reduce extreme summer heat.

"Through the installation of additional stormwater tree trenches, we will be able to enhance groundwater recharge in highly paved neighborhoods, remove pollutants such as phosphorus before water is discharged into the Charles River, and improve air quality," said Watertown City Manager George Proakis."Through our efforts in the Charles River Basin, we will be able to identify more opportunities to protect and enhance our tree canopy. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, helping to sequester climate-warming pollutants and contribute to Watertown's extensive efforts to limit and mitigate global climate change. With the help of Representative Clark, Watertown continues to be a leader in climate resiliency and mitigation."

Photos from today's event in Watertown can be found HERE.

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