We are proud that in the SRPEDD region, all 27 of our member communities are either MVP certified or in the MVP planning stage!

An initiative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the MVP Program demonstrates the state's dedication to supporting local responses to climate change impacts.

Implementing the MVP program is a two-stage process. First, in the MVP Planning Grant program, communities receive state funding to engage specialized MVP Planning Workshop Providers to assist in convening a local MVP core team. The core team usually includes a wide range of staff, board members, and volunteers most involved in the stewardship of community infrastructure, public health, and bylaw implementation. Facilitators guide the core team through a workshop series that identifies the areas or aspects of town most vulnerable to disruption from climate change hazards such as  flooding, fire, or intense storms, and then prioritizes actions to combat these climate change impacts. The result of this process is a state-certified MVP Plan.

With an MVP plan and certification in place, municipalities are eligible to apply for MVP Action Grants, the second stage in the MVP process, aimed at realizing the priorities established in the MVP plan.

As a certified MVP provider, SRPEDD staff are trained in the Community Resilience Building workshop framework used by the MVP program. SRPEDD partnered with The Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, and Manomet, Inc as the MVP workshop providers for 12 communities in our region, assists in the preparation of MVP Action Grants, and carries out Action Grant-funded projects.

These MVP efforts are all advancing the goal of making the SRPEDD region's lands, infrastructure, historic community centers, businesses, and residence more able to adapt to and mitigate climate change effects.