PORTSMOUTH — The planning and design to enhance the public shoreline access site at Gull Cove off Route 24 will be completed thanks to a $50,000 resiliency grant.

The R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) and the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) announced this week that 13 thirteen projects are receiving more than $2 million in funding from the first round of the 2024 Ocean State Climate Adaptation and Resilience (OSCAR) Fund Program. 

The grants are for adaptation and resilience projects that protect or enhance coastal or riverine habitats to address the impacts of climate change.

The grant will allow DEM to restore degraded areas, create safe shoreline access, and minimize negative impacts to shoreline habitats from human activity at Gull Cove. The project will involve minimization of impervious surfaces, redesign of parking to keep vehicles out of flood or erosion prone areas, and re-vegetation of shoreline habitat, according to DEM.

“Rhode Island is confronting significant and varied impacts from climate change, particularly coastal threats like sea level rise and storm surge along our over 400 miles of coastline,” said DEM Director Terry Gray. “These OSCAR grants are providing funding to protect and strengthen the vital functions that coastal and riverine habitats play in mitigating the most severe impacts of climate change in our communities.”

For more information, visit www.dem.ri.gov.