Gov. Evers, DMA Announce $2 Million in Grant Awards for Flood Resilience

MADSION — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs (DMA), today announced $2 million in grants to local communities and organizations through the Pre-Disaster Flood Resilience Grant (PDFRG) program. The program, which was created and signed into law by Gov. Evers last April and is administered by Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM), a DMA division, aims to help communities in flood-prone areas identify flood vulnerabilities such as erosion hazards, road and culvert washouts, and incised stream channels and works to implement solutions, such as reconnecting streams and floodplains, mitigating erosion hazards, restoring or improving natural flow and movement of water or sediment, reestablishing area foliage and plant life, and more to help naturally manage flooding before disaster strikes.

“Flooding is one of the most common disasters our state experiences, costing Wisconsin families millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, local infrastructure, and the environment,” said Gov. Evers. “I was glad to create this program to help communities mitigate the impacts of flooding and build flood-resilient infrastructure, and I look forward to getting these funds out the door and into the hands of partners across the state to help give folks the tools needed to prevent flood damage, protect property, and keep folks safe.”

Gov. Evers has long supported and repeatedly proposed efforts to address the devastating effects of flooding in Wisconsin, including joining a bipartisan group of legislators to introduce legislation in 2020, as well as introducing similar policies as part of his 2021-23 and 2023-25 Executive Budgets. The final 2023-25 biennial budget signed into law by Gov. Evers advanced several measures to expand flood planning, prevention, and rehabilitation, including a $2 million investment to provide pre-disaster flood resilience grants. Following the signing of the budget, in April 2024, Gov. Evers created the PDFRG through 2023 Wisconsin Act 265 to administer the $2 million in funding to help communities in flood-prone areas identify flood vulnerabilities and/or restore the landscape’s ability to naturally manage floods, allowing the land to capture, store, and gradually release runoff to reduce flood risks. The PDFRG program focuses on areas that have been the site of a presidentially declared disaster or governor-issued state of emergency for flooding within the past 10 years or areas with localized flood risk identified in a hazard mitigation plan approved by WEM.

“Taking action now, before flooding strikes, will help reduce the impacts of future flooding events,” said WEM Administrator Greg Engle. “By helping Wisconsin communities become more flood resilient, we will save on response and recovery costs later.”

There are two types of grants in the PDFRG—assessment and implementation:

• Assessment grants offer funding for gathering information on vulnerabilities and flood resilience priorities, such as understanding erosion hazards or identifying opportunities to increase flood resilience; and
• Implementation grants offer funding for the implementation of wetland, culvert, floodplain, or stream restoration projects identified through an assessment grant or comparable assessment project. These restoration projects include reconnecting streams and floodplains and improving the natural flow of water or sediment.

The grant program is open to Wisconsin municipalities, counties, regional planning commissions, federally recognized Native Nations or Bands, or nonprofit organizations and private consulting organizations on behalf of one or more applicants. The PDFRG covers 75 percent of the project, while the other 25 percent is covered by non-state funds, such as federal, local, private, or nonprofit funding, as well as in-kind donations.

Interest in the program far exceeded the funding available, as WEM received 23 applications totaling over $3.8 million. Statewide, 11 communities received approximately $2 million in grant funding, including:

Bay-Lake Regional Planning Commission | $53,740
An assessment grant will be used to analyze flood vulnerability and identify degraded hydrology in Northeast Wisconsin, specifically in Brown, Door, Florence, Manitowoc, Marinette, Oconto, and Sheboygan counties.

Capital Area Regional Planning Commission | $187,500
An assessment grant for a stream crossing inventory throughout Dane County.

Vernon County | $299,039
An assessment grant for a county-wide culvert inventory, water flow, and structure study, as well as assessing floodplain conditions on privately owned land.

Outagamie County | $71,825
An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure, create a culvert inventory, and analyze flood mitigation alternatives.

Town of Shelby (La Crosse County) | $114,465
An assessment grant to look at erosion vulnerability and recommend ways to increase flood resilience. Grant funding would also go towards a culvert inventory for the township.

Dane County | $250,000
An implementation grant to restore a degraded stretch of the Black Earth Creek and surrounding wetlands.

Town of Dodge (Trempealeau County) | $102,603
An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure and develop flood resilience strategies.

City of Oshkosh | $300,000
An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure in several small and flood-prone urban areas. The funding would also be used to analyze flood mitigation alternatives.

Village of Somers | $121,500
An assessment grant to study water flow and hydraulic structure and analyze flood mitigation alternatives.

City of Green Bay | $250,000
An implementation grant to restore Emilie Park along the East River to its natural wetland state to increase flood storage and improve resiliency.

Ozaukee County | $249,326
An implementation grant to return Sucker Creek to its natural shape and restore surrounding wetlands, floodplains, and aquatic habitats.

Flooding is one of the most frequently occurring natural disasters across Wisconsin and the United States, affecting a number of Wisconsin municipalities and increasing damage costs to public and private property. In April 2023, Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency due to elevated flooding concerns following heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt that contributed to flooding issues in several counties across the state. Last July, Gov. Evers declared a state of emergency for several Wisconsin communities following severe flash floods. The growing threat of flooding and other severe weather underscores the importance of communities evaluating their risk of flooding and taking appropriate actions to prepare for and mitigate flooding concerns before an emergency occurs. Additional information on the PDFRG and other hazard mitigation grants can be found here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.