$1.25M awarded to Battleship’s Living with Water plan to reduce flooding

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has awarded Battleship North Carolina $1,250,000 for its Living with Water project to address flooding and increase resiliency.

The grant will help restore more than 800 feet of shoreline and 2 acres of wetlands, upgrade the Battleship site’s stormwater collection and management system, and elevate the parking area. The nature-based infrastructure aims to mitigate the risks posed by ongoing tidal flooding and improve water quality in the Cape Fear River

“The Battleship is committed to community resilience,” said retired Navy Capt. Terry Bragg, Executive Director of the Battleship. “The lessons learned through the Living with Water initiative will help the Cape Fear region and other coastal areas prepare for future storm impacts and changing coastal conditions.”

The award requires $1,583,931 in matching contributions from the Battleship and is approved pending a successful fiscal review. To date, the Battleship has received $2,335,431 in federal, state and private funding toward the anticipated $3 million cost of Living with Water.

The Battleship’s award was among 27 grants announced Tuesday by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management to support projects in Alabama, California, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands through the Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund. The more than $43 million will improve the resilience of local communities and wildlife habitat in the face of increasingly severe and frequent natural disasters.

“These grants are essential to helping sustain the wellbeing of the citizens affected by these natural disasters,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., deputy NOAA administrator. “Vibrant coasts power American prosperity.”

A complete list of the 2020 grants made through the Emergency Coastal Resilience Fund is available here.