21 Massachusetts Municipalities Form Coastal Communities Alliance (2024)

Today, on World Environment Day, Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo joined with the leaders of other Massachusetts communities to announce the formation of the Massachusetts Coastal Communities Alliance, a network of Mayors, Town Managers and Administrators, and other local officials from coastal cities and towns in the Commonwealth. Altogether the 21 communities comprise over half a million Massachusetts residents and hundreds of miles of coastline.

“As leaders of coastal communities, we are all concerned about the escalating impacts we’re witnessing due to the climate crisis,” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo of Salem. “Through this new alliance, we can further collaborate with one another as we work to protect our communities. Coastal towns and cities are on the front line of experiencing climate impacts and we each bring a powerful and important perspective to the work ahead. We’re committed to the important efforts underway at the local level to strive for a more resilient future. I’m grateful to the inaugural members of the alliance and invite mayors and managers from our other coastal municipalities in the Commonwealth to join the initiative.”

The goal of the Massachusetts Coastal Communities Alliance is to provide a platform for information-sharing and peer-learning between local leaders who serve coastal communities, especially with the Commonwealth’s new ResilientCoasts initiative getting underway.

Through the Alliance member communities will share information, coordinate on plans and actions, identify funding and technical assistance opportunities to maximally benefit coastal areas, and learn from one other about best practices, innovative policies, and successful projects when it comes to coastal resilience.

“Thanks to Mayor Pangallo and the City of Salem for leading this initiative,” said Mayor Michael Cahill of Beverly. “As coastal communities, we are all facing challenges with the severe storms we’re too frequently experiencing.Working together can only help the people of Beverly and our coastal neighbors find solutions and protect our communities.”

“The City of Chelsea is excited to join the newly forming MassachusettsCoastal Communities Alliance,” said Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez. “As a coastal community, we live the impacts of rising sea levels, worsening storms, and increased heat island effect,every day. As an environmental justice community, many of our residents lack the capacity to bounce back after a climate event. Through this Alliance, we will work together, in a regional context, to address climate issues and build resilience into our community.”

“As coastal communities, Gloucester and our neighboring cities and towns are witnessing the impacts of climate change firsthand, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events,” said Mayor Greg Verga of Gloucester. “In Gloucester, we have been strategically prioritizing sustainable projects and coastal resiliency initiatives to better prepare for and combat these challenges. I look forward to joining the Massachusetts Coastal Communities Alliance, where we can collaboratively address these issues, share our knowledge, and work together to safeguard our communities.”

“The impacts of climate change are being felt now,” said Manchester-by-the-Sea Town Administrator Gregory Federspiel. “We have experienced new levels of flooding from the ocean from just minor storms. By collaborating with similarly situated coastal communities, we can help each other address the challenges we are facing and share resources more effectively.”

“The Town of Nahant is completed surrounded by the effects of sea level rise,” said Nahant Town Administrator Antonio Barletta. “There is no larger issue for our community. We aren't just experiencing eroded coastline, we are often prevented from accessing the mainland during storms which significantly impacts our ability to provide emergency services. We are grateful for the opportunity to join this Alliance and we look forward to working with fellow coastal communities on these issues.”

“It is going to take a combined effort to combat the effects of climate change,” said Mayor Sean Reardon of Newburyport. “This is not a problem one community can solve alone but together we can partner together to find regional solutions to become more resilient.”

“In recent years, the frequency and severity of coastal storms and flooding have greatly affected the Town of Provincetown and members of our community,” said Town Manager Alex Morse of Provincetown. “With significant recurring impacts to residences, businesses, and public infrastructure, we understand the importance of coastal communities working together to further resilience efforts and find sustainable solutions that allow our community, and those like it, to thrive. We look forward to collaborating with the Massachusetts Coastal Communities Alliance to create a more resilient future.”

“It is critically important that we work together as local and regional officials to address the dramatic impact of climate change,” said Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “These are life safety issues for seacoast communities. We need to make investments now to protect our communities and region.”

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