Dear Gov. Youngkin and Members of the Air Pollution Control Board:

As your constituent, I urge you to maintain funding for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund, a program critical to preparing Virginians for more frequent and costly flooding. By repealing Virginia's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), you would also eliminate the most reliable funding stream for this important flood fund. The projects resourced by the fund ensure that my community and others across the commonwealth are better prepared for the risks of flooding, Virginia's most costly natural hazard. Tens of millions of dollars have already been allocated to important flood risk reduction projects, from living shorelines in Hampton to community plans in Winchester. 

Authorized by the General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in 2020, the Community Flood Preparedness Fund provides flood-prone localities with grants for projects and planning initiatives designed to reduce their flood risk. This kind of spending on risk reduction is a prudent move, as research shows that every $1 invested in disaster mitigation can save at least $6 in future costs. Polls indicate that 84% of registered voters in the state—across party lines—favor a state-run fund to help owners of homes and businesses invest in measures to reduce flood risk in their communities. And already, communities like mine are taking advantage of this valuable program and are working to build a flood-safe future for Virginia.

Please support Virginia's continued participation in RGGI. Among other benefits, RGGI has generated enormous value for taxpayers, including tens of millions of dollars for the successful and broadly supported Community Flood Preparedness Fund. Please do everything you can to make sure this reliable funding source for flood mitigation in Virginia is not eliminated.

Sincerely,

1,745 Virginians, signatures in following comment.