Press Release: Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition Applauds Reintroduction of the Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience Act (CLEAR Act)
For Immediate Release
January 5, 2026
Contact:
Brendan Muckian-Bates, brendan@aclc.org
Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition Applauds Reintroduction of the Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience Act (CLEAR Act)
APPALACHIA – On December 19th, Congressional leaders introduced the “Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience” (CLEAR) Act. Led by Rep. Jason Crow (D-Co.), the “bipartisan bill bolsters local efforts to prepare for extreme weather and will help strengthen critical infrastructure, protect small businesses, and save taxpayer money.” Additionally, bill co-sponsor, Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), said, “The CLEAR Act will give our communities the support they need to better prepare for future disasters and recover more quickly”
The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition was launched following devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky in July 2022. Since then, the Coalition has expanded to include dozens of regional and national nonprofits dedicated to ensuring that the Appalachian region has the necessary resources in climate resilient adaptation. In May 2024, the Coalition released a series of federal policy recommendations which included support for the CLEAR Act. Many communities within Appalachia do not have the necessary financial or staffing resources to truly create climate resilient community development. However, the CLEAR Act provides necessary support for flood-prone states to adapt to changing realities.
“Appalachian communities are experiencing the impacts of climate change within low-resource states,” stated Genevieve Guerry of Wetlands Watch. “From the 2016 floods in West Virginia to the 2022 floods in Kentucky, or more recently the devastation wrought from Hurricane Helene, the Appalachian region has seen an increasingly urgent need to provide greater federal support to rural communities in need. The CLEAR Act provides that by helping states to fund offices of resilience which can support coordinated efforts at climate risk reduction and recovery efforts.”
“We are especially grateful for the support of Reps. Jason Crow and Carol Miller,” stated Brendan Muckian-Bates, Policy & Advocacy Associate at the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center (ACLC). “Rep. Miller knows the destruction that intense flooding can have on communities, with intense floods impacting her members earlier this year more than once. West Virginia is fortunate to have a State Resilient Office, and additional federal funding will support its expanded purpose, particularly among at-risk communities.”
The CLEAR ACT will provide grant funding to help ensure:
States, territories, and Indian tribes can establish and maintain an office of resilience, tasked with updating resiliency frameworks, in consultation with vulnerable communities.
Resilience offices can effectively implement programs intended to mitigate vulnerabilities to climate-related disasters.
Improve the coordinated efforts between various local, state, and federal agencies to support community recovery and risk reduction efforts.
It is essential that Congressional leaders from the Appalachian region support this important piece of legislation.
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