Land of Sky Regional Council

Civic Organization

The Land of Sky Regional Council is a multi-county planning and development organization serving Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties in western North Carolina. As a regional council of governments, Land of Sky delivers creative, cross-jurisdictional solutions to emerging challenges, providing technical assistance, program administration, and resource coordination across a wide range of issues that affect local communities. With a strong focus on economic and community development, the Council supports municipalities through infrastructure planning, regional workforce initiatives, public transportation management, and strategic funding efforts.

Through its Mountain Area Workforce Development Board and Mountain Mobility transit services, Land of Sky helps build more connected and resilient communities. Its Area Agency on Aging and Volunteer Services Department further ensure vulnerable populations have access to services and civic engagement opportunities. Originally founded in 1966, Land of Sky plays a vital role in coordinating with local, state, and federal partners to deliver investments in public health, transportation, and infrastructure, including water and sewer systems, libraries, and industrial sites. As flooding risks increase across the region, the Council’s work has become increasingly important in strengthening local capacity, integrating resilience into planning efforts, and securing funding for flood mitigation and preparedness. Land of Sky’s membership in the American Flood Coalition reflects its commitment to protecting western North Carolina’s communities through collaborative, forward-looking solutions that address today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s.

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Help Me Choose

Which characteristics is your community looking for in funding opportunities?

Disaster declaration
A Presidential Disaster Declaration unlocks a suite of federal programs that assist local governments with disaster recovery. This is a good filter for communities included in recent Disaster Declarations related to flooding.
Nature-based solutions
The program has a strong focus on providing assistance to promote a healthy ecosystem as a critical defense against flooding impacts. Eligible activities may include floodplain restoration, environmental stewardship, projects that use natural features to mitigate erosion, and living shorelines.
Encourages public-private partnerships
The program encourages or requires collaboration between government entities and stakeholders, including the private sector, to fund, develop, or implement projects.
Offers rolling deadlines
The program accepts applications on an ongoing basis with no fixed deadline.

Is your project in the planning, design, or construction phase?

Planning
The gathering of data and information regarding the extent and impacts of flooding. Eligible activities may include data acquisition, risk assessment, and environmental analysis.
Design & scoping
Covers pre-construction activities, such as defining project scope, developing technical designs, and securing funding to prepare for implementation.
Construction & implementation
Involves carrying out flood resilience projects, including building infrastructure and deploying solutions to reduce flood risks.

Are you looking for grants, loans, or technical assistance for your project?

Funding (grants)
A monetary award that does not need to be repaid. Many federal grants are reimbursable, meaning recipients must cover project costs upfront and then request reimbursement from the government.
Financing (loans)
A government-issued loan that must be repaid. These loans typically provide funding upfront, helping communities cover project costs before repayment begins.
Technical assistance
Assistance from the government in the form of services — such as project planning, engineering and design support, data analysis, training, capacity building, or collaboration through a cooperative agreement — instead of direct funding.

Some programs provide extra support for specific project types or communities. Do any of these apply to your project?

Small or rural communities
Programs that set aside funding, offer loan forgiveness, or adjust cost share requirements for communities with smaller populations.
Small or low-cost projects
Programs that offer reduced requirements for smaller projects, such as waived cost-sharing or exemptions from benefit-cost analysis.
Regional or watershed focus
Programs that support projects that take a watershed management approach or address flooding at a regional scale, requiring coordination beyond a single town or community.
Tribal communities
Programs that dedicate resources or adjust cost share requirements specifically for tribal governments or organizations.

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