Commonwealth Resilience Brief

VA Coastal Resilience Master Plan Outreach Plan Announced

The State released a formal schedule of their community outreach plan for the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan to connect with multiple communities over the next month to collect different perspectives on the development of the first Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan. In addition, the State is accepting responses to this survey to collect feedback on the Master Plan. The communities and dates for the outreach meetings are as follows:

• George Washington Community Outreach Meeting - July 27th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Richmond Community Outreach Meeting - July 28th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Crater Community Outreach Meeting - July 29th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Middle Peninsula Community Outreach Meeting - August 3rd, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Northern Neck Community Outreach Meeting - August 4th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Hampton Roads Community Outreach Meeting - August 5th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

• Northern Virginia Community Outreach Meeting - August 10th, 2021 6:00 - 8:00 PM

SWCB Approves CBPA Amendments

On June 29, 2021 the Virginia State Water Control Board (SWCB) adopted amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act that require the incorporation of climate adaptation into shoreline decision making and prioritize tree replanting and the preservation of mature trees. The regulatory amendments satisfy the HB 504 (2020) requirement that the CBPA include "coastal resilience and adaptation to sea level rise and climate change" as one of its purposes.

Coastal VA Community Rating System (CRS) Workgroup Meeting

The next Coastal VA CRS Workgroup meeting will be held both online and in-person on Wednesday, July 28th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If you wish to attend in-person, you can join us in the James Room at 700 Town Center Drive, Newport News. If you wish to attend online, you can register for the zoom meeting here.

Coastal Resilience Tools for Local Governments

Learn about tools designed to help local governments increase their resilience, including the new Natural & Nature-Based Features (NNBF) tool on AdaptVA, MARISA Community Climate Outlooks, and a new Quick Guide to Resilience. Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uUCMVx_3nc

What We’re Reading

• The Tides Are Turning: Rising Seas Threaten Coastal Wetlands (Shorelines)

• There’s a link between pediatric asthma and neighborhoods that flood — especially low-income ones, ODU researchers say (The Virginian-Pilot)

• Water board approves guard rails on coastal fill with new climate change regulations (Virginia Mercury)

• For flood-prone cities, seawalls raise as many questions as they answer (The Conversation)

• For Virginia, adapting to sea level rise starts with choosing a curve (Virginia Mercury)