Responses to the Changes We Are Seeing
State Responses
The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA), enacted in 1988, is a key piece of Virginia legislation designed to protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay by regulating land use in environmentally sensitive areas (namely buffers). In 2020, the Northam Administration led legislation to amend the CBPA to incorporate climate change impacts, recognizing the increasing threat of sea level rise and intensifying storms. This amendment mandates that localities address coastal resilience and adaptation to climate change as part of their shoreline buffer land use review process. As a result, regulations now require that local government staff conduct a “resilience assessment” on any proposed development within the shoreline buffers (Resource Protection Areas (RPAs)). This assessment must incorporate how sea level rise will impact the proposed development within the RPA. These updates to the CBPA ensure that localities and property owners are aware of the changes that will occur on their properties and, in response, take proactive steps to safeguard both natural ecosystems and property from the growing risks posed by climate change.
The Coastal Resilience Master Plan is Virginia's strategic framework for addressing the increasing threats of climate change, particularly sea level rise, recurrent flooding, and coastal erosion. Developed with input from local governments, state agencies, and stakeholders, the plan outlines the risks posed to vulnerable infrastructure, communities, and ecosystems. The plan summarizes these climate change impacts by using the latest scientific data to project future sea level rise projects and flood risks, with the hope that this information will guide the future prioritization of resilience projects. The plan emphasizes nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetlands and implementing living shorelines, while also addressing infrastructure needs, to bolster community defenses against rising waters. By focusing on both immediate and long-term strategies, the Coastal Resilience Master Plan ensures that Virginia is preparing its coastal areas for the increasing impacts of climate change.
The Tidal Wetlands Act is a critical piece of Virginia legislation aimed at protecting the state's tidal wetlands, which serve as vital buffers against storms, flooding, and erosion. In recent years, the Act has been updated to account for the growing impacts of climate change, particularly sea level rise and the intensification of coastal storms. One of the most significant changes is the mandate for living shorelines as the first method for erosion control, promoting nature-based solutions that enhance wetland resilience. Additionally, living shoreline permits must include consideration of sea level rise and coastal hazards, ensuring that development and restoration efforts take future conditions into account. These updates strengthen the Act's ability to protect wetlands and communities in the face of climate change, supporting long-term ecological and human resilience.
Youngkin’s Withdrawal from RGGI
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is a cooperative cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing carbon emissions from the power sector. Virginia's participation in RGGI, mandated by the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act of 2020, ensures that proceeds from the sale of carbon allowances are directed into the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). This fund has supported flood resilience projects throughout the Commonwealth, distributing approximately $150 million since its inception.
Governor Youngkin’s decision to withdraw Virginia from RGGI, achieved through an emergency regulation passed by the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board, effectively removes hundreds of millions of dollars in resilience funding from our most vulnerable communities, a move that is not only harmful but illegal. Wetlands Watch and others believe that the withdrawal, as executed through administrative action, violates the legislative participation mandate established by the General Assembly. Most fundamentally, we believe that this action undermines the constitutional balance of power between Virginia's executive and legislative branches.
Federal Responses
National Flood Insurance Program: Risk Rating 2.0
Introduced in 2021, Risk Rating 2.0 is FEMA's modernized approach to change how flood insurance is priced to more accurately reflect individual property risk. This new Risk Rating 2.0 method replaces the outdated flood zone-based pricing method. Unlike the previous model, which relied heavily on Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), Risk Rating 2.0 uses a broader set of factors such as distance to water bodies, property elevation, the cost of rebuilding, and historical flood frequency.
For Virginia residents this new system ensures that annual flood insurance premiums are tied to a property’s individual flood risk, meaning properties that are built near an ocean will pay less than those built near a creek, for example, can benefit from lower premiums. Risk Rating 2.0 also removes many existing subsidies, so residents with historically lower rates may experience increases, reflecting true risk levels. Properties of varying replacement values will no longer pay the exact same annual premium, making flood insurance more equitable than before. Previously, a 1,500 square foot home would pay the same annual premium as a 3,000 square foot home. Additionally, there are no discounts for “preferred risk properties” (those not required to carry flood insurance) - old $500/year policies will likely see small increases every year or so.
For more information, see our page National Flood Insurance Program page.
Community Rating System
The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary program within FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that incentivizes local governments to implement floodplain management practices beyond the minimum NFIP standards. Communities earn points based on activities like improving flood maps, educating the public, and adopting nature-based solutions such as wetland conservation. These points are used to determine a CRS classification, which ranges from Class 10 (no discount) to Class 1 (up to 45% discount).
For residents in Virginia, especially in flood-prone regions with high numbers of flood insurance policies, participation in CRS can significantly reduce annual flood insurance premiums—by up to 45%—while promoting community-wide resilience. The program benefits residents by lowering costs and encouraging stronger flood risk management, ultimately leading to reduced property damage and enhanced long-term flood protection.
The CRS also monetizes the conservation of wetlands and shoreline buffers, offering local government decision makers both a carrot and a stick when reviewing permits to disturb in these critical lands.
For more information, see our Virginia Community Rating System Workgroup page.
TOOLS
Virginia Coastal Resilience Web Explorer
As a component of the state’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan, a web explorer was developed to help users visualize hazards, impacts, and potential projects and initiatives.