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The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) and Coastal States Organization (CSO) commend the U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate for the introduction of the bipartisan S. 1811, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, and encourage Congress to pass this legislation before the end of the year.
This bill contains numerous provisions to improve the resiliency of our nation’s coastlines, including supporting better management of coastal sediment and advancing natural infrastructure that can reduce flood and coastal storm risk to coastal communities. Passing a WRDA every congress is essential to effective coastal management, allowing the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to better work with states and local partners to plan, build, maintain, and manage critical coastal projects.
ASBPA and CSO have long advocated for policies that advance:
- Regional Sediment Management (RSM) and the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM);
- A modification of the USACE Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR) process;
- Natural Infrastructure used for flood risk reduction.
WRDA 2020 includes policies to do each of these critical aspects of coastal management.
Download the full statement, with section-by-section policy details: ASBPA and CSO statement on WRDA 2020 (PDF)
Download the letter from ASBPA, CSO and 10 other conservation organizations on Natural Infrastructure: Joint Letter of Support for Natural Infrastructure Provisions – S 1811 (PDF)