As Congress debates how to help state, county and local governments whose budgets have been devastated by coronavirus, we in the coastal and beach community need to speak up! With many beach towns and departments funded through some type of tourism generated revenue – hotel and occupancy taxes, local sales taxes, beach badges, parking fees,…
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA, or S.3422), which recently passed the Senate, directs a significant portion of federal revenue from offshore oil and gas development to the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which fund parks and public lands, and deferred maintenance in National Parks. While fully funding LWCF and addressing maintenance backlog at…
ASBPA has long supported policies that ensure revenue from coastal and offshore energy development is used for coastal restoration and resilience in the states and regions that support that development. We are therefore advocating that current legislation, titled the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA, or S.3422), includes an increase in funding going to coastal states…
As beaches re-open after stay-at-home orders are lifted, beach departments across the country are facing a triple whammy of challenges: Massive budget shortfalls and staffing cuts, Increased costs for cleaning and security, and huge crowds of people eager to get outdoors and recreate. Thus far, communities have faced these challenges with very little support from…
Even with Congress and federal agencies working remotely due to coronavirus, you can still be an effective advocate: Set up a phone call or zoom meeting with a decision-maker; Plan an in-district meeting with a member of congress when restrictions are lifted; Plan a trip to DC when travel and meetings are allowed. All the…
What does your community need to weather the coronavirus economic storm? Every community’s first priority must be to keep its people safe. Through social or physical distancing, shutdowns, lockdowns or other methods to prevent the spread of coronavirus, people’s health must come first. But most beach towns rely on tourism to pay the bills and…
Jainey Bavishi, the Director of New York City Mayor’s Office of Resilience, joins Derek Brockbank on the Capitol Beach. Recording from City Hall in New York City, rather than Washington DC, they discuss how the Big Apple is integrating resilience across city agencies, how resilience can be done equitably, and how Jainey’s experience in India…
On this episode of The Capitol Beach, host Derek Brockbank talks to Jeffrey Peterson, the author of A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas. Due to climate change, devastating storms and sea level rise will increasingly threaten vibrant communities, critical infrastructure, and vital natural systems. But the United States is…
ASBPA advocates for healthy coasts on a variety of topics and educates decision-makers at all levels of government about the importance of healthy, restored beaches and shorelines. Our 2020 vision for ourcoast includes recommendations to Congress and numerous federal agencies. 2020 Vision for our Coast: infrastructure, restoration and research funding In an era of unprecedented…
Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham, hosts of the American Shoreline Podcast Network’s flagship show are joined by Derek Brockbank (Executive Director of ASBPA and host of the Capitol Beach podcast), Shannon Cunniff (recently retired from the Environmental Defense Fund and board member of ASBPA) and Annie Mercer (ASPBA Fellow) to discuss the recently released white…