Very often, understanding federal coastal policy means understanding the flow of federal funds. Once again, The Capitol Beach explores a federal funding program that advances coastal resilience, but this time by meeting with National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to hear about the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF). This program, funded by Congress and administered…
As Congress grapples with how to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic challenges it has created, they have largely ignored the unique difficulties facing coastal communities who rely on beach- and coastal-based tourism. See our previous article on how coastal communities are hurting. See our Covid Advocacy Toolkit for how you and your…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently released policy guidance on the new Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities (BRIC) program. Established through the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, BRIC builds on FEMA’s mission to prepare communities for disasters before they happen, with added focus on resilience. It is funded through a percentage of funds…
Samantha Brooke and Chris Darnell with the US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program join Derek Brockbank on the Capitol Beach. One of the lesser known programs at USFWS, the Coastal Program is voluntary – as opposed to regulatory – program that provides communities technical and financial support for local coastal projects and planning. Being…
As Congress considers an infrastructure stimulus bill in response to the coronavirus pandemic, ASBPA is asking Congress to prioritize funding for coastal infrastructure whose purpose is to help tourism and increase the resilience of communities to future economic challenges from the inevitable challenges posed by sea level rise and coastal storms. See our Coronavirus Stimulus Letter…
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…
On July 10th, ASBPA Executive Director, Derek Brockbank, testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure committee in the hearing “Water Resources Development Acts: Status of Implementation and Addressing Future Needs.” ASBPA called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage the coastline to support four interconnected values: Protection from coastal storms, hazards and sea level…
Today, the Senate passed “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018,” 99-1. The House of Representatives had passed the legislation in September by a unanimous voice vote, so the bill will now go to the president’s desk to be signed. ASBPA’s statement on America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018: The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association…