The climate is changing and our coasts are facing unprecedented threats – from sea level rise and increasing storm intensity to on-going erosion and sediment loss. The new Administration and 117th Congress must take major actions to restore and preserve America’s shores and beaches. As we wade into these new waters, ASBPA recommends the following…
Coastal States Organization (CSO) and American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) have issued a call for policies, funding, and science to address the unprecedented challenges facing our nation’s coasts. In an era of rising sea, changing Great Lake levels, increasing storm intensity, coastal erosion and flooding, and lack of available coastal sediment, Congress and…
On The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank speaks with Jason Jordan of the American Planning Association, and John “JB” Byrd representing the Digital Coast Partnership Advocacy Coalition about the partnership and advocacy that led to the recent enactment of the Digital Coast Act (S. 1069, which has become Public Law [PL] 116-223). This pod is an…
With a major Omnibus-COVID Stimulus bill passed, Congress has averted a government shutdown and passed an FY21 federal budget. Here are the funding levels in the House and Senate appropriations and the final approved amount for some key coastal programs: (All numbers in thousands of dollars.) Energy and Water Appropriations (Includes US Army Corps of…
The federal FY21 budget is operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) through December 11. Before then, Congress must agree to a budget or the government will shut down (which certainly feels on-brand for 2020, but at this point both House and Senate would like to avoid). Adding to the challenge is the lingering question whether…
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…
The 2020 National Coastal Summit “2020 Vision for our Coast: People. Policies. Practices” was held as a webinar, due to coronavirus, but still brought together coastal insiders from federal agencies and Capitol Hill, as well as state and local officials, to share insights on coastal policies and practice. In this podcast, Derek is joined by…
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…
Over the course of ten shows in 2019, The Capitol Beach spoke with members of congress, federal agency staff, and decision-makers who set policy and direct billions of dollars of funding for coastal restoration and research. The podcast is intended to bring everyone into the coastal “room where it happens” in our nation’s Capitol. One…
On this episode of The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank interviews Mark Osler with NOAA. As Senior Advisor for Coastal Inundation and Resilience, Mark works with all of NOAA (its four “Services”, two “Departments” and all sub-units) to coordinate and advance coastal resilience throughout the agency. He has a critical behind-the-scenes role with a great perspective…