Natural Infrastructure State Policies to Advance Investments

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1 Natural Infrastructure State Policies to Advance Investments ASFPM 2017 Conference 5/4/17 Sarah Murdock Director, US Climate Resilience and Water Policy

2 Mainstream Use of Natural Infrastructure

3 Infrastructure Needs D+ Nation s Infrastructure Challenge extreme weather damages - $1.1 trillion Infrastructure failures more common Natural Infrastructure is a Solution Often most cost-effective solution Yields multiple benefits Little to no O&M and no end of project life grey infrastructure often high O&M and rebuild after time 3

4 Natural Infrastructure Types D+ 4

5 Natural Infrastructure Projects Hamilton City, California Flood and/or Erosion Risk Reduction Multi-benefit restoration on the Sacramento River Reduce flood risk to Hamilton City, site of frequent flooding and evacuations $73 million project with a 6.8-mile setback levee reconnecting 1,450 acres of floodplain Rio Grande Water Fund, New Mexico Water Quality Projection; Wildfire, Flood and Erosion Risk Reduction Wildfire and post-fire flooding threatens Rio Grande water quality. Past damages due to wildfire total $15 billion from 2009 to 2012 Rio Grande Water Fund generates $420 million over sustainable funding over 20 years to restore health of forests, streams and rehab areas that flood after wildfires Wetlands at Valles Caldera National Preserve. The Rio Grande Water Fund engages private and public partners in protecting vital watersheds in northern New Mexico. Photo credit: Alan W. Eckert for The Nature Conservancy 5

6 State Policy Research Goal To create a database of U.S. State policies that enable investment in natural infrastructure to flood risk reduction Purpose To gather data on the use of natural infrastructure by states in order to: 1) Better understand state-level actions and processes; 2) Capture the state of policies advancing implementation of natural infrastructure projects; and 3) Create dialogue to promote or facilitate the use of natural infrastructure at the state level.

7 State Policies State Policy Types Law Regulation Code Protocol Procedure Adaptation Plan Trust Fund Bond Executive Order Grant Permit

8 Survey Surveyed State TNC staff Internet research Calls with States Interviews to determine most successful policies Interviewed State environmental program staff State Policy Database Over 30 state policies that promote or facilitate the use of natural infrastructure Database is a living resource as research is ongoing and additional findings are added Knowledge Sharing Distributing the database throughout TNC, Continue to add to database, Present at conferences to share resource

9 Flood Risk Reduction State Policies Database 32 state-level measures 13 laws 6 plans 3 bonds 3 code/rule/regulation 2 trust funds 2 grant programs 1 permit 1 executive order 1 state program 17 states

10 Bright Spots highlighting enabling conditions and replicability Washington: Floodplains by Design New Jersey: Living Shoreline Permit Massachusetts: Coastal Resilience Grant Program Iowa - Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund Maine - Clean Water and Wetlands Bond and Land for Maine's Future Maryland - Living Shoreline Protection Act of 2008

11 NJ: Living Shoreline Permit Courtesy of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

12 October 2012 Superstorm Sandy

13 Revised Coastal Rules June 2013 Emergency adoption of New Coastal Zone Management Rules Revisions made to Coastal Regulations to facilitate the establishment of living shorelines: The general permit for habitat creation and enhancement was modified to include living shoreline activities (General Permit #24 - N.J.A.C. 7:7-6.24) A new general water area rule was added for living shorelines (N.J.A.C. 7: )

14 N.J.A.C. 7: Coastal Engineering Non-structural shore protection that allows for the growth of vegetation Hierarchy for Non- Structural vs. Structural Use: Hybrid structures Structural shore protection structures

15 12 counties 120 cities Floodplain by Design Program Puget Sound 17 treaty tribes 5 million people More than 100 species listed as threatened, endangered, or candidates for listing

16 Design projects to concurrently attain salmon, water quality, and shellfish goals, strengthen farms and forests and protecting property Align financial resources and authorities of state and federal agencies Coordinated Investment

17 Work From Your Strengths Pulled together the most progressive minds across the salmon recovery, flood control, and agriculture sectors Worked from well-vetted existing project lists to redefine work as integrated, multi-benefit projects Developed the story of need and Floodplains by Design as the solution Communications and marketing were essential

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19 Massachusetts Coastal Resilience Grant Program Address challenges of erosion, flooding storms, sea level rise Identify and map vulnerabilities Adaptation planning Redesign vulnerable public facilities and infrastructure Implement natural infrastructure approaches Program launched FY14, $1.8-2M in annual funding

20 Factors in place Successful Implementation of Natural Infrastructure Show success through demonstration projects Enlist trusted messengers, champions Promote emotional support Citation: Kochnower, D., S.M.W. Reddy, R. Flick Factors influencing local decisions to use habitats to protect coastal communities from hazards. Ocean and Coastal Management. (Erika Nortemann)

21 Sarah Murdock