Governor McAuliffe announces development of Resiliency Plan for coastal communities
RICHMOND , VA – March 2, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Virginia is developing a resiliency plan for its coastal communities.
“Our coastal communities are already feeling the effects of environmental challenges such as sea level rise, recurrent flooding and other extreme weather events,” said Governor McAuliffe. “The Commonwealth has identified Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore as the target areas for this resiliency plan that will unite the region, build water management solutions, strengthen vulnerable neighborhoods and improve economic vitality.”
The Commonwealth is currently applying for assistance through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the National Disaster Resilience Competition to support innovative resilience projects at the local level. The competition will also benefit communities statewide in efforts to adopt policy changes and activities that plan for the impacts of extreme weather and climate change.
The Governor’s Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission, established by Executive Order, is chaired by the Secretaries of Natural Resources and Public Safety and Homeland Security.
“Through this plan and assistance, communities will be better positioned to recover from prior disasters and improve their ability to withstand and recover more quickly from future disasters and hazards,” said Virginia’s Chief Resilience Officer and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran.
Participation in the effort is broad based, bringing together multiple state and federal agencies, local governments, institutions of higher education, community groups and private sector partners. The Commonwealth is seeking input from the public for the resiliency plan proposal and will hold a public hearing on March 10, 2015, at 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ted Constant Center, located at 4320 Hampton Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia. Copies of the draft proposal will be available and comments will be heard at this forum.
“Collaboration in development of this plan will create a stronger framework that will encompass all aspects of communities affected by these types of extreme weather and climate change,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward. “We look forward to hearing from the public on this issue and receiving input from the various stakeholders in Virginia’s coastal communities.”
For more information on the resiliency plan, visit www.dhcd.virginia.gov.
