Adam whelchel great marsh 2013 sm

Adam Whelchel, Ph.D. Director of Science Connecticut Chapter The Nature Conservancy [email protected] (860) 970-‐8442

Great Marsh Coalition 2013 Symposium

•  Natural Disasters reafEirm to the public that Natural Resources are beneEicial…

•  Highlights protection & defense provided by Natural Resources…

•  More relevant to more people •  Property and life vs. “nice place to walk”

•  Natural Disasters are funding opportunities to execute your project bucket list…

Main Points

Architecture

•  Context: Region & Sandy Impacts •  Post-‐Sandy: Rebuild and Recovery •  “Resilient Conservation”

Awareness Relevance Urgency

Northeast & Mid-‐Atlantic “Megaregion”

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Stats: •  48 Million people •  15% of US population •  2% of the land mass •  20% gross domestic product •  $2 Trillion economy •  18 Million more people by 2050

Highest population concentration, economic prosperity and urbanized landscapes in North America

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Stats: •  8,128 miles of coastline •  1,000s miles beaches/barrier islands •  7 National Estuary Programs •  24 National Wildlife Refuges •  4 National Estuary Research Reserves •  3 National Seashores •  Extensive network of protected lands

Northeast & Mid-‐Atlantic “Megaregion”

NASA

Sandy – October 2012

Stats: •  Largest Atlantic Hurricane on Record •  1,100 miles wide •  24 states and 7 nations (Florida to Maine) •  $60B – 286 lives Whitehouse

Goggle

Impacts to Natural Resources

American Littoral Society Assessment (Dec. 2012) •  Commissioned by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation •  Input from resource managers across primary footprint

Coordinated Regional Assessment •  Evaluate environmental impacts from storm •  Coastal habitats emphasis •  Special focus on National Wildlife Refuges

h1p://www.li1oralsociety.org/index.php/a;er-‐sandy/assessing-‐the-‐damage


The American Littoral Society – Dec 2012

Reshaped the Coast Habitat Loss and Conversion •  Salt water intrusion-‐ fresh/brackish/salt

•  Sedimentation •  Beach/Dune erosion and Elattening •  Seagrass buried by eroding dunes

Tidal inlets blocked New breeches in barrier island complexes Household refuge, debris, contamination WWT discharge – 11B gallons (3.45B)


The American Littoral Society – Dec 2012 2500’ x 2500’ image tiles to dominant habitat


Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware

USFWS

DOI: $19,805,000 Coastal Tidal Marsh/Barrier Beach Restoration


DOI: $15,000,000 Restoring Coastal Marshes NJ NWR

Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey

ALS Active overwash channels and landward migration (200’ +)


DOI: $4,150,000

Rhode Island, MA, and Maine – National Wildlife Refuges •  Protecting Property and Helping Coastal Wildlife: Enhancing Salt

marsh and Estuarine Function and Resiliency for Key Habitats on Impacted Wildlife Refuges for Rhode Island (400-‐acres), Massachusetts (50-‐acres), and Maine (50-‐acres).

Massachusetts – Round Hill Salt Marsh Restoration Project

•  Restore 11.6-‐acres, 75,000 cubic yards, and culvert replacement.

DOI: $2,277,000


Massachusetts – Muddy Creek Wetland Restoration Project

•  Culvert replacement with bridge and open channel.

DOI: $3,762,000

Massachusetts – Parkers Tidal Restoration Project

•  Bridge replacement, Eish passage improvement at 2 locations.

DOI: $3,718,000

Percentage Change in Very Heavy Precipitation

“Very Heavy “= deEined as the heaviest 1% of all daily events – 1958-‐2011

US NCA 2013

Rainfall Totals: •  August and September 2011 •  20-‐25 inches •  3x normal 2 month total •  Exceeded 500 year storm (NY & VT)

Hurricane Irene

TS Lee – 2 day totals

Source: US NCA 2013

Architecture



“More than ever, it is critical that when we build for the future, we do so in a way that makes communities more resilient to emerging challenges such as rising sea levels, extreme heat, and more frequent and intense storms.”

21st century solutions to the 21st century challenges facing our Nation

Shaun Donovan Chair, Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force Secretary, U.S. Department of HUD

August 2013 HUD

http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/sandyrebuilding

Post-‐Sandy Response in New York ü  NYS 2100 Commission ü  9 Major Recommended Actions

Ø  Encourage the use of green and natural infrastructure.

§  Expanded Investment §  “Soft” Infrastructure

http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/news/publications/nys-‐2100-‐commission-‐report-‐building

Guiding Principles for Design

•  Value, protect, and utilize natural infrastructure as an effective long-‐term solution to make people, infrastructure and natural systems less vulnerable.


•  Department of Interior – $160M (internal) – $100M (external) for “resilient” conservation

http://www.nfwf.org/hurricanesandy/Pages/2013rfp.aspx

•  Natural Resource Conservation Service – $125M for Emergency Watershed Program • Floodplain Easements

Funding Opportunities

•  Department of Interior •  $100M (external) for “resilient” conservation http://www.nfwf.org/hurricanesandy/Pages/2013rfp.aspx

•  Massachusetts

–  Project Planning and Design –  Coastal Resiliency Assessments –  Restoration and Resiliency Projects –  Green Infrastructure –  Community Coastal Resilience Planning

Funding Opportunities

Architecture



Considerations of Future Conditions – Extreme weather events – Sea level rise

Considerations for Future Management – Loss, Conversion, Tradeoff – Acquisition/easement priorities – Restoration, enhancement, creation – People’s responses – risk reduction

“Resilient Conservation”

Coastal Resilience Network

CRN aims to provide science, tools, and process to better inform decision-‐making and enable adaptative solutions, emphasizing the important role of ecosystems in risk reduction and resilience.

www.coastalresilience.org

Additional Defense: Natural Infrastructure

Tidal Marsh – Existing and Future Advancement


Proactive Risk Reduction through Land Protection…

Southold , New York – NOAA CELCP: 37-‐acres

Proactive Risk Reduction through Land Protection…

Southold , New York – NOAA CELCP: 37-‐acres

2080 High SLR & CAT-‐3


2010 CAT-‐2

South Cape May Meadows Preserve

Before Restoration

During Restoration

•  Two miles of dunes and beach •  Islands to serve as resting and

feeding areas •  Plover ponds behind the dunes •  Invasive species control •  Restoration of old stream channel •  Visitor amenities

After Restoration

After Super Storm Sandy

After Super Storm Sandy

ü Natural Disasters reafEirm to the public that Natural Resources are beneEicial…

ü Highlights protection & defense provided by Natural Resources…

•  More relevant to more people •  Property and life vs. “nice place to walk”

ü Natural Disasters are funding opportunities to execute your project bucket list…

Main Points

Sincere Thanks

Adam Whelchel, Ph.D. [email protected] (860) 970-‐8442

Education

Adam whelchel great marsh 2013 sm