Coastal Ecosystems and Communities Take Center Stage at National Coastal and Estuarine 2020 Virtual Summit | Article

Representative Brian Mast (R-Fla.), one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Estuary Caucus, speaking during the Summit

The National Coastal and Estuarine 2020 Virtual Summit, hosted by Restore America’s Estuaries and the Coastal States Organization, convened coastal professionals from around the globe to discuss the future of coastal ecosystems and communities.

During panel sessions and virtual roundtables, participants covered topics from coastal zone management to working waterfronts. At EESI’s virtual roundtable, participants explored key areas of development for coastal climate adaptation and resilience policy. The discussion covered priorities including:

Living shorelines: Living shorelines can be more effective than traditional ‘gray’ infrastructure at protecting coastlines and communities, and include multiple co-benefits such as wildlife habitats. Permitting for living shorelines remains a barrier—it is far easier for most homeowners and developers to access permits for seawalls and bulkheads than for living shorelines. Federal funds could also be made more accessible for living shoreline projects on public and private lands.
Blue carbon: Wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation sequester carbon, which is known as "blue carbon." More research is needed to understand the amount of carbon in these ecosystems at a localized level.
Coastal development: More coordination is needed between coastal professionals and the real estate industry to inform climate-smart development practices. The federal government could bolster these efforts by requiring flood disclosures for all homes and buildings.
Community-centered work: All communities, especially low-income communities, should have access to funding and technical assistance to carry out climate adaptation and resilience projects.

EESI presented a poster at the Summit, Federal Policy Recommendations for Coastal Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the United States, which echoes many of the priorities put forward during the roundtable discussion.

The 2020 Summit culminated with remarks from the co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Estuary Caucus. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and Bill Posey (R-Fla.), founding members of the caucus, spoke about its collective work to ensure funding and support for the National Estuary Program. Rep. Bonamici emphasized that coastal wetlands are often overlooked and undervalued despite their key role in reducing flooding and coastal erosion, protecting inland infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather events, and providing critical habitat. Reps. Posey and Brian Mast (R-Fla.) also highlighted that estuaries are home to some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.

Both Florida representatives spoke to the essential role of waterways and estuaries in their state—they are not just a place for recreation, but are also an essential part of the economy and way of life. Speaking of his district on the other side of the country, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) shared the same sentiment: Puget Sound is the cornerstone of the maritime economy and cultural identity of Washington state. As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Larsen emphasized that infrastructure legislation must include support for coastal restoration projects.

The four co-chairs recognized the long-standing bipartisan support for estuaries championed by the late Senator John Chafee (R-R.I.) who initiated the National Estuary Program in 1987. The Summit demonstrated successes and highlighted challenges faced by coastal ecosystems and communities as well as the commitment of policymakers across parties and geographies to sustainably manage national estuaries to make addressing these complex challenges possible.

Author: Anna McGinn