Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan

Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan
Name	Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Virginia
Established	2019

Contents

Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan is a statewide policy initiative developed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to coordinate flood risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, and community adaptation across tidal shorelines. The plan synthesizes inputs from the Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources, the Governor of Virginia, the Virginia General Assembly, regional authorities, local governments such as the City of Norfolk, and federal partners including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. It aligns with national and international efforts exemplified by Executive Order 14008, the Paris Agreement, and programs run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Background and Context

The plan emerged in response to accelerating sea level rise observed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, documented storm surge trends analyzed by the National Weather Service, and recurring impacts following storms such as Hurricane Isabel and Hurricane Sandy. State-level action was catalyzed by legislative and executive initiatives from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, and research from institutions including Old Dominion University, College of William & Mary, and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Historic coastal communities like Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Virginia, Hampton, Virginia, and the Eastern Shore of Virginia provided case studies linked to federal programs under the National Flood Insurance Program and cooperative agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Primary objectives include protecting life and property in areas such as Norfolk Naval Station and infrastructure associated with Port of Virginia, preserving habitats in locations like Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and sustaining economic sectors centered in Alexandria, Virginia and Newport News, Virginia. Strategic priorities emphasize nature-based solutions endorsed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Smithsonian Institution; strengthening resilience of critical assets tied to the Federal Highway Administration and the Amtrak network; and community equity frameworks similar to those advocated by The Nature Conservancy and American Red Cross. The plan references modeling methods used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and integrates guidance from Department of Defense coastal readiness initiatives.

Oversight is coordinated through the Office of the Governor (Virginia), in partnership with the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the University of Virginia School of Law, the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, and regional planning bodies like the Tidewater Virginia Region. Implementation relies on memoranda of understanding with the United States Department of Transportation, interagency collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and technical assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District. Stakeholder engagement processes involve civic organizations such as James City County, tribal entities including the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, and nonprofit partners exemplified by Wetlands Watch and The Audubon Society.

Notable initiatives include shoreline restoration projects drawing on expertise from the Chesapeake Bay Program and marsh migration plans informed by Sustainable Shorelines. Infrastructure adaptations have targeted the Hampton Roads Bridge–Tunnel and rail corridors servicing Norfolk Southern Railway. Pilot actions mirror work in other regions such as New Orleans and Galveston, Texas, while ecosystem restoration efforts connect to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Eastern Shore Climate Resilience Initiative. Community-scale projects include managed retreat considerations in Tangier Island and urban resilience investments in Portsmouth, Virginia and Williamsburg, Virginia.

Financing mechanisms blend federal funding streams from programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with state appropriations authorized by the Virginia General Assembly and philanthropic investments from foundations like the Kresge Foundation. Public–private partnerships engage firms in the American Society of Civil Engineers network and contractors experienced with Army Corps projects. Economic assessments reference sectors dependent on the Port of Virginia, Langley Air Force Base, and tourism economies tied to Colonial Williamsburg and coastal recreation, estimating costs and benefits with methodologies paralleling studies by the Brookings Institution and the World Bank.

The plan establishes performance metrics coordinated with data providers such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and academic centers including the Virginia Coastal Resilience Lab at Old Dominion University. Adaptive management cycles incorporate scenario planning informed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, statewide reporting to the Governor of Virginia and the Virginia General Assembly, and peer review by entities like the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Ongoing monitoring leverages tide gauge networks operated by the National Ocean Service and habitat monitoring protocols developed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to guide iterative updates and community outreach coordinated with localities such as Suffolk, Virginia and Mathews County, Virginia.