Coastal Resilience and Regional Adaptation
AFWA 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award Video
On September 25, 2023, SERPPAS received the 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies! SERPPAS was recognized in the “Broad Partnership” category for demonstrating exemplary leadership in reducing climate-related threats and promoting adaptation of the nation’s natural resources. To learn more about the AFWA Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources, visit: https://www.fishwildlife.org/afwa-inspires/climate-adaptation-network/climate-adaptation-leadership-awards
About
Extreme weather events and changes in environmental conditions, including hazards such as hurricanes, flooding, sea level rise, and wildfires, put military readiness, natural resources, communities, and working lands at risk. These serious threats to mission assurance and mission-essential functions require collaboration to successfully enhance resilience across geographical and governance boundaries.
The SERPPAS Coastal Resilience and Regional Adaptation Work Group fosters collaboration among Federal, State, and local partners to build capacity, develop plans, share resources, and implement projects that increase resilience for military installations and communities. With a specific focus on comprehensive planning and integrating natural infrastructure into the resilience strategies, the Work Group provides significant benefits to all partners and their respective missions. This increase in shared knowledge, resources, and tools will serve to better conserve and protect our people, our military installations, our lands, waters, and wildlife, our towns and cities, our forests and farms, our economic opportunity, and our quality of lif
Regional collaboration and coordination on resilience strategies will help sustain the military mission by: minimizing loss of coastal training infrastructure or interruption of operations; minimizing the potential for new coastal species placement on the endangered species list and/or critical habitat designated in the vicinity of military installations; prioritizing watershed protection for increased water supply resilience and flood mitigation; minimizing damage to storm water systems and other utilities shared between bases and communities; and increase the effectiveness of joint installation and community planning for and adapting to severe climate change impacts.
Strategic Objectives
- Continue building partnerships and capacity focused on connecting DoD installations and surrounding communities on resilience planning and actions, with an initial focus in coastal areas.
- Enhance the SERPPAS Good Map by adding resilience- related data that will help identify vulnerabilities to climate and weather-related risks as well as identify further research and data gaps needs.
- Develop plans and implement projects involving nature-based solutions, such as living shorelines, oyster reefs, and saltmarsh conservation, based on DoD and community vulnerabilities and natural and cultural resource benefits.
- Develop and share resources on authorities, funding, and tools from key federal and state agencies focused on resilience to changing environmental conditions to assist on the ground projects and identify future needs.
- Continue to explore how extreme weather and changing environmental conditions are influencing the other SERPPAS focus areas and identify opportunities to collaborate.
- Explore opportunities to evaluate and measure success of nature-based, natural infrastructure solutions in lessening vulnerabilities to climate and weather-related events impacting military installation resilience.
- Consider how best to expand and include participation of Federal, State and local partners that are focused on community resilience but have not historically been part of the SERPPAS community.
Work Group Lead
Michelle Covi is the Coastal Resilience DoD Liaison at University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant working regionally in the Southeast to connect Sea Grant programs with military community coastal resilience projects through a partnership with SERPPAS and the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program.
Michelle comes to Georgia after six years as a coastal resilience lead in the Virginia Sea Grant extension program with Old Dominion University and six years with a coastal hazards center at East Carolina University where she also completed her Ph.D. in Coastal Resources Management. Michelle is a UGA alumna, having received her master’s degree in zoology (marine science) after completing research at the UGA Marine Institute. She lives on her husband’s family farm in Hartwell, Georgia, just a couple of miles from the Savannah River
Resources
Documents
Work Group Presentations
OLDCC Installation Resilience Review Projects Series (part 1)
OLDCC Installation Resilience Review Projects Series (part 2)
Military-Community Climate Resilience Planning - Hampton Roads, VA
OLDCC Installation Resilience Review Projects Series (part 3) - NWS Earle
OLDCC Installation Resilience Review Project Series (part 4) - South Florida
Websites
Coastal Resilience DoD Liaison Program
Federal and State Funding for Coastal Resilience in Defense Communities
REPI Resilience Primer
USACE South Atlantic Coastal Study
Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center
Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP)
Gulf of Mexico Alliance
How to Consider Climate Change in Coastal Conservation
Department of the Interior Nature Based Solutions Roadmap
South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative
News
2024 REPI Report to Congress Released
4/11/24
The 18th annual REPI Report to Congress summarizes the program’s investments at 124 locations across 37 states and territories, highlights partnerships across local, state, and Federal agencies, and showcases mutually beneficial projects in the Pacific Region. Through the support of partner organizations, the REPI Program aims to enhance the Nation's defense capabilities, positively impact surrounding communities and the environment, and maximize taxpayer benefits. The REPI Program’s cost-effective projects and expanded partnership opportunities would not be possible without support from partners who share a common goal of safeguarding military missions, preserving the natural environment, and reducing risks from extreme weather events.
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USDA Makes $1.5 Billion Available to Help Farmers Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
4/3/24
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting project proposals now through July 2, 2024, that will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. These projects in turn can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity.
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SERPPAS Protects Military Lands, Defense Communities, and the Coast
3/29/24
SERPPAS was recently featured in the Winter 2024 issue of Natural Selections, the DoD's newsletter that recognizes successful marine conservation efforts while sustaining military readiness across the United States.
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The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership Releases the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report
2/27/24
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is pleased to announce that the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report is now available. The report showcases how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of the Interior (DOI), and their on-the-ground partners collaborate through the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership to solve complex land-use challenges, combining resources and aligning funding across the 13 sentinel landscapes.
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National Coastal Resilience Fund 2024 Request for Proposals Released
2/27/24
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is pleased to announce the 2024 National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) Request for Proposals (RFP). NFWF will make investments in planning, design, and implementation of natural and nature-based solutions. The goal is to enhance protection for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural coastal hazards and to improve habitats for fish and wildlife.
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America’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: America the Beautiful Challenge 2024 Request for Proposals
2/27/24
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), through anticipated cooperative agreements from the Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is releasing the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP). The ATBC vision is to streamline grant funding opportunities for new voluntary conservation and restoration projects throughout the United States. This RFP consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale, locally led projects that address shared funder priorities spanning public, Tribal, and private lands.
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Events & Webinars
Error loading Partial View script (file: ~/Views/MacroPartials/Events/Events List.cshtml)SERPPAS Meetings
May 2024
- 2024 SERPPAS Principals Meeting
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May 8 - 9, 2024
Gulfport, MS