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 increasing changes in environmental conditions due to climate change, including hazards such as hurricanes, flooding, sea level rise, extreme temperatures, drought, 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.
Although the missions of the SERPPAS partners are different, the partners share an interest in ensuring resilience and advancing adaptation in the face of these challenges. 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. Collaboration on coastal resilience and regional adaptation, with a focus on integrating nature-based solutions into resilience planning and projects, will provide significant benefits to all partners and their respective missions.
This collaboration will increase shared knowledge, resources and tools among natural resource agencies, the military, and local communities by expanding the opportunities for successful solutions. As a result, SERPPAS will better protect our people, our military installations, our lands and waters and wildlife, our towns and cities, our forests and farms, our economic opportunity, and our quality of life. From the perspective of military mission sustainment, regional collaboration and coordination on climate resilience will: minimize loss of coastal training infrastructure or interruption of operations at low-lying bases; minimize the potential for new species placement on the endangered species list and/or critical habitat designated in the vicinity of military installations; prioritize watershed protection for increased water supply resilience and flood mitigation on installations and surrounding communities; minimize damage to stormwater systems and other utilities shared between bases and communities; and increase the effectiveness of joint installation and community planning for and recovering from severe weather events and changing environmental conditions.
Strategic Objectives
- Continue expanding partnerships and capacity focused on connecting DoD installations and surrounding communities on climate resilience planning and actions.
- Explore how climate change is influencing the other SERPPAS focus areas and identify opportunities to collaborate.
- Use and assist in the development of mapping tools, such as the SERPPAS good map, that can advance climate resilience planning and implementation.
- Support the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI) and the Marsh Forward Plan.
- Support the development, implementation, and evaluation of nature-based solutions for climate resilience projects benefiting military missions and communities in the southeast.
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
NCICS-Precipitation Frequency
News
Events & Webinars
- SECAS Third Thursday Web Forum: How do we conduct more prescribed fire, keep our air clean, and meet more strict national ambient air quality standards?
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July 18, 2024
Webinar (hosted by SECAS) - RAE 2024 Coastal & Estuarine Summit
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October 6 - 10, 2024
- 78th Annual SEAFWA Conference
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October 12 - 16, 2024
Augusta, GA - Navigating Military Readiness Through Responsible Project Execution
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December 11, 2024
Webinar (hosted by REPI)
SERPPAS Meetings
September 2024
- Fall 2024 Steering Committee Meeting
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September 10 - 11, 2024
Atlanta, GA