Floodplain Buyouts, Community Resilience and Habitat Connectivity

Since 1993, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program has funded the acquisition of over 55,000 flood-damaged properties. Under FEMA’s acquisition programs, once properties are purchased following a disaster, existing structures must be removed and the land must be dedicated to open space, recreational, or wetland management uses. These properties can offer opportunities to restore and permanently protect natural habitats and help conserve biodiversity, while also providing community amenities and improving resilience.

State and Territorial Prioritization Frameworks

One of the goals of the Long-Term Vision for Assessment, Restoration, and Protection under the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Program is for states to “…review, systematically prioritize, and report priority watersheds or waters for restoration and protection...” The documents detailing how each state and territory is prioritizing its waters or watersheds under the CWA 303(d) Program can be accessed via the links below. For many jurisdictions, this is an ongoing process, and the prioritization framework is not yet complete (and thus not provided), or it is still in draft form.

The Debate: Dangerous Intersection: Climate Change and National Security
Author
Francesco Femia - The Center for Climate and Security
Leo Goff - Center for Naval Analyses
Alice Hill - National Security Council
Thilmeeza Hussain - Voice of Women -- Maldives
Marcus King - George Washington University
Maureen Sullivan - Department of Defense
The Center for Climate and Security
Center for Naval Analyses
National Security Council
Voice of Women -- Maldives
George Washington University
Department of Defense
Current Issue
January/February 2016
Issue
33

The dangers of climate change are not usually couched in terms of national security, but awareness of the issue is growing rapidly. What could be more basic to security than a climate conducive for agriculture, abundant water supplies, ecosystem health, industrial production, biodiversity, and human comfort? What could be more threatening than extreme weather events or mass migrations because of rising seas and crop failures? The annual ELI-Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum brought together top experts on the topic.

Restore the Chesapeake
Author
Ridgway Hall - Chesapeake Legal Alliance
Chesapeake Legal Alliance
Current Issue
January/February 2016
Issue
33

The vast bay and watershed include the largest estuary in the country. Efforts to restore its vastly degraded water quality involve a commensurately large response by the Bay States, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, local governments, and the public.

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