Coastal Resilience

The ocean is often referred to as the heart of the planet — from generating over half the air we breathe to absorbing excess carbon in the atmosphere, serving as home to millions of species, and providing important resources to coastal and inland communities. But, when precious ocean resources and the surrounding environment are not sustainably managed or decisions are made without intentional input from coastal communities, frontline communities, and Indigenous Communities, negative impacts like ocean acidification, decreased marine biodiversity, coastal erosion, environmental injustices, and sea-level rise can emerge. This briefing book is intended to provide an overview of some of these major ocean topics that state legislators across the country are contending with, using existing policies to illustrate how introducing legislation to remedy one ocean issue can have significant co-benefits across coastal ecosystems.

The America the Beautiful initiative sets the commitment to conserving at least 30% of lands and waters by 2030. The initiative is a national call for collaboration, and states have a major role to play when it comes to coastal conservation, adaptation, and restoration. The following list includes policies to advance these goals through state legislation, and ultimately help the U.S. conserve valuable marine and coastal habitats.

In recent years, sea level rise and the increasing frequency and strength of severe weather events have become major challenges for coastal communities, where flooding has caused billions of dollars in damage to both natural (i.e., wetlands) and built (i.e., sea walls) infrastructure. Building off of federal programs like NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Act, which provides matching funds to states and local governments to develop coastal protection programs, many state legislatures have instituted task forces focused specifically on creating resilient coastlines. These projects include flood and storm-resilient infrastructure, impeding coastal erosion, and rebuilding, protecting, and preserving natural flooding buffers like wetlands.

As the impacts of climate change intensify, people and nature are at risk of rapidly changing environmental conditions. Nature-based solutions use natural features and processes to protect, restore, and manage ecosystems. Nature-based solutions can address a range of challenges communities face — from wildfires and heat waves to sea-level rise and flooding. Research also shows that nature-based solutions could provide about 37% of the climate mitigation needed between now and 2050. The primary tenet of nature-based solutions is that working with nature, rather than against it, can help implement solutions that (1) combat climate change, (2) build more resilient communities, and (3) protect critical ecosystems. The examples below provide a sampling of the state-level policy options available for implementing nature-based solutions.

Amid complex policy landscapes and federal funding gaps, states, Tribes, and localities face challenges in advancing coastal and marine priorities. This sense of uncertainty — compounded by increased pressures from climate change, rapid coastal development, gentrification, and shifting global markets — introduces many challenges for states. Investing in the Blue Economy at the state level provides the opportunity for states to drive sustainable economic development while preserving critical marine and coastal ecosystems.