Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment

The document is a transcript of a briefing on coastal resilience in the Northeast US. It details the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, the Waterfront Alliance's efforts to build consensus in the New York City metro area, and the Island Institute's work with rural coastal and island communities in Maine. The discussion emphasizes the role of nature-based solutions, the challenges of funding and capacity in rural areas, and the need for equitable, risk-informed governance to address sea level rise and coastal flooding.

• Massachusetts implemented the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program in 2017, which uses a two-phase process: a planning grant to certify communities and an action grant to fund implementation. The program prioritizes nature-based solutions, defined as "using natural systems, mimicking natural processes, or working in tandem with traditional approaches to address natural hazards like flooding, erosion, drought, and heat island."
• In Massachusetts, the MVP program has seen 71 percent of communities participate. Two rounds of action grants have funded 67 projects totaling $15.3 million, including living shoreline feasibility studies in Essex, salt marsh restoration in Newberry, and cranberry bog restoration in Falmouth.
• The Waterfront Alliance is working to build a policy platform and consensus among over 400 civic and business partners in the New York City and New Jersey metro area. They advocate for reforming cost-benefit analyses used by FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers to better account for equity and green infrastructure.
• Coastal communities in New York and New Jersey face significant risks, with over a million people currently living in floodplains. The region's disaster recovery efforts have been noted to widen the wealth gap along racial lines.
• Rural coastal communities in Maine face unique challenges due to limited staff and finances, often struggling to balance climate resilience with deferred maintenance and school budgets. The Island Institute supports these communities through technical planning and small targeted investments, such as a $10,000 match for a bridge project in South Thomaston.
• Maine's lobster fishery, which contributes over $1.5 billion to the state economy annually, is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal storms. In Vinalhaven, the ferry terminal—a critical lifeline—has been cancelled due to high tides even on calm days.
• There is a critical need for increased federal funding and capacity for rural communities. Current NOAA Coastal Zone Management Program grants to the Maine Coastal Program are described as a "drop in the bucket," providing only about $150,000 in grants per year.
• Managed retreat and climate migration are emerging issues. In Massachusetts, FEMA funding has been used for property buyouts in some coastal communities and inland tidal river areas. Additionally, the town of Holyoke has studied climate migration following the arrival of 2,000 residents from Puerto Rico after a hurricane.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2019). Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_102319.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment. 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_102319.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment |date=October 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_102319.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2019improving, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Improving Coastal Resilience in the Northeast: Innovative Solutions to Protect Communities, Property, and the Environment}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_102319.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }