Dial Cordy and Associates Dawn York, Project Manager ... - Resiliency Planning.pdfDial Cordy and Associates – Dawn York, Project Manager National Fish and Wildlife Foundation –

Dial Cordy and Associates – Dawn York, Project Manager National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Suzanne Sessine, Asst. SE Regional Director

Project Purpose

• The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is seeking assistance in developing a fish and wildlife habitat assessment, first and foremost of the Cape Fear River basin, but also of the broader Southeast Atlantic coast.

• Products will be used to inform priority areas for possible resiliency projects that protect communities from severe storms and floods, and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their associated habitats.

Project Purpose

• Three key components NFWF is undertaking as part of a broader program of work for the Cape Fear River basin and southeast coastal NC.

• Ongoing efforts include: a coastal, nature-based resiliency assessment, as well as identifying potential coastal and inland, nature-based resilience projects in the Cape Fear River basin and southeast NC coastal areas.

• Information will be provided as a map/geospatial dataset to be used to identify priority areas within the Cape Fear River basin and coastal areas where projects may be implemented that have the greatest impact on community and ecosystem resiliency.

Background

• NFWF is managing the Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Grants Program, to support projects that reduce NE coastal communities’ vulnerability to storms, sea level rise, flooding, erosion, and associated threats, through strengthening natural ecosystems that also provide benefits to fish and wildlife.

• NFWF, along with federal partners, want to expand that work beyond the NE.

• Comprehensive approach to climate resilience planning on a watershed and landscape scale.

Background The program will result in more than:

• 6,600 acres of wetlands and marshes restored or created,

• 225 acres of beach restored, and

• over 216 million gallons of stormwater runoff reduced to protect communities and infrastructure from future storms, as well as to benefit fish and wildlife.

1. Reduce the impacts of coastal storm surge, wave velocity, sea level rise and associated natural threats on coastal and inland communities.

2. Strengthen the ecological integrity and functionality of coastal/inland ecosystems to protect communities and to enhance fish and wildlife and their associated habitats.

3. Enhance our understanding of the impacts of storm events and identify cost effective, resiliency tools that help mitigate for future storms.

Coastal Resiliency Framework

Changing Environment

1949 1966 1981 2006

“The ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and adapt to changing conditions and to

withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions with minimal damage.”

The goal of overall effort is to strengthen the ecological integrity and functionality of coastal and inland ecosystems in order to protect

communities and to enhance fish and wildlife and the habitats on which they depend.

Project Boundary

• The local analysis boundary is the Cape Fear River watershed from Greensboro to the ocean with two additional HUC 8s north and south of the river mouth

• NEMAC provided a shapefile to ensure accurate overlay of their resiliency map and our habitat assessment.

• The regional analysis boundary will utilize HUC 8s to ensure uniformity and it will be a coarser-grained assessment

N

Goals • Identify coastal and inland natural and nature-based resiliency projects within the

Cape Fear River basin and southeast coastal NC.

• Projects should protect communities from severe storms and floods, and enhance fish and wildlife and their associated habitats.

• Natural or nature-based resiliency projects utilize natural systems and features, or replicate natural features and their beneficial services.

Sub-tidal Habitat

Beaches and Dunes

Wetlands and Marshes

Near-Coastal Freshwater Habitat

Coastal Forests

Inland Rivers and Streams

Examples of landscapes eligible to restore habitat and increase community resiliency include, but are not limited to:

Newer Thinking: Nature-based Infrastructure

Dunes Shoreline

Stabilization

Reduced wave energy

Oyster Reefs Breaking waves

offshore

Reduced wave energy

Barrier Islands Shoreline

Stabilization

Reduced wave energy

Wetlands Reduced wave

energy

Riparian

Vegetation

Shoreline stabilization

Reduced wave energy

Soil retention

Wildlife habitat Water quality

Marshes and seagrass develop on lee side

Allows marshes to develop on lee side

Wildlife habitat

Recreation opportunities

Water Quality

Major nursery habitat for fish

Key nesting habitat for birds

Water quality

Wildlife habitat

Criteria • In terms of scale of projects, identify both small-scale and more long-term

resiliency projects.

• Focus on engineering, habitat restoration, “green infrastructure,” and similar actions that will improve the natural resiliency of the landscape.

• Ideally, project options will be in the $1 - 5 million range, but ultimately interested in realistic and feasible projects that will lead to meaningful outcomes.

• Fact sheets on potential projects will inform assessments to determine where projects may have the greatest impact on community and ecosystem resiliency.

Project Fact Sheets

Applicant Organization and Project Title Site Location – lat/long coordinates Project Description - 2-4 sentence description explaining the problem, need and solution

Project Performance Measures and Outcomes – what is the resiliency opportunity Project Timeline – is the project shovel ready Permits & Approvals - describe any permits or approvals that are needed or are in-hand Land Owner – private/state/federal; is there land owner interest/approval Overall Project Cost - please provide a rough order of magnitude cost estimate

Contact Information – we want to reach out to you for additional information

**Please fill out at least one fact sheet before you leave or email to Dawn at [email protected]

Previously Identified Projects Cape Fear River Partnership

• Land acquisition/conservation potential – Sturgeon Creek, Eagles Island

• Fort Anderson/Brunswick Town shoreline restoration

• Sanctuary Islands restoration – oyster reef enhancement/creation

• Living shoreline/marsh restoration – Carolina Beach State Park

• Battery Island shoreline restoration – white ibis sanctuary

• Oyster reef restoration in Lower Cape Fear River

Wrap Up • Please share your data to help inform the GIS database

• Tell us what areas are critical to your community

• Share this project with your colleagues

• Please fill out one project fact sheet before you leave or email to Dawn

• Thank you for your support in improving and protecting the Cape Fear River basin and southeast coastal NC

Dawn York: [email protected];

910-251-9790 or 910-612-1152