Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

1.01

Grantee:

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Project Title: 

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

1.02

Grantee:

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Project Title:

Virginia CZM Program Outreach & Social Marketing

Project Description:

This task funds the Virginia CZM Program Outreach Coordinator position.  The coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing targeted outreach and social marketing strategies for the Virginia CZM Program. This includes effectively communicating key CZM messages to the program’s various target audiences; raising awareness and increasing understanding of coastal resource issues;  encouraging stewardship of Virginia’s coastal resources and changing behaviors that impact these resources; and, heightening the Virginia CZM’s visibility and unique position to coordinate solutions to cross-cutting coastal challenges.  In addition, the coordinator works with Virginia CZM Program manager, staff and partners to produce, revise and maintain new and existing print and digital media, and to plan and deliver hosted or co-sponsored exhibits, events and training. This task also provides funds to print and distribute media such the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Magazine.

Federal Funding:

$143,900

Project Contact:

Virginia Witmer; 804-659-1912; virginia.witmer@deq.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

1.03

Grantee:

Virginia Commonwealth University

Project Title:

Coastal Management GIS Support and Coastal GEMS Maintenance

Project Description:

This task supports one quasi full-time time staff position (Coastal GIS Coordinator at 85% time) that is contracted through Virginia Commonwealth University to provide GIS support to the Virginia CZM program and the partial time of two additional VCU staff required to host and maintain the Coastal Geospatial and Educational Mapping System (Coastal GEMS), perform data/software updates, and perform grant/project management. 

Coastal Management GIS Support: The Coastal GIS Coordinator provides support to the Virginia CZM Program to ensure that GIS needs are met; that policy and planning functions have adequate GIS support; that open grants involving GIS products are properly managed and implemented; and that Virginia CZM’s Coastal GEMS remains a valuable tool to Virginia’s coastal community. This staff position will support the following activities:

• Work with VCU staff and others to ensure the maintenance and enhancement of Virginia CZM’s Coastal GEMS
• Organize Coastal GEMS training programs for state/local government users and others
• Advise CZM project managers and grantees on grants involving GIS data development, mapping, and NOAA’s data sharing policy
• Perform GIS calculations and searches and produce GIS map products, as needed by the CZM Program and its partners
• Work with VEVA partners to coordinate updates to VEVA component models and run final Coastal VEVA model utilizing updated component models.
• Participate in the Virginia State GIS Users’ Group and keep up-to-date on, or become involved in, other GIS-related developments in Virginia

Coastal GEMS Maintenance: VCU will continue to host, maintain, and update the Coastal GEMS web mapping application and landing page. Current Coastal GEMS data layers will be edited or updated as determined by VCU/CZM staff. New Coastal GEMS data layers will be added as they are developed through Virginia CZM Program grants or are contributed from a partnering agency or organization.

Federal Funding:

$135,222

Project Contact:

Nicholas Meade; 804-659-1910; nick.meade@deq.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Coastal Management GIS Support & Coastal GEMS Maintenance: FY23 Annual Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

VCU Life Sciences Staff:

• Performed Coastal Gems maintenance, including installing software/security/data updates and refreshing map services as necessary.  Uploaded data provided by Coastal GIS Coordinator to Coastal GEMS map services. 
• From October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024, Coastal GEMS mapping application received 1.9k pageviews from 969 users, resulting in 8.2k events and an average site visit time of 2 min and 13 sec. 

  
  The Coastal GIS Coordinator:

• Acquired, processed, and packaged updates for Coastal GEMS layers including: Public Access Sites, Oyster Gardening, Private Oyster Leases, Submerged Aquatic Vegetation, Conservation Lands, and Scenic Rivers. Made updates to Coastal GEMS landing page, fact sheets, and data library as necessary. Coastal GEMS is available at: www.coastalgems.org
• Completed data/info requests from local, state, and federal agencies, academic institutions, NGO’s, and private firms.
• Participated in MARCO OMDT, State GIS Users Group, Mid-Atlantic Coastal Web Atlas and Shore Strong meetings.
• Provided assistance to Virginia Ocean Plan development including participating in regular meetings with CZM and IEN staff, supporting MARCO Portal utilization, planning/staffing community open forum, and performing responsibilities related to chairing Cultural/Historic & Non-Consumptive Rec Workgroup.
• Worked to update Coastal VEVA including: convening VEVA Partners Meeting, working with VCU and VIMS staff to create proposals, creating a shared folder for VEVA files, working with DCR-DNH staff to create origin template raster, creating a buffered CZ boundary shapefile for clipping data, assisting with obtaining input data layers, and reviewing deliverables.
• Provided GIS support to VA DWR Expert working on VA CZM funded project to develop planning and response agreements to address large whale stranding events. Created custom web map to be utilized in spatial planning exercise by VMRC and DWR staff to identify parcels around the Chesapeake Bay that would be appropriate to land, work up, and bury a large whale. Participated in planning exercise, navigating web map and adding data on the fly as requested.
• Continued to work with VA CZM Coastal Planner on ADV database/webmap.  Updated ADV geodatabase, map service, and web map.  Participated in meetings with Marine Debris Project Coordinator and larger ADV Advisory Partner Meeting.
• Reviewed data sharing plans and final products for VA CZM funded projects with spatial data final deliverables.
• Completed SHPO clearance process for proposed BIL Albemarle-Pamlico acquisition including performing resource search and creating maps at VA DHR archives and completing application using DHR’s online ePIX system.
• Guest lectured for two sections (Feb 14 & 15) of an undergraduate VCU cartography class.  Talked to students about VA CZM and how we use mapping and spatial data in the program, including highlighting Coastal GEMS and Coastal VEVA.
• VACZM_FY23_Final_Product_Task_1.03Created map products for VA CZM and partners including: map layout for Southern Piedmont Native Plant guide; map layouts for Coastal Harmony project proposal including individual layouts for each project as well as an overview layout showing the locations of all projects; map service and layout of VOP focus area including various maritime limits; labeled map layout for Eastern Shore Native Plant Guide; map of VA coast for use in marine debris reduction plan video.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

2

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Project Title:

EIR & Federal Consistency

Project Description:

• Conduct federal consistency reviews of activities that can affect Virginia's coastal uses and resources pursuant to the CZMA and the federal consistency regulations.
• Periodically submit routine program changes, as needed.

• Participate in the existing program revision efforts (enforceable policies, listed activities and geographic location descriptions)

• Participate in submittal preparation for program revisions (enforceable policies, listed activities and geographic location descriptions)
• Coordinate Virginia's review of environmental documents for development of federal and state facilities and actions in Tidewater, Virginia which require federal approvals or assistance.
• Continue to update Virginia's EIR manual and federal consistency information packages as necessary to reflect legislative and policy changes.
• Provide interpretation of federal consistency requirements to federal agencies, applicants for federal permits, approvals, or funding, and consultants preparing consistency determinations or certifications. 
• Provide technical assistance to state reviewers and local government officials on the use of federal consistency and conduct group trainings (when there are opportunities to do so) at workshops sponsored by other agencies.
• Maintain and update the EIR/Federal Consistency website.
• Ensure public participation in the review of federal consistency documents to include publishing notices of consistency reviews in appropriate media such as DEQ’s website, OEIR’s program newsletter, local newspapers and holding public hearings when necessary
• Maintain files in DEQ’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system
• Conduct site visits as necessary.

Federal Funding:

$212,474

Project Contact:

Bettina Rayfield; 804-659-1915; bettina.rayfield@deq.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

See Project Summary for Final Product.

Project Summary:

During the period of October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, the Office of Environmental Impact Review/Federal Consistency (OEIR) coordinated and reviewed 123 development projects for consistency with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM).  This represents 58% of the total amount of projects reviewed (210) during this period.  The other projects were major state projects, State Corporation Commission reviews, or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents without a federal consistency component.  Of the projects reviewed for consistency with the Virginia CZM Program, they consisted of 76 federal agency activities, 47 federal licenses and approvals, and 0 outer continental shelf projects. The 76 federal agency activities included 27 projects submitted under the residual category pursuant to the federal consistency regulation (15 CFR 930.31(c)), which consisted of federal funding to private citizens such as U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mortgage insurance projects.   All federal consistency determinations and federal consistency certifications were completed within the established legal deadlines. 

In addition, Virginia completed 77 courtesy reviews for projects which were federally funded projects to state or local governments and/or intergovernmental reviews under Executive Order 12372.

Of the 123 projects reviewed under federal consistency, all except for four were found to be consistent with the enforceable policies of the CZMP.  Virginia objected to the Proposed Rule to Amend the North Atlantic Right Whale Vessel Strike Reduction Rule proposed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration on the basis of insufficient information. Virginia conditionally concurred to the Cobblestone Cay Subdivision, Colonial Parkway Rehabilitation – Phase I, Crosspointe Logistics Center, and the I-64 GAP Segment A Widening projects on the basis of the Wildlife and Inland Fisheries enforceable policy.

Product #3 - Program Change:  In early March 2022, Todd Janeski (under a separate grant task) sent a draft Geographic Location Description (GLD) to NOAA for review and consideration.  David Kaiser with NOAA responded in an email that the GLD, if approved, would be the largest of any state. They stated that the proposed GLD extended too far north and too far out, even extending beyond the continental slope in some areas.  They were also concerned that the approval of such a large GLD would call into question "reasonableness to the states' use of federal consistency in not trying to reach too far geographically."  OEIR has been reviewing the approved listed activities of other states in preparation to resubmit OEIR’s listed activities. However, since the listed activities and GLD effects justification are so tied and NOAA stated that they are very backed up with GLD approvals, no additional actions have been taken. In addition, OEIR has been reviewing the approved listed activities of other states in preparation to resubmit OEIR’s listed activities. The draft list was presented at the September Virginia Coastal Policy Team meeting for comment by team members. Coordination is ongoing with team members. No additional work on program changes has occurred during this grant year.

The OEIR continues to provide informal training on federal consistency requirements to consultants who prepare consistency documents for federal agencies and applicants for federal permits, and maintains a website for Federal Consistency Reviews which can be accessed through DEQ's main webpage or found at Federal Consistency | Virginia DEQ.     The OEIR webpage is updated weekly.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

3

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Project Title:

Stormwater Local Assistance Fund – Fairfax County – Popes Head Tributary at Havenner Road – Stream Restoration

Project Description:

In order to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff, the Virginia General Assembly created and set forth specific parameters for the administration of the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) in 2013. The purpose of the SLAF is to provide matching grants to local governments for the planning, design, and implementation of stormwater best management practices that address cost efficiency and commitments related to reducing water quality pollutant loads. In accordance with that legislation, the State Water Control Board approved guidelines for implementation of the program. The guidelines call for annual solicitation of applications, an application review and ranking process, and the authorization of a Project Funding list by the DEQ Director. One of the projects selected is proposed as this Task 3 match-only project.

The Popes Head Tributary at Havenner Road Stream Restoration project will restore approximately 4,150 linear feet (LF) of an unnamed tributary in the Popes Creek watershed using Natural Channel Design. The project is immediately downstream of a privately maintained inline stormwater management pond and located on a property owned by the Fairfax Station Homeowners’ Association. To ensure the project can be maintained by Fairfax County, it is within storm drainage and floodplain easements. Approximately 368 acres of urbanized development drain to the project site, 13% of which is impervious. The unknown tributary to Popes Head Creek is degraded due to urbanization and the potential impact of the wet pond immediately upstream of the project limits. The channel alignment is unstable and the banks are actively eroding therein threatening public and private infrastructure. If left alone, the channel will continue to erode resulting in further bed and bank instability, increased sediment and nutrient loads downstream, and compromised infrastructure. The project drainage area is part of the larger Popes Head Creek and Bull Run watersheds, both of which have sediment TMDLs in addition to the Chesapeake Bay TMDLs. Restoration objectives include stream bed and bank stabilization, public safety, infrastructure protection, water quality improvement, aquatic and riparian habitat enhancement, and floodplain reconnection. The project will provide a stable cross section dimension, pattern, and profile for the stream, utilize instream rock and wood structures to provide stability and enhance habitat, and restore a native riparian buffer. The project will maintain channel capacity, provide long-term stability, and reduce sediment and nutrient loads conveyed downstream.

Calculated water quality benefits for the Popes Head Tributary at Havenner Road Stream Restoration project include the annual reduction of 264 pounds of total phosphorous (P), 1,068 pounds of total nitrogen (N), and 45.6 tons of total suspended sediment (TSS). These benefits help achieve the reductions required in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL and are in support of compliance with Fairfax County's Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan.

The final design is complete and construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023.

The total project cost is $3,422,500. The state share of that cost is $1,578,500. $1,105,599 of the state share will be used as match for the Virginia CZM award.

Federal Funding:

$0; Match only - $1,105,599

Project Contact:

Karen Doran; 804-836-5912; karen.doran@deq.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 3/31/25; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

4

Grantee:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Project Title:

Permit Review and Compliance

Project Description:

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s Habitat Management Division manages, via a regulatory permit program, submerged bottomlands, tidal wetlands, sand dunes and beaches in order to preserve and protect Virginia’s natural resources and the habitats our saltwater fisheries depend on.

Responsibilities in implementing core permit functions are:

• Issuing permits for encroachments in, on or over State-owned submerged lands (last year approximately 2,733 applications were processed and  permits were issued for encroachments over State-owned submerged lands), and
• Regulating the use of development of tidal wetlands and coastal primary sand dunes.

The goal of this effort is to eliminate unnecessary impacts to submerged lands, tidal wetlands, dunes and beaches and to maintain a permit review process based on public interest review procedures consistent with the public trust doctrine that fairly balances private use of State-owned submerged lands and the need to preserve habitat for sustainable fisheries.

Tidal wetlands and coastal primary sand dune programs may be administered by local wetlands boards if the locality has adopted the model ordinances (35 have chosen to do so); however, the VMRC retains oversight and reviews all local board decisions.  These programs protect approximately 213,000 acres of vegetated tidal wetlands and provide for the regulatory management of 10,000 miles of tidal shoreline including all primary sand dunes and beaches throughout Tidewater Virginia.The Commission’s permit review program is conducted by 8 equivalent Environmental Engineer positions. Each Environmental Engineer is assigned a specific geographic territory. They conduct application reviews, correspond with applicants and other concerned citizens, conduct site inspections, coordinate application reviews with other agencies, prepare project briefings, present contested cases to the full Commission at public hearings and draft permit documents. In addition they assist local wetlands boards with their wetland management responsibilities and attend all wetland board meetings in order to conduct the required review of wetland board actions.

The Environmental Engineers will also document losses and conversions of submerged land, wetlands and dunes/beaches associated with all proposed shoreline stabilization projects. Proposed and permitted losses, as well as habitat conversions, will be recorded within the existing VMRC permit tracking datebase. This was initiated for projects beginning in 2013. This is intended to track impacts associated with traditional shoreline projects as well as proposals utilizing living shoreline techniques. These proposals are tracked and the records are updated when the living shoreline project is permitted.

As a result of a previous survey, a comprehensive permit compliance and inspection program was developed and will continue to be implemented through this project. VMRC staff will inspect new construction projects permitted by the Commission, along with a representative sample of wetlands and dunes projects permitted by the local boards.  The goal of the program is to continue to maintain and improve permit compliance rates that have increased from approximately 50 percent, when this program began, to current rates of approximately 90 percent of projects that are in complete compliance. This also includes a goal of reducing the number of projects found to be in moderate compliance and reducing the number of projects for which compliance cannot be determined.

In addition to support for ongoing permit review responsibilities, the workload resulting from the compliance inspections and recording efforts will be offset by one Environmental Engineer position. A program support technician will assist with compliance inspections and compile data generated by the Engineers and ensure its entry into our permit tracking database.  In addition to administrative and clerical duties associated with permit review, the office service specialist will support the clerical duties associated with permit review and compliance monitoring.

Federal Funding:

$181,200

Project Contact:

Randy Owen; 757-247-2251; randy.owen@mrc.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Final Report: Products 1-3 Permit Review & Compliance (PDF)

Project Summary:

The purpose of this grant project was to continue the implementation of a standardized permit compliance program for those permits issued by the Commission in the Coastal Zone. Commission staff also assessed permit compliance for wetland projects authorized in 2022. During the grant year (October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024), 433 compliance inspections were conducted by VMRC Habitat Management Division Staff. This involved 303 inspections of projects permitted by VMRC and 130 inspections of projects permitted by local wetlands boards.

While the overall data for the grant year shows that (87%) of constructed projects permitted by VMRC were found to be in compliance, only (4%) of the projects were found to be out of compliance. The remainder were in moderate compliance (2%). Although compliance could not be determined for 7% of the projects, inspections in these cases did not indicate there were any permit violations.

To date, the compliance-monitoring program has allowed evaluations of the effectiveness of VMRC’s permit and monitoring procedures. As such, the monitoring program can only improve VMRC’s resource management responsibilities. Therefore, permit compliance initiatives must continue to be a long-term effort if VMRC is to ensure proper construction techniques and the protections of the Commonwealth’s valuable natural resources. This effort, combined with the improvement of VMRC’s permit tracking database and use of GIS capabilities, is necessary if VMRC is to realize the goal of making cumulative impact assessments a part of VMRC’s wetlands and submerged lands permitting program.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

5

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage

Project Title:

Habitat Conservation/Locality Liaison

Project Description:

The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Division of Natural Heritage (DCR-DNH) Locality Liaison (LL) works with localities, Planning District Commissions (PDCs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to help protect natural heritage resources (rare plants, animals, exemplary natural communities and geologic features) by providing access to biodiversity information and DCR-DNH consultative services. A key service is review of projects to identify and recommend mitigation for potential impacts to natural heritage resources. Certain layers displayed within Natural Heritage Data Explorer (NHDE) website-Version 2.19 (www.vanhde.org) will undergo updates, including an update to ConserveVirginia 4.0, the development of a Mussel Richness Map, and changing Stream Conservation Units (SCU) to Stream Conservation Sites (SCS). The LL will include new features or functionality of the upgraded website into training. The LL will continue to work to make it available to localities, PDCs, land trusts, Virginia Indian Tribes, and others through bi-monthly training. By subscribing to the Natural Heritage Data Explorer (NHDE) website, localities and PDCs can access conservation sites and other natural heritage resource information including predicted suitable habitat layers, which are useful both for project review and for conservation planning. Digital geospatial datasets will also continue to be available for incorporation into local GIS systems through our subscription service. The LL will work consultatively with locality planners to incorporate natural heritage resource concerns into local comprehensive plans and permitting processes. The LL will also assist localities and local conservation partners to identify habitat conservation opportunities using tools such as ConserveVirginia, Virginia ConservationVision and the Coastal Virginia Ecological Value Assessment (Coastal VEVA). An overall goal of the DCR-DNH Program is that 100% of the counties and cities throughout the Virginia Coastal Zone will have Natural Heritage information by the end of September 2024. As of February 2023, the percentage of localities with Natural Heritage information is 98% within the Coastal Zone of Virginia. DCR-DNH will continue to provide updated natural heritage information to all PDCs and interested land trusts in the coastal zone region through NHDE and/or ArcGIS shapefiles. Solar native pollinator habitat tools developed through the Virginia Pollinator-Smart Program will continue to be promoted to encourage sustainable development of renewable energy projects in the coastal zone, including the development of a Virginia native seed industry.

Federal Funding:

$56,600

Project Contact:

S. Rene’ Hypes; 804-371-2708; rene.hypes@dcr.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Natural Heritage - Habitat Conservation/Locality Liaison Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

During the FY2023 grant year, the Department of Conservation and Recreation-Division of Natural Heritage (DCR-DNH) reviewed 1,214 projects for impacts to natural heritage resources in the coastal zone (37% of the projects reviewed statewide) as defined by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia CZM). During FY2023, 737 coastal projects were submitted through the NHDE, 61% of all the projects submitted for review in the coastal zone. 32 of the projects reviewed in the coastal zone were solar projects, representing a continuing trend of solar development in Virginia. Specific project highlights within this report represent the diversity of projects reviewed including a campground review with concerns for a natural area preserve in Stafford County, a sand mining operation in City of Suffolk, collaboration on a State of the York watershed report, review of a vegetation management plan for a solar facility, and a stormwater management pond upgrade.

Coastal localities and other conservation partners participated in 7 training sessions for the Natural Heritage Data Explorer (NHDE) website (https://vanhde.org) including 21 from state agencies, 16 from local governments, 30 from consulting companies, 10 from Soil and Water Conservation Districts, 3 from land trusts, 1 from Planning District Commissions, 2 from federal agencies, 1 from a Virginia Indian Tribe, and 1 from an educational institution. At the end of FY2023, there were 44 coastal localities, 8 Planning District Commissions and 18 land trusts within the coastal zone with access to NHDE, digital shapefile data, and/or a combination of these tools. This equates to 100% of coastal zone localities having Natural Heritage data, 100% of the Planning District Commissions and 78% of the Land Trusts as of September 30, 2024. The Locality Liaison and project review staff renewed or initiated 53 data licenses throughout this year within the coastal zone, including localities, consultants, land trusts, and state and federal agencies. The Locality Liaison posted quarterly coastal species highlights to the Locality Assistance webpage (http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/localityliaison).

Presentations included an overview of DCR-DNH’s Natural Heritage Program, the Locality Assistance Program and data and functionality of the NHDE website, which includes ConserveVirginia Version 3.0, the Predicted Suitable Habitat Summary layers and ConservationVision models. Additional information was provided about the Virginia Wetlands Catalog and the Coastal Virginia Ecological Value Assessment (VEVA), part of DEQ’s Coastal GEMS website application. Natural Heritage information was updated quarterly on the NHDE website and shapefiles including the updated information are also distributed to licensed users. The Natural Heritage Locality Liaison (Locality Liaison) also attended multiple meetings, presentations, and workshops throughout the year.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

6

Grantee:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Project Title:

Tidal Wetlands Management Technical Support

Project Description:

This project provides operational support for tidal wetlands management technical support provided by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Center for Coastal Resources Management staff.  The proposed project addresses an identified need for an improved understanding of coastal resources and issues particularly with respect to shoreline management.  We target shoreline decision-makers for outreach efforts and training, track permit decisions and maintain a database and provide advice on the effects of proposed actions regarding tidal shoreline resources.  We will continue to build on previously funded projects by continually updating outreach efforts and advice to reflect the best available science. The project objectives we propose to address the issue of better-informed decision-making are:  

1) Education/Outreach: Includes an outreach opportunity, most likely a workshop on the VIMS campus but possibly a virtual webinar series, the production and distribution of CCRM E-Newsletters on current coastal management topics, and support for social media outreach via the CCRM Facebook page. 

2) Technical Guidance Support:  Provision of advice to shoreline property owners, shoreline professionals, local government staff, state agency personnel, Virginia tribes, and NGO staff as well as input to the CZM Shoreline Stakeholders Group and VIMS advisory activities coordinated by the Office of Research and Advisory Service. This effort includes web service of historical permit records. We will continue to maintain a database for tracking permit data and decisions and enhance it as possible by adding parameters and georeferenced location for all historical permits. The data collected includes living shoreline projects, and is referenced, requested, and used by CCRM scientists, VIMS scientists, Virginia agency personnel, NGO staff and others studying or tracking shoreline management in and outside of Virginia.

Federal Funding:

$47,550

Project Contact:

Karen Duhring; 804-684-7159; karend@vims.edu;
Pamela Mason; 804-684-7158; mason@vims.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Tidal Wetlands Management Technical Support Grant Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

This project provided tidal wetlands management technical support by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Center for Coastal Resources Management (VIMS-CCRM).  Products delivered for Virginia’s shoreline decision-makers include a virtual workshop, e-newsletters and social media posts, shoreline advisory service, and maintenance of the Virginia shoreline permit tracking database.  These products reflected the best available shoreline management science.

A virtual webinar about Engaging the Community for Sustainable Shorelines was attended by 81 participants from 11 Virginia coastal localities and 7 local wetlands boards, plus several other public and private organizations.  A webinar recording and related resources are available online for future reference.  https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/outreach/workshops/2024/  

Four e-newsletters were produced to highlight recent shoreline research results, make announcements, and share upcoming events of interest to shoreline decision-makers. These newsletters were created and distributed using Constant Contact with online versions available.  The number of reported opens for each newsletter ranged from almost 800 to more than 1,000.

1. Tidal Wetlands eNews February 2024 https://conta.cc/3TGEkdg
2. Tidal Wetlands eNews May 2024  https://conta.cc/4aWJPvR
3. Tidal Wetlands eNews July 2024 https://conta.cc/3zLN634
4. Tidal Wetlands eNews September 2024 https://conta.cc/4gtYAJw

Relevant coastal resource news and updates were shared through the VIMS-CCRM Meta/Facebook page and Instagram.  Over 1,000 followers were alerted to shoreline-related news releases and event announcements with 65 posts to Meta/Facebook and 17 posts on Instagram. https://www.facebook.com/CCRM10/  https://www.instagram.com/ccrmvims/ 

General technical guidance was provided in response to 67 information requests from property owners, shoreline professionals, government staff, and other shoreline decision-makers.  This ongoing tidal shoreline advisory service was tracked using a Microsoft Access database. 

A shoreline permit tracking database was maintained under this project with the addition of 771 new records obtained from public permit records provided by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.  Permit records from coastal localities with shoreline inventory updates in progress were targeted to help confirm inventory observations made from aerial photographs. Historical permit records also continued to be served on a VIMS-CCRM web site.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

7

Grantee:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Project Title:

2023 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Distribution and Abundance Survey

Project Description:

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is a critical living resource in Chesapeake Bay and on the Seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore that has undergone rapid and dramatic fluctuations in distribution and abundance over the last two decades, and, particularly in Chesapeake Bay, is being subjected to declines in water quality and to ever increasing pressure from recreational, commercial, and industrial demands. Because SAV is dependent on good water quality to which it responds over short time scales, it can be an important indicator of water quality.

In 2023, VIMS will continue the annual SAV survey program, begun in 1984, by mapping SAV in the shoal areas of the entire Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries as well as the Seaside Bays of Virginia’s Eastern Shore from digital aerial imagery acquired during late spring to late summer. This grant does not cover costs of conducting or acquiring the aerial survey data but does cover personnel costs at VIMS to analyze the data and prepare maps.

Digital aerial photography will be acquired at a photographic scale of approximate 1:24,000, following guidelines that address tidal stage, plant growth, sun angle, turbidity, wind, atmospheric transparency, sensor operation and land features to allow for acquisition of photographs under near optimal conditions.

Ground data on species distribution and abundance will be collected by participating agencies and citizen groups from as many of the mapped segments as possible and included in the final report.

The digital aerial imagery will be evaluated for SAV signatures using all available information.  Photographs containing SAV signatures will be orthographically corrected and mosaiced by USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangles using Orthobase and Imagine image processing software .

The perimeters of all SAV beds mapped from the 2023 aerial photography will be delineated on-screen using ArcInfo geographic information system (GIS) software and stored in an ArcInfo GIS database.  A final report will include maps of all SAV beds, and areas of these beds, as well as any ground truth information submitted to VIMS.  The report will be published on the VIMS web site, as in past years.  SAV polygons will also be available on the VIMS SAV interactive web site (https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/access/index.php).

Federal Funding:

$68,000

Project Contact:

Christopher J. Patrick; 804-684-7399; cpatrick@vims.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 -12/31/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

See Project Summary for Final Product. 

Project Summary:

PROJECT SUMMARY:  The 2023 distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries was mapped from aerial multispectral digital imagery. These were acquired between May and November, with a resolution of 24 cm, encompassing 179 flight lines. WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Maxar through the NGA Nextview program and the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) was used to augment the aerial imagery in multiple areas of the survey.  For 2023, 32,259 hectares (79,716 acres) of SAV were mapped in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries and SAV increased 8% relative to 2022 from 29,537 ha (72,990 ac) to 31,963 ha (78,984 ac) in the regions mapped for both years. In order to ensure a valid analysis of change in SAV distribution and abundance with 2022, all direct comparisons to previous years in this report are restricted to only those regions that were mapped in both 2022 and 2023.

In the Tidal Fresh Bay Zone (19 CBP segments), 6,626 hectares (16,374 ac) of SAV were mapped for 2023.  However, portions of the Potomac River, representing 1,396 hectares (3,449 ac, 18% of the zone total) were not mapped for 2023.  Comparing the same mapped regions between 2022 and 2023, SAV increased 3% from 6,163 hectares (15,229 ac) in 2022 to 6,330 hectares (15,641 ac) in 2023. In the Oligohaline Bay Zone (25 CBP segments), 1,282 hectares (3,168 ac) of SAV were mapped for 2023.  However, portions of the Potomac River, representing 102 hectares (253 ac, 4% of the zone total) were not mapped for 2023.  Comparing the same mapped regions between 2022 and 2023, SAV decreased 54% from 2,801 hectares (6,922 ac) in 2022 to 1,282 hectares (3,168 ac) in 2023. In the Mesohaline Bay Zone (41 CBP segments), SAV increased 22% from 12,697 hectares (31,376 ac) in 2022 to 15,528 hectares (38,371 ac) in 2023.  In the Polyhaline Bay Zone (8 CBP segments), SAV increased 12% from 7,876 ha (19,462 ac) in 2022 to 8,823 ha (21,803 ac) in 2023.

In the Delmarva Peninsula Coastal Bays Zone (10 segments covering Assawoman, Isle of Wight, Sinepuxent, Chincoteague, and Southern Virginia coastal bays), SAV increased 31% from 6,288 hectares (15,539 ac) in 2022 to 8,242 hectares (20,368 ac) in 2023.

The 2023 SAV report can now be viewed at: https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/reports/2023/

and also on VIMS’ interactive map: https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/access/maps/

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

8

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage

Project Title:

Healthy Waters in the Coastal Zone

Project Description:

Funding through this grant will be used to support the implementation of the Virginia Healthy Waters Program (HWP) within the Natural Heritage Program (NHP) at the Virgnia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as it applies to advancing the identification, interpretation and conservation of the highest priority aquatic communities. Through a partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), this task includes the administration and management of the HWP, informing the development of tools and products of the DCR NHP such as Element Occurences (EO’s), Stream Conservation Units (SCU’s), INteractive Stream Assessment Resource (INSTAR) data, Coastal GEMS, and ConservationVision Watershed Model, ConserveVirginia (see Extended Project Description for more details), and to support of a HWP Field Coordinator to work in the Coastal Zone of Virginia. The HWP Manager will work with both the DCR NHP and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to fully implement the HWP to achieve lasting aquatic-based land conservation benefits for the Commonwealth. The HWP Field Coordinator will directly work in the field with conservation agencies, land conservation organizations, Planning District Commissions and private landowners to advance conservation efforts for those aquatic resources characterized as ecologically healthy aquatic resources.

The DCR will implement a contractual agreement with VCU for an Environmental Scientist/Analyst/Program Manager and Environmental Specialist to be retained through the VCU Life Sciences Department and the Rice Rivers Center to serve as the HWP Manager and HWP Field Coordinator. Both positions will be housed in the DCR NHP, have access to the facilities, equipment, vehicles, and expertise of DCR and continue to integrate the skills and abilities of VCU. The positions serve to liaise between DCR and VCU to promote joint, applied research, and outreach projects. For the HWP Manager, this includes the oversight of programs, projects, grants and grant budgets, providing technical support to DCR NHP and CZM, as it relates to coastal zone ecology, management, land conservation, and restoration activities. For the HWP Field Coordinator, this includes working directly with the DCR NHP Land Conservation Section to advance land conservation efforts supporting ecologically healthy aquatic resources and build on-the-ground capacity that will lead to lasting conservation of ecologically healthy resources. 

Virginia has committed to a 2014 Chesapeake Bay Program goal that 100 percent of state-identified, ecologically healthy waters and watersheds remain healthy, by 2025. This goal was set by the Chesapeake Bay Program Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team (GIT) and for Virginia is based on INSTAR data and the identified Healthy Watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. To achieve that goal, the development of field capacity, combined with resources from USEPA Section 319 and Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant (CBIG), will support the on-the-ground measures needed to advance those conservation actions from planning tools into tangible implementation. Such measures may include the application of agricultural or forestry best management practices to meet local TMDL WIP measures in impaired but ecologically healthy waters.

Both positions will also continue to participate in state, local, or federal work groups as needed with regard to water quality protection and restoration issues as the DCR deems necessary. In addition, the HWP Manager will prepare semiannual and annual reports and other documents and include those actions by the HWP Field Coordinator in the coastal zone.

Federal Funding:

$30,500

Project Contact:

Todd Janeski; 804-371-8984; todd.janeski@dcr.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

9

Grantee:

Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Project Title:

Enhancing Public Access in the York River System

Project Description:

The York River and Small Coastal Basin Roundtable (YRSCBR), led by the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve – Virginia (CBNERR-VA), is a forum for information sharing and collaboration among water quality and conservation-minded stakeholders within the York River, Mobjack Bay and Piankatank watershed system. The YRSCBR supports Virginia’s efforts to protect water quality and conserve coastal resources for the betterment of its communities by fostering place-based analysis, collaboration and education to improve and protect the health of our watershed and communities. The YRSCBR is presently composed of more than 90 members, representing government, non-profit, industry, academia and civic interest groups.  

In 2022, as part of its goal to promote environmental literacy for all people, the YRSCBR sought to better understand access to the York River and its associated tributaries, as well as community understanding of related natural and cultural resources. Understanding community uses, visitation, perceptions and observations, in addition to questions, needs, and intergenerational local and Indigenous knowledge is essential in shaping continued management and access of watershed resources and related programming.  In turn, a NOAA Hollings Scholar, under the supervision of CBNERR-VA, studied public access signage in the watershed with the aim to explore three questions: who has access where; what does the who have access to; and how are the who interacting with signage/resources at the where? Among the scholar’s findings, were the conclusions that little to no watershed-specific interpretation was enhancing user experience at site; and that a visitor’s experience post site visitation did not leverage or apply communications conveyed by signage at a site. These conclusions have since motivated the YRSCBR to develop collective messaging on the watershed and its benefits/values to residents and visitors alike, in addition to programming that can complement place-based communications. Notably, this messaging would leverage a collective effort presently in development by watershed members: the synthesis of a watershed-wide report on status, trends and opportunities related to watershed health.

The YRSCBR recognizes that providing equitable access to the watershed and related state properties requires a more holistic understanding of access and the benefits natural systems provide for watershed residents. Visitor use with respect to the watershed, physical access, or the digital landscape is not well studied. YRSCBR seeks to supplement the summer 2022 Hollings study findings with a study focused on infrastructure. Watershed literacy has the potential to foster stewardship and inspire the continued support of such services and experiences, many of which are provided by YRSCB members. To this end, CBNERR-VA proposes to expand upon the Hollings study in conjunction with the watershed synthesis, to develop collective YRSCBR messaging that will meet the following needs, with the goal of increasing watershed awareness and literacy: communicating watershed connectivity, communicating resident/visitor responsibility, through mindful stewardship and best practices, and communicating opportunity, through the YRSCBR and its efforts, as well as at other public access sites in the watershed. 

Complementing these communication efforts would be a continued study of public access infrastructure to inform the most effective approaches to interpretation moving forward. Specifically, this study would meet the following needs, with the goal of enhancing existing participation and infrastructure where/when future opportunities surface: assessing the availability of infrastructure for enhanced interpretation at public access sites throughout the watershed and assessing the status of accessibility to interpretation on public access sites, as well as the sites themselves (e.g. ADA compliance).

Federal Funding:

$62,008

Project Contact:

Cirse Gonzalez; 804-684-7144; cagonzalez@vims.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Enhancing Public Access in the York River System Final Report (PDF) 

Project Summary:

In 2022, a NOAA Hollings Scholar, under the supervision of CBNERR-VA, and motivated by expressed needs of the York River and Small Coastal Basin Roundtable (YRSCBR), studied public access signage in the York Watershed System (System).  Among the scholar’s findings, were the conclusions that little to no watershed-specific interpretation was enhancing user experience at site; and that a visitor’s experience post site visitation did not leverage or apply communications conveyed by signage at a site. These conclusions motivated the YRSCBR to develop collective messaging on the watershed and its benefits/values to residents and visitors alike.  Recognizing that watershed literacy has the potential to foster stewardship and inspire the continued support of related services and experiences, CBNERR-VA proposed to expand upon the Hollings study toward the development of interactive signage for the System’s public access sites that would incorporate YRSCBR messaging.  The goals of the signage developed would be to: i) increase watershed awareness and literacy, and ii) enhance the public access experience at sites throughout the System.  Complementing these communication efforts would be a continued study of public access infrastructure to: i) inform interpretation and infrastructure funding moving forward, and ii) provide the public with an indication of public access sites throughout the System.  The following deliverable/products were proposed in association with this grant – their current status is detailed: Product #1: York Watershed System 101 video.  This product, approximately 3 minutes in length, communicates watershed connectivity and resident/visitor responsibility through mindful stewardship and best practices.  Content includes the definition of a watershed, an overview of the York Watershed System, and key messages on stewardship from the YRSCBR’s State of the York report. This task was contracted and developed in cooperation with workgroup members.  The final product will be hosted on the CBNERR-VA website, and linked on plaques and stickers throughout the System via QR code (Product #4).  Status: Final edits pending.  Latest draft here. 
Product #2: Site specific videos.  These two products, each an average of 1.5 minutes in length, offer an introduction and invitation to two public access sites within the York Watershed System: Gloucester Point Beach Park and Machicomoco State Park.  Each video addresses the activities and sights one can engage with in place.  Moreover, each video connects the related site to the larger System, defines watershed, and encourages further exploration of related resources via the CBNERR-VA website.  This task was contracted and developed in cooperation with workgroup members.  The final products will be hosted on respective pages of the the CBNERR-VA website, and promoted on plaques at respective sites via QR code.  Status: Final edits pending.  Latest draft of Gloucester Point Beach Park here; latest draft of Machicomoco State Park here. 
Product #3: Development of QR code and related content.  Project related content will be accessible via the QR codes incorporated into Product #4 deliverables, i.e. plaques and stickers.  A landing page hosted on the CBNERR-VA website will be populated with links to: Product #1, landing pages for Gloucester Point Beach Park and Machicomoco State Park, as well as their associated videos (Product #2), a featured storymap (informed by Product #5), and watershed information and resources, including links to the YRSCBR website and associated State of the York report. Status: In development. 
Product #4: Production and Placement of QR Code Plaques and Stickers.  Approx. 50 plaques and 300 stickers are queued for production, each directing end-users to watershed-related content, including 101 video and resources, as well as site-specific webpages. Plaques and/or stickers are to be posted on existing infrastructure by partners in no less than 50 spaces throughout the watershed, including within NOAA's Middle Peninsula Habitat Focus Area. CBNERR-VA staff lead incorporation of partner input (provided through in-kind time) in graphic development.  Status: Final printing in queue; posting to occur in March. 
Product #5: Infrastructure Inventory.  A study of the System’s infrastructure at public access sites having: i) access to site by land, and ii) water-based outdoor recreation, was produced.  The inventory details, among other information: public access site location and land manager, infrastructure and signage in place at current site, and status of infrastructure and signage. Site managers helped inform the inventory, which was namely populated by CBNERR-VA. The inventory was developed for practitioners and will be available on request.  Photo documentation accompanied all entries and is contributing to the project’s public-facing storymap, which will be hosted on the CBNERR-VA website and highlights the most pertinent inventory information relevant to recreationalists.  This product increases visibility of public access sites for water-based recreation and tourism within the System, and establishes a baseline for future funding.  Status: Groundtruthing of inventory and storymap in progress; guidelines on use in development. 

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

10

Grantee:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Project Title:

Virginia Dredged Material Beneficial Use Guidance Document

Project Description:

Despite the known benefits of reusing dredged material to restore coastal habitats, Virginia does not currently have a working process or policy to align dredging projects with beneficial use (BU) projects. A myriad of project elements including design, permitting, construction timeline, ecologic and socio-economic considerations, and financing must align between both the dredge and the proposed restoration project to properly coordinate and implement a BU project. Due to the complexity of the process, few BU projects have historically been implemented in Virginia, although the Commonwealth has committed and increased levels of funding in recent years to support local government dredging activities with preference for projects which involve BU. It is anticipated that the demand for BU projects will increase substantially over the coming years with the increase in funding and more frequent and severe storm impacts resulting in greater negative impacts to coastal habitats and property. 

This project will result in a guidance manual that will create a framework for coordinating, planning, siting, and implementing BU of dredged material. The intent of this manual is to inform, expedite dredge projects and dredge material use planning and approvals and encourage new forms of sediment management in Virginia. It can support new enforceable policy development for BU projects and will support  Virginia’s Wetland Action Plan wetland restoration goals and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Wetland Outcomes. Additionally, it will support new BU goals for the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)’s Norfolk District. The guidance document will summarize best management practices from a national review of BU projects and describe the state and federal permitting process to inform Virginia specific criteria, and technical standards for project design, construction, and monitoring. It will describe the range of BU opportunities in coastal Virginia, identify potential project partners and locations, include recommendations to achieve net benefits that are typically associated with habitat restoration projects. The project will assess the application of existing dredged material decision tools to evaluate the feasibility of several projects proposed in Virginia and propose tool modification, as needed, to serve Virginia’s needs more specifically. 

The proposed guidance manual will assist both governmental and non-governmental entities to plan, propose, permit, and implement projects that use dredged material from navigation channels, harbors, and other sources with projects that potentially provide multiple ecosystem, resilience, and water quality benefits. Economic benefits could be achieved in the reduction of time spent planning and permitting, and in reducing costs that would otherwise be incurred to transport dredged material to an upland placement site or to bring fill material to a restoration site.

The project will be managed by Rachael Peabody of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), who will oversee a competitive bid process to select a qualified consulting firm to perform the project tasks; 1) produce a Technical Guidance Document, 2) create the Project Feasibility Decision Framework, and 3) lead and collaborate with the project team on Stakeholder Engagement, including the creation of a Project Advisory Committee. VMRC will also assist with Stakeholder Engagement and will produce the final report summarizing efforts associated with Products #1, #2, and #3. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Virginia CZM, and the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission (MPPDC) will assist in development of Products #1, #2, and #3 by providing regional and local knowledge of dredging projects and practices, scientific assessments of dredged material and site suitability mapping, and document review.

Federal Funding:

$250,000

Project Contact:

Rachael Peabody; 757-247-8027; rachael.peabody@mrc.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

11

Grantee:

University of Virginia - Environmental Institute

Project Title:

Evaluating Virginia’s Status as a Low Water State in the Context of Shoreline Restoration

Project Description:

Federal Funding:

$31,000

Project Contact:

Karen McGlathery; 434-982-3100; Kjm4k@virginia.edu

Project Status:

5/20/24 - 8/11/24; Project Pending

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

41

Grantee:

Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission

Project Title:

A-NPDC Coastal Management TA & Resiliency

Project Description:

The Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission (A-NPDC) serves two counties and 19 incorporated towns on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.  The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a 70-mile-long peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay that has remained as one of the few remaining rural regions on the Atlantic seaboard despite consistent pressure from development. The region is unique for its vast wealth of coastal resources and natural-resource based economies. Around the turn of the 20^th Century in the years following the construction of a rail line that allowed for expedited shipping of agricultural and seafood products to larger urban markets, Accomack and Northampton Counties were noted as the two wealthiest agricultural counties in the nation. Following this thriving period, the region’s population and economies regressed due to challenges in environmental sustainability and geographic isolation. While many other coastal communities have flourished along the Atlantic seaboard, the Eastern Shore continues to pursue opportunities and persevere against challenges facing its rural communities. The following activities proposed for this grant year’s Technical Assistance Program have been developed in a manner that will benefit the Eastern Shore as its communities continue working towards establishing a sustainable, viable, and prosperous future.

A-NPDC staff will implement coastal resource management by providing technical assistance, coordination, and trainings. Throughout the grant year, A-NPDC staff will track and identify measurable benefits accrued from previous grant products that have served as a foundation for additional projects. A-NPDC staff will continue to facilitate Eastern Shore Regional Navigable Waterways Committee (ESRNWC) public meetings; coordinate with dredging project consultants; and liaise between the ESRNWC and the Virginia Port Authority. With regards to protecting the region’s limited and vulnerable water supply, A-NPDC staff will continue to facilitate Eastern Shore of Virginia Ground Water Committee public meetings and management of the consulting hydrogeologist who provides critical guidance and oversight to the Committee. In support of the Virginia Abandoned & Derelict Vessels Work Group, A-NPDC staff will participate in full work group meetings and continue to participate in the Prevention & Public Education Subcommittee as Chair. A-NPDC staff will work to build regional resilience and sustainability through promoting certification of ecotour guides and ecotourism using the Eastern Shore Water Trails asset as a platform. Lastly, in an effort to collaborate with and support state efforts for coastal resilience planning, A-NPDC staff will continue facilitation of the Climate Adaptation Working Group (CAWG), whose mission is to provide educational outreach and develop planning tools to assist local governments and residents.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Anne Doyle; 757-787-2936 x115; adoyle@esvaplan.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Accomack-Northampton PDC Technical Assistance Program & Coastal Resiliency Planning Final Product Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

This project supported technical assistance and coastal resiliency planning initiatives on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, aligning with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program’s (VCZMP) goals. Key results included training programs, public engagement efforts, and the implementation of critical environmental projects.

Abstract of Project Results:

The Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission (A-NPDC) delivered four targeted training sessions and provided technical assistance to local governments and stakeholders. Major accomplishments include advancing dredging and beneficial use initiatives, groundwater preservation efforts, and resilience planning. Specific projects included the Kings Creek Dredging and Beneficial Use Implementation, regional groundwater well testing, targeted septic maintenance training, and the introduction of the community-driven Shore Strong resilience initiative.

Publications and Datasets Produced:

Kings Creek Dredging Project Report: Documenting methods and outcomes, including the restoration of Cape Charles Public Beach using 22,888 cubic yards of dredged material and Interactive map of ESVA Shallow Draft Maintenance and Water Trails.

Eastern Shore Ground Water Committee Reports: Data on groundwater quality and use.

Community Resilience Dashboard: A tool integrating climate and agricultural data to support planning.

Distribution and Accessibility:

Eastern Shore Regional Navigable Waterways Committee Resources: ESRNWC Meeting Packets & Minutes 

ESVA Shallow Draft Maintenance and Water Trails: In-Development. Please contact ksingleton@esvaplan.org for tool access.

Eastern Shore Ground Water Committee Resources: GWC Meeting Packets & Minutes

Virginia Abandoned & Derelict Vessels Work Group: VA-ADV Work Group

ESVA Agriculture Community Resilience Summary: Final Report and Study. Please contact ksingleton@esvaplan.org for tool access.

Training materials, project reports, and datasets are publicly available on the A-NPDC website. Additional resources, including educational flyers and technical guidance, were distributed directly to residents during community outreach events.

The A-NPDC’s initiatives under this grant contribute to sustainable resource management, community education, and enhanced resilience for Virginia’s Eastern Shore, supporting long-term environmental and economic health.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

42

Grantee:

Crater Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Crater PDC Technical Assistance and Resiliency

Project Description:

This grant proposal includes the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Annual Technical Assistance Program products and year one products of the renewed three-year Virginia Coastal Zone Management Resiliency Focal Area Advancing Ecosystem and Community Resilience in Virginia’s Coastal Zone project.

Technical Assistance Program

The Technical Assistance Program will focus on Coordination, Training, and Issue Analysis/Special Projects through the following activities:

• Crater PDC staff will work with the Commission’s established Environmental Resource Management Task Force (ERMTF), comprised of the planning directors of the Crater Planning District localities, to both share information and coordinate on implementing this Technical Assistance program. 
• The Commission staff will assist Tidewater communities within its region with environmental impact reviews, the provision of technical assistance, planning and data coordination, training, and technical and staff support to Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) as needed. 
• FOLAR has grown from needing Crater PDC’s help to become established to acting as a full-fledged organization with their own mission and objectives. Crater will work to support FOLAR in their current and future vision, including developing educational resources, providing GIS and other technical assistance, coordinating regional partnerships, and planning for advocacy efforts within and beyond the Appomattox River Trail. 

Community Resilience (Year 1 of 3)

The purpose of this project is to improve regional capacity at the Planning District Commissions (PDCs) for resilience planning; to support local, regional, and state efforts; and to develop and implement new projects and policies. Collaboration with the other seven Coastal Zone PDCs streamlines the development of procedures and products and will lead to synergic results for the most efficient and effective use of funds. Since resilience means different things to different communities and regions, this scope includes common tasks across PDCs (3 base tasks) and allows for PDCs to focus on local priority concerns (PDC-specific tasks). In general, each task will be worked on in each year to initiate, fully develop, and implement the tasks.

Crater PDC will focus on four tasks: 

1. Support the regional resiliency stakeholder group and conduct at least two (2) annual stakeholder meetings. Through this task, work to identify regional resiliency needs, such as data gaps, local capacity, etc., and establish regional resilience priorities (such as identifying areas to protect/relocate/adapt, natural resource protection, planning for migration of flora and fauna, developing best practices for the installation of renewable energy, etc.) and potential projects, which will be added to the Coastal Resilience Master Plan project database. 
2. Support the ongoing Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) implementation in Petersburg and Hopewell while translating lessons learned and potential projects to other localities in the Crater region. 
3. Participate in the development of state level resilience planning initiatives by attending meetings and providing information to state entities.

Work to develop and catalogue existing GIS-based maps and tools that will aid in local resilience initiatives within the region, such as mapping critical infrastructure, areas suited for conservation, geographic low-income and environmental justice areas, and stormwater infrastructure.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Andrew Franzyshen; 804-861-1666; afranzyshen@craterpdc.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Crater Planning District Commission Technical Assistance Program FY23 Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

Product #1: EIR Comments – Crater PDC submitted 4 EIRs to DEQ staff and increased cooperation with involved localities.

Product #2: Report on Coastal Meetings – Crater Staff hosted 10 virtual meetings of the Environmental Resource Management Task Force (ERMTF). Dates, agendas, and minutes are available online at https://craterpdc.org/our-works/environment/environment-meeting-resources. Coordination with regional roundtables and wastewater authorities is ongoing through ERMTF meetings.

Product #3: Coastal Training – Crater Staff provided 5 CZM trainings through the ERMTF meetings. On 10/25/24 the Berkley Group and FOLAR presented on Planning for Native Plants, followed by a group discussion on how this would affect Crater localities. On 01/22/24 the VA DEQ and Duke University gave a training on Climate Resilience and Financial Risk, followed by a Q&A and group discussion of local risk and opportunities for risk mitigation in the region. On 4/24/24, Kris Torisky of M.C. Dean gave a presentation on infrastructure planning for Electric Vehicles followed by Q&A and a roundtable discussion. On 5/22/24 VA DCR staff gave a presentation on the Coastal Resilience Master Plan Phase II followed by Q&A and a roundtable discussion. On 07/31/24, Erin Reilly of VIMS gave a presentation on Enhanced Aquatic Organism Passage regarding a successful project in Prince George County. Tools and resources were shared, and conservation regarding mitigating environmental impacts of solar development were discussed.

Product #4: Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) Report – Crater Staff have continued to support FOLAR in their mission through assistance and GIS mapping efforts, especially through signage development for their blueway trail. Talks on how to coordinate FOLAR’s programmatic needs with the Clean Virginia Waterways and Marine Debris Strategy, and how best Crater can partner with future river initiatives, are ongoing.

Product #5: Benefits Accrued – Crater PDC Staff have catalogued benefits and projects spurred by CZM grants. The development of FOLAR to have a dedicated office-space with full-time staff is a strong example, but the final report provides a list of other benefits.

Product #6: Resilience Planning: Resiliency Coordination – Crater Staff have substantially increased locality representation to the ERMTF group, including more varied interdepartmental staff, including transportation, health, public works, and emergency management planners. Resiliency Priorities – through stakeholder roundtables, Crater PDC is continually refining the definition of resilience in the region and which projects matter the most for meeting locality and CZM program goals, from renewable energy to clean air to water resource and endangered species protection. A key development was securing funding for the Regional Resilience Plan. Mapping & Data Tools – in conjunction with the previous topic, the database was updated with expanded coverage to all 8 coastal PDCs and integrated rainfall-driven and tidal flooding considerations, and DCR engaged stakeholders in tool development, project refinement, and addressing data gaps to enhance regional flood resilience. CPDC staff conducted multiple mapping exercises to provide local and regional geospatial data visualization and insights for data-driven decision-making and project development/implementation. State Planning Support – Crater Staff have attended and actively participated in meetings of the Coastal Policy Team, the Coastal Resilience TAC, and the quarterly Coastal PDC group. Crater staff secured state funding for flood resiliency planning through the Community Flood Preparedness Fund for a regional resilience plan, multiple projects in Petersburg, and Crater staff will provide support for future applications for Emporia and Hopewell. 

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

43

Grantee:

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Hampton Roads Technical Assistance Program & Resiliency Focal Area

Project Description:

Technical Assistance (TA): Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) staff will assist the seventeen (17) member local governments of HRPDC, other public entities, non-governmental organizations and entities on coastal and other environmental issues, including coastal resilience. This project is a continuation of activities undertaken by the HRPDC through Virginia CZM over the last twenty plus years. HRPDC staff will perform the following general coastal resources management tasks:

1. Environmental Impact Review

   This includes review and comment on EIA/EIS and Federal Consistency Determinations/Certifications affecting Hampton Roads, including coordination of local responses if needed.

2. Public Information, Education, and Training

   This includes maintaining CZM-related information on the HRPDC website. Presentations to governmental and non-governmental organizations will be made on request. This component also covers monthly status reports and/or briefings to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, the Regional Environmental Committee, and the Coastal Resiliency Committee. HRPDC will also conduct or host at least four training programs or activities for local government staff. Generally, while meetings and training activities are targeted toward serving local government staff, most are also open or available to the public. 

3. Regional Coordination Process

   The regional coordination process involves all seventeen (17) member local governments, associated towns, five (5) Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Hampton Roads Sanitation District, and several state and federal agencies. It addresses core elements of the Virginia CZM, Chesapeake Bay Program, and other state and federal programs. This component also includes participation by HRPDC staff in the Coastal PDC Committee, Coastal Policy Team (CPT), Chesapeake Bay Program, and other state and federal environmental initiatives. The Regional Coordination Process is integral to all program components, linking them into a comprehensive environmental planning program.

4. Regional Special Projects/Technical Studies

   This includes the development of policy analysis, technical products, or other projects related to environmental and coastal resources management issues. Specific studies will be determined in cooperation with local governments, with an emphasis on water quality, Chesapeake Bay related issues, and coastal resiliency.

5. Technical Assistance

This includes providing information, data, and technical assistance, including GIS data provision and similar tasks, to help localities or other entities (including state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations) with comprehensive planning, ordinance updates, or other technical needs related to coastal resources management.

Resiliency Focal Area (RFA): HRPDC will continue efforts to enhance local and regional resilience through coordination with local, state, and federal government entities, development of policy and analysis products, and provision of technical assistance to Hampton Roads localities. HRPDC has been working on resilience initiatives for over ten years, several of which were supported by CZM. Other regional efforts, including the creation of HRPDC’s Coastal Resilience program, have been supported through locality contributions and other state and federal funds. Tasks supported through this grant will include continuation of the region’s coastal resilience coordination process, contribution to CZM and statewide resilience efforts, including the Resilience Projects Database and other state level resilience initiatives, and assistance to local governments on resilience issues. To the degree feasible, HRPDC will document program measures consistent with the NOAA Performance Measurement System. This will include numbers of individuals participating in the various educational components and discussion of local ordinances, plans, policies, and acquisitions being considered.

Federal Funding:

$99,000

Project Contact:

Benjamin McFarlane; 757-420-8300; bmcfarlane@hrpdcva.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Hampton Roads Coastal Resources Management Technical Assistance Program FY2023 Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

This report describes the technical assistance program conducted by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission during FY 2023-2024 through its Coastal Resources Management Technical Assistance Program. This program encompasses environmental impact review, participation in state and federal programs, coordination of regional environmental programs addressing environmental issues, public information and education, and technical assistance to Hampton Roads localities, including support for various resiliency initiatives. It describes the various products generated and used in assisting the region’s seventeen local governments, supporting the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (VCZMP), and working with the other Planning District Commissions in the Coastal Zone.

Environmental Impact Review – Comments were provided on two (2) federal consistency determinations.

Participation in State and Federal Programs – The HRPDC staff represented the region on several state and federal technical advisory committees. The HRPDC staff continued to participate in the Coastal PDC Committee and Coastal Policy Team.

Public Information and Education – The HRPDC staff maintained information on its website and provided regular briefings to local elected officials, local governing bodies, and to professional and civic organizations. The HRPDC provided or helped to provide six (6) training opportunities for local government staff.

Regional Coordination Process – The HRPDC staff facilitates regional advisory committees, addressing a variety of coastal and environmental issues. During this grant period, the Regional Environmental Committee met nine (9) times.

Regional Technical Studies – The HRPDC staff completed four studies and projects: developing a work plan for additional subsidence monitoring, support for the Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative, developing combined flooding GIS layers, and analyzing regional flood insurance trends.

Technical Assistance – The HRPDC staff assisted local government staff, consultants, businesses, and citizen environmental organizations on environmental and planning issues on request.

Benefits Accrued from Prior CZM Grants – As a result of the coastal resiliency work the HRPDC staff has completed with CZM support, the HRPDC supported the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization’s long-range transportation planning process by providing combined flood hazard layers.

Regional Resiliency Coordination – During this grant period, the Coastal Resiliency Committee met four (4) times.

Regional Resilience Technical Assistance – The HRPDC staff supplied updated data on regional resilience projects to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the Coastal Resilience Master Plan. The HRPDC also supported the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan update process by participating on CRMP Technical Advisory Committee and several subcommittees.

Resilience Priorities – The HRPDC identified several regional resilience priorities, including state funding for local projects, enhancing state capacity, regional resilient design standards, and expanding the regional roadway flooding network.

The report will be made available online at the HRPDC’s website: https://www.hrpdcva.gov.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

44

Grantee:

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Middle Peninsula Technical Assistance Program and Resiliency Focal Area

Project Description:

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission’s (MPPDC) Coastal Resources Technical Assistance (TA) Program provides the necessary administrative framework to assist rural coastal local governments across the Middle Peninsula to advance coastal management. Through the coordination of localities, and sharing of coastal zone management tools and techniques, the MPPDC focuses on balancing economic development with protecting coastal resources. MPPDC staff will build upon previous planning activities and will continue to promote coastal resilience solutions at the local level and support coastal resilience planning at the state level, which is critical to maintaining and preserving the Commonwealth’s coastal resources. At the local level, the Fight the Flood (FTF) program (https://fightthefloodva.com/) supports resiliency planning activities, coordination, outreach, and implementation of various flood mitigation projects. This approach is a systematic/programmatic solution driven program that protects local government’s tax base, structures, coastal lands, habitat, and water quality. FTF has driven over $24,000,000 into parcel level flood protection. MPPDC staff will also provide ongoing technical assistance, training, and coordination to member local governments and will serve as a liaison to various state and federal agency partners for coastal resource management and resiliency. For the federal FY23 grant, the work program will consist of five (5) distinct products: 

• Coastal Management Analysis and Policy Support (TA-1)
• Local and State Planning Coordination (TA-2)
• Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority (MPCBPAA) Work Plan & Support for Online Facility Reservation system (TA-3)
• Benefits Accrued from Ongoing and Prior CZM Grants (TA-4)

Enhancing Regional Resiliency and Supporting State Level Resiliency Efforts (RFA-1)

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Lewis Lawrence; 804-758-2311; llawrence@mppdc.com

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission Technical Assistance and Resilience Program (PDF)

Project Summary:

With funding through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia CZM) , Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission (MPPDC) staff continues to create and implement adaptive management techniques, enhance communication between local, regional, and state stakeholders, and inform planning decisions by local, regional, and state coastal managers. The TA Program provides the MPPDC with the necessary administrative framework to assist rural Middle Peninsula coastal localities (i.e., staff, elected officials, and community level groups) in the enhancement of coastal zone management tools and techniques that balance economic development while protecting coastal resources. For the Federal FY23 grant, there were five tasks outlined and completed under the work program:

Product #1: Coastal Management Analysis and Policy Support. MPPDC staff provided coastal management support to local government elected officials, chief administrative officers of local governments, local planning staff, local planning commissions, and wetlands board staff.

Product #2: Local and State Planning Coordination. MPPDC staff attended, convened, and participated in various monthly and quarterly meetings with local government planners, government administrators, and other appropriate government and NGO committees to assist with improved coastal planning. Through these meetings, Coastal Planners illuminate choices which policy makers can use to help inform local and regional decisions. Also, MPPDC staff provided five (5) trainings throughout the year.

Product #3: Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority (MPCBPAA) Work Plan & Support for Online Facility Reservation System. MPPDC staff assisted the MPCBPAA in the implementation of their annual work plan. Four (4) meetings were held throughout the year. Consociate Media continues to maintain, while also expanding, the coastal wilds marketplace.

Product #4: Benefits Accrued from Ongoing and Prior CZM Grants. MPPDC contracted with Consociate Media to develop an ongoing strategic outreach and awareness initiative to inform localities and stakeholders of the PDC and MPCBPAA’s work and the benefits of Virginia CZM funding.

Product #5: Enhancing Regional Resiliency and Supporting State Level Resiliency Efforts. MPPDC staff continued to enhance and expand the Middle Peninsula Fight the Flood (FTF) Program with upgrades to the database and website to ultimately encourage citizens to register for the program and connect them with contractors offering resiliency or mitigation solutions and financial incentives. During this project period, MPPDC staff submitted 33 resiliency grant applications requesting more than $36,128,281 to various funding agencies. MPPDC staff also contracted with Consociate Media to review a white paper written under Task #44 NA22NOS 4190187 to develop a new methodology for conducting a community flood inundation assessment and strategic alternatives analysis for Bavon in Mathews County, Virginia. Using their marketing expert, Consociate developed a communication strategy to share the finding from the assessment that is easily digestible for the public. To execute part of the strategy, Consociate Media published an article on the FTF website titled, Assessment: Pain points of Living in a High-Water Hazard Area and produced a teaser video to share on the FTF website, social media outlets, and during presentations by MPPDC staff.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

45

Grantee:

Northern Neck Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Northern Neck Planning District Commission Technical Assistance and Resilience

Project Description:

NNPDC staff will assist the four (4) member local governments of the Northern Neck Planning District on coastal and other environmental issues, including coastal resilience. This project is a continuation of activities undertaken by the NNPDC through the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM) over the last 20+ years. For this grant year, NNPDC staff will:

Technical Assistance

1. Provide support to local governments, planning commissions, local planning staff, as well as the Northern Neck Land Conservancy (NNLC), the Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), the Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District (NNSWCD), and other regional environmental organizations. Provide planning and technical assistance as needed to local governments, including but not limited to, review of comprehensive plans, land conversion and land use plans, development and update of regional plans, funding identification, grant writing, project administration, and geographic analyses and mapping as they relate to appropriate coastal issues.
2. Support local planning, staff education, training, and coordination through quarterly coastal managers meetings and convene trainings on coastal topics in accordance with the PDC TA Minimum Standards. Meetings and training sessions will invite staff from local governments and planning organizations to include Land Use and Zoning Administrators, Planners and other stakeholders. Training sessions will be targeted to assist localities in better managing coastal resources, improving water quality, and advancing community resilience and may be conducted by Federal, State or Not for Profit entities.
3. Continue to manage the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program for home elevations through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). NNPDC assists homeowners to mitigate future storm damage to homes in low-lying or flood-prone areas. This program enhances resiliency for small coastal communities in the Northern Neck.
4. Continue to manage the Northern Neck Green website (nnkgreen.org), a regional portal designed as the go-to place for all topics environmentally relevant to the Northern Neck, maintained with the active participation and contribution from many of the region’s organizations dedicated to sustainably maximizing the enjoyment and use of our air, land, and water. Continue to manage the Northern Neck landing page on the Virginia Water Trails website (virginiawatertrails.org/northern-neck), a multi-region platform designed to promote public access and ecotourism in the Northern Neck.
5. Continue to manage the Northern Neck Septic Pump-out and Northern Neck Septic & Well Assistance Programs to target the region’s most at risk populations and promote septic best management practices that improve the longevity of residential on-site systems.
6. Report benefits that have accrued during the grant period and previous CZM grants.

Resilience Focal Area

Assist the ten (10) local governments of the Northern Neck Planning District on issues related to ecosystem and community resilience as part of a second special Section 306 funded, 3-year Resilience Focal Area (RFA) project in collaboration with the other seven coastal PDCs. This project is a continuation of activities undertaken by the NNPDC under previous three years of the RFA. NNPDC staff will 1) Provide regional resiliency coordination to support local governments on resiliency. 2) Aid local governments in developing regional resilience priorities and to address resilience capacity building needs. (3) Continue to work with localities through hazard mitigation and resilience planning to identify potential projects or planning needs for inclusion in the CRMP database. 4) Provide support to state efforts in developing and implementing resilience through participation in advisory groups and through input on state plans and programs.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Brianna Heath; 804-333-1900 x21; bheath@nnpdc17.state.va.us

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Northern Neck Planning District Commission Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program Technical Assistance Grant FY 23, Task 45 Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

Product 1) NNPDC staff provided planning and technical support to local governments through assessment of coastal issues, convening stakeholders, planning initiatives and projects, identification of funding, grant writing, and project management. Additional continued support was provided to the Friends of the Rappahannock, Northern Neck Land Conservancy, Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District, and other environmental and conservation groups in the region.
Product 2) NNPDC staff provided support and planning coordination for localities by offering meetings and trainings on timely topics such as installing electric vehicle charging stations, shoreline management, stormwater management, wastewater management, tourism, and economic development.
Product 3) NNPDC staff provided grant writing assistance and technical support to the property owners to apply for Hazard Mitigation Grants to elevate five additional homes in the Northern Neck. NNPDC staff continues to provide information about the program and offer technical assistance to help secure funding.
Project 4) NNPDC staff, in collaboration with Northern Neck Environmental Stewardship Consortium (NNESC), created the NNKgreen.org website, which is a regional clearinghouse with an events calendar for environmental topics relevant to the Northern Neck of Virginia.  The website is maintained by NNPDC staff, who act as administrator, and members of the NNESC, which consists of organizations dedicated to making the most out of the region’s air, land, and water. The Virginia Water Trails website collaboration has completed its first year operating under an MOU with participating PDCs, with cost-sharing of website maintenance among the group.
Project 5) The Septic and Well Assistance Program consists of two active grants that provide financial assistance to low-income homeowners to drill new wells, or hookups to municipal water systems, and to install new septic systems through the Virginia Department of Health. This technical assistance grant funds the administration of these two grants and related advertising efforts. One of the grants is 100% completed with ten wells and one water line hookup to municipal water service. The second grant is 80% completed and includes the drilling of nine wells, one sewer connection to a municipal sewer system, one traditional septic system, and one alternative septic system.
Product 6) Under a previous CZM grant, Task #55, “DEQ NNK Guide Revision,” NNPDC staff launched a digital environmental collaborative, Northern Neck Consortium for Environmental Stewardship, implemented through the website nnkgreen.org. The project brought together various environmental stakeholders active in the Northern Neck, each with its own log-in access to post, blog-style, events, and articles of local environmental interest. This website seeks to affect behavior change, to educate the public on local best practices for environmental stewardship.
Project 7) The Regional Resiliency Equity Workgroup (RREW), successor to the RAFT process, holds monthly core workgroup meetings as well as subgroup meetings in which NNPDC staff participate. The RREW Economic Development & Living Wages subgroup focuses on economic resilience, and a focus on ecosystem and community resilience.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

46

Grantee:

Northern Virginia Regional Commission

Project Title:

NVRC Coastal Resources Technical Assistance Program and Resiliency Focal Area

Project Description:

This proposal consists of two sections: the Technical Assistance (TA) Program and Resiliency Focal Area (RFA): Utilizing PDC’s to Advance Ecosystem & Community Resilience in Virginia’s Coastal Zone. 

1. TA Program: Since 1992, the CZM TA program has allowed NVRC to serve as a technical resource for Northern Virginia localities on coastal resource management issues and activities, including education and outreach, local planning and projects, and regulatory processes. For FY23, NVRC proposes the following activities to advance regional coordination and coastal resource management efforts:
   1. Local Coordination and Training: NVRC will hold at least four workshops or other training events on topics of local interest and/or that promote collaborative measures for discussing or addressing CZM topics of interest, such as shoreline management, marine debris, climate adaptation and resiliency, and other coastal resource issues. NVRC staff will also participate in any relevant local, regional, or state planning initiatives or workgroups, including the Potomac Watershed Roundtable, Shoreline Stakeholders Group, and Northern Virginia Salt Management Strategy Workgroup. NVRC will also review and respond to any relevant EIA/EA/EIR interagency review processes for consistency with local, regional, and state interests.
   2. Special Project: Since 2003, NVRC has managed the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners (NVCWP)’s annual Stormwater Education Campaign. TA funds will continue to support the overall administration of this project, including acquisition of leveraged funding from partners, development of social media content, website content and promotional materials, and procurement of contractual services such as social media services and tv advertisements. The NVCWP will also procure services for an online survey of Northern Virginia residents to better understand changes in their stormwater-related knowledge and behaviors over time. NVRC will hold at least two NVCWP meetings to continue collaboration and advancement of new and ongoing pollution reduction initiatives.
   3. Benefits Accrued: The TA Program has provided NVRC the opportunity to leverage the efforts and funds from programs, such as the NVCWP, to extend the impact of regional investment. NVRC will continue to track the amount of funds that are leveraged by its partners in FY23 and report this to the CZM Program.
       
2. RFA: Through the RFA, NVRC looks to not only sustain its stakeholder network, but also expand its programming to identify and build new resilience initiatives throughout the region. To continue its regional resilience support and coordination, NVRC proposes the following activities for FY23:
   1. Regional Resilience Coordination: NVRC will continue to coordinate and convene with resilience stakeholders in Northern Virginia, including the NOVA Flood Mitigation and Resilience Workgroup. NVRC will host workgroup meetings on a quarterly basis to collaborate, share best practices, and prioritize resilience strategies relating to flooding and other relevant hazards for the region.
   2. Public Outreach and Education: The NOVA Flood Mitigation and Resilience Workgroup identified expanded public outreach and education as a regional priority to increase knowledge and community action around flood hazards. NVRC proposes to collaborate with the workgroup to develop a consolidated framework that will identify gaps in current outreach across jurisdictions and support the creation of region-wide messaging and outreach tools for future public engagement efforts.

State-level Resilience Support: NVRC will continue to contribute to Phase II of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP) development, including participation in the VCRMP’s Technical Advisory Committee and any subcommittees as designated. NVRC will also continue to support any data and mapping needs identified by the state.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Rebecca Murphy; 703-642-4625; rmurphy@novaregion.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Product #1 – NOVA Coastal Resources TA Program: The Virginia CZM Technical Assistance (TA) Grant Program allows NVRC to support and advance local, regional, and state coastal resources management efforts through participation and coordination of meetings, trainings, and workshops. For FY23, NVRC staff participated and provided general technical assistance in the following meetings: semi—annual Virginia Coastal Policy Team meetings, quarterly Coastal Planning District Commission meetings, quarterly Coastal Virginia Community Rating System (CRS) Workgroup meetings, quarterly Potomac Watershed Roundtables, Fairfax Trees Community of Practice meetings, Virginia Salt Management Strategy meetings, and Living Shoreline Resilient Design Work Group meetings. In addition, NVRC staff led four training events which focused on residential rain gardens, watershed restoration, green infrastructure planning in urban spaces, and sustainable development through transatlantic partnerships. NVRC staff also responded to 5 Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS/EA) requests over the project period.

Product #2 – NVCWP Regional Stormwater Education Campaign: In FY23, NVRC staff continued to lead the Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners (NVCWP) program, which aims to address stormwater pollution and source water protection in the region through an annual Regional Stormwater Education Campaign. Throughout the year, the NVCWP campaign utilized a combination of ongoing and new social marketing strategies, including social media, tv advertisements, the onlyrain.org website, and local events to engage and educate Northern Virginia residents around stormwater pollution. The campaign also incorporated enhanced website features, updated social media content, a new campaign video, and additional forms of advertising to better raise campaign awareness. NVRC hosted three meetings over the year to collaborate with the approximately 20 partners on the annual campaign and social marketing strategies, the annual stormwater survey, and other priority topics to advance the program. For the 2024 campaign year, the NVCWP ran tv advertisements on 45 English and Spanish language networks for a total of 12,354 ads aired and 1,034,052 impressions, or views. The NVCWP also utilized multiple social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, to reach the campaign’s target audiences. Between all platforms, there was a total of 1,823 engagements with social media posts, 625,900 social media impressions, and 891 new Clean Water Pledges. The program’s website also reached 16,854 visits. Following the campaign, the NVCWP conducted its annual online survey of approximately 500 Northern Virginia residents to better understand their stormwater-related knowledge and behaviors over time. The NVCWP’s annual campaign summary and survey results can be found on their website: https://www.onlyrain.org/_files/ugd/200411_aed8a812bb9e4ac2a47e6cfb6cfdcd1e.pdf.

Product #3 – Benefits Accrued from Prior CZM Grants: The Virginia CZM TA program has been critical to the development and success of several programs, partnerships, and projects for NVRC since 1992, including the NVCWP. Established in 2003, the NVCWP is composed of local jurisdictions, regional drinking water and sanitation authorities, schools, and businesses that work together to address regional stormwater pollution and source water protection issues through targeted education and outreach initiatives. Over 20 partners now participate in the program and meet on a semi-annual basis to collaborate on campaign development and ways to enhance their ongoing pollution-reduction efforts. The 2024 Stormwater Education Campaign continued to build off of prior years with a budget of $110,000 to conduct a range of outreach and education activities. Notably, the Partners have been able to leverage $1,612,225 in funds for the program since 2007. 

Product #4 – Regional Resilience Coordination & Planning: NVRC staff promote and coordinate local and regional resilience planning efforts through the Resilience Focal Area, including quarterly meetings of the NOVA Flood Mitigation and Resilience Workgroup. Workgroup meetings in FY23 focused on a range of topics, including new data and tools to identify and analyze flood risk, ongoing projects and programming from across the region and state, and coordination on the development of the NOVA Flood Outreach and Education Framework. Building off of gaps and recurrent themes in flood messaging and content across localities, the framework was developed over the course of the year to guide the creation of regionally consistent education and outreach tools around flood hazards in Northern Virginia. The completed framework is housed on NVRC’s website: https://www.novaregion.org/1603/Flood-Education-and-Outreach. In addition, NVRC staff took part in the planning and development of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP) Phase II, including participation in meetings and review processes for the Technical Advisory Committee and Research, Data, and Innovation Subcommittee. To share information with local and regional stakeholders during the process, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and NVRC staff also provided planning updates and new tool demonstrations to the NOVA Flood Mitigation and Resilience Workgroup at its quarterly meetings.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

47

Grantee:

George Washington Regional Commission

Project Title:

George Washington Regional Commission Technical Assistance/Resiliency Focal Area

Project Description:

This grant proposal includes annual Technical Assistance (TA) and the first year of the three-year Advancing Ecosystem and Community Resilience Focal Area (RFA). 

Technical Assistance (TA) 

This project offers three components to provide TA and planning support to the local governments of the GWRC service area, including the following:

1. Training and Coordination within GWRC, among the other coastal PDCs, and with the CZM Coastal Policy Team (CPT) will continue. The GWRC Regional Environmental Managers Technical Committee (REMTC) includes local environmental planners, stormwater program managers/staff, planning directors, and/or development review personnel.
   
   
2. Physical Features Special Project: In accordance with the GWRC 2023 Environmental Services Strategic Plan Update (Plan), the FY23 special project targets building outreach and engagement platforms.  This corresponds to Coastal Management Coordination (CZM’s Goal 10): To promote informed decision-making by maximizing the availability of up-to-date educational information, technical advice, and scientific data including the use of new tools such as marine spatial planning.
3. CZM Benefits Accrued: GWRC will continue to support and report on benefits accrued from prior CZM grants, including supporting the continuation of the Plant Central Rappahannock Natives campaign by hosting quarterly meetings, storing campaign materials, and supporting other activities as needed.

Advancing Ecosystem and Community Resilience Focal Area (RFA)

This will improve GWRC’s capacity for resilience planning, including support of local, regional, and state efforts and development and implementation of new projects and policies. Collaboration with the other seven coastal zone PDCs will streamline the development of procedures/products and lead to synergic and financially efficient outcomes. As resilience means different things across regions, this scope includes both common themes across PDCs and allows for PDCs to focus on local priority concerns. In general, each task will be worked on in each year to initiate, fully develop, and implement the tasks. GWRC will focus on the four (4) basic tasks moving from initiation to full development:

1. Review and update, if necessary, the regional resiliency stakeholder group roster and conduct at least two (2) stakeholder meetings to identify resiliency themes of regional importance. Continue to support the development of Phase II of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP), including participation in the VCRMP’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and any subcommittees as designated. GWRC will also continue to support any data and mapping needs identified by the state.
2. Continue to identify regional resiliency needs, such as data gaps, local capacity, etc., and establish regional resilience priorities (such as identifying areas to protect/relocate/adapt, natural resource protection, planning for migration of flora and fauna, etc.). This process may be aided by the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT). GWRC may receive assistance from the RAFT consultant team for planning future participation by the GWRC region in the RAFT process as funding allows for CZM FY23, Task 91.02 – The RAFT: Maintaining Progress in Coastal Virginia.
3. Work with university partners to assess resiliency through the lens of urban heat island (UHI) effect in PD16. This may take the form of continued Urban Heat Island Listening Session or workgroup meetings. University partners may collaborate to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of UHI effect in the region, and GWRC will package any products into the environmental services website.

GWRC will develop a regional working definition of resiliency with the support and input of stakeholders and the REMTC. This will guide future conversations around resiliency and give context about what is most important to localities and the community.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Meredith Keppel; 540-642-1575; meredith.keppel@gwregion.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

George Washington Regional Commission Coastal Zone Management Technical Assistance Program Report FY2023 (PDF)

Project Summary:

Product #1: Technical Coordination: The George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) hosted the GWRC Regional Environmental Managers Technical Committee (REMTC) on 2/21/24 and 9/4/24 to discuss regional environmental topics, changes to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act (CBPA) and the new Regional Resiliency Definition. Meeting minutes can be found on GWRC’s website. GWRC staff attended the quarterly coastal PDC meetings with Virginia CZM staff as well as the semi-annual Virginia CZM Coastal Policy Team (CPT) meetings throughout the length of this grant. GWRC staff also attended the Living Shoreline Resilient Design Work Group meeting led by Wetlands Watch on 11/4/24 but was unable to attend the other workgroups due to an opening for the GWRC environmental planner position. GWRC staff also attended the two-day fall Virginia CZM Coastal Partners Workshop (CPW) on 11/16/23-11/17/23.

Product #2: GWRC Environmental Website: GWRC created a new logo and website for the environmental department. The new logo and website can be found at this link.

Product #3: CZM Benefits Accrued: GWRC is working on revitalizing the Plant Central Rappahannock Natives (PCRN) campaign and ensuring the continuation of the program after the completion of some larger projects. Some of the quarterly meetings were replaced by sending out a survey and getting an idea of how the group would like to move forward. GWRC hosted PCRN meetings, stored campaign materials, and assisted with various events that PCRN participated in. Some of these events included the Osprey Festival, the region’s annual Seed Swap, and the annual Rappahannock River Symposium. More information about PCRN can be found on their website.

Product #4: Resilience Planning

1. GWRC held quarterly regional resilience group meetings and provided trainings during the second half of the meetings. Resiliency meetings/trainings were held on 12/19/23, 3/19/24, 6/18/24, and 12/17/24. The trainings covered topics such as the York River Wetlands Plan and Inter-basin Communication, Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan and Effective Litter Campaigns, Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) Training, and Section 309 Funding. Meeting minutes can be found on the GWRC website. GWRC staff also supported in the development of Phase II of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP) by participating in the VCRMP’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Outreach & Engagement subcommittee. GWRC also provided data and mapping that was asked of by the VCRMP team.
2. Most of the regional resiliency needs were identified through the process of gathering data and projects for the VCRMP project. Localities provided their priorities and were given the chance to discuss the needs with GWRC staff.
3. GWRC staff worked with George Mason University (GMU) and Old Dominion University (ODU) to craft methodology for a cost-benefit analysis of urban heat island (UHI) effect in this region. The final deliverable is still pending from GMU/ODU. GWRC’s UHI webpage can be found on the environmental website.
4. The GWRC board approved a working region definition of resiliency after receiving input from local stakeholders. See the approved document here.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

48

Grantee:

PlanRVA (Richmond Regional Planning District Commission)

Project Title:

Richmond Region Technical Assistance and Resiliency

Project Description:

This grant proposal includes annual Technical Assistance (TA) and the first year of the 2023-2024 Resilience Focal Area (RFA). 

Technical Assistance: PlanRVA will provide policy and planning assistance to member localities as follows:

1. Coordination & Training Meetings: PlanRVA staff will host quarterly meetings of local staff representatives who work with coastal resource management issues. These meetings will provide both training and coordination opportunities for attendees.
2. Regional Coordination & Local Technical Assistance: PlanRVA will respond to identified gaps in and requests for regional coordination or local technical assistance. Please see the Extended Project Description for examples of activities.
3. Support for the Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative (LCWC): A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was developed by the Lower Chickahominy Watershed project planning team and signed by the three Tribes and three localities in the watershed as well as PlanRVA and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) in 2021.  The LCWC seeks to improve relationships and understanding among the signatories and advance additional priorities as identified by the MOU signatories as well as a broader group of stakeholders who have also been participants in the overall effort. The LCWC serves as a forum to coordinate on policy, program, and project solutions that support natural resource conservation and sustainable economic development. PlanRVA will coordinate and facilitate LCWC meetings (work groups and steering committee), maintain a LCWC SharePoint site for communication and coordination among LCWC members, provide technical assistance and project implementation support, maintain a project website on the PlanRVA website for the benefit of LCWC members and the general public, and participate in the LCWC as signatory member of the MOU.  Plan RVA staff will also coordinate with three other coastal PDC’s to maintain the Virginia Water Trails website which highlights the Lower Chickahominy region. 
4. Benefits Accrued from Prior CZM Grants: PlanRVA will summarize how projects funded by CZM grants in the past have produced measurable benefits. 

Advancing Ecosystem and Community Resilience Focal Area (RFA) 

This proposal aims to improve regional capacity for resilience planning to support local, regional, and state efforts to develop and implement new projects, programs, and policies. PlanRVA staff will work with regional partners to coordinate with efforts of state agencies and to move forward a regional resilience planning process.  In the previous 3-year RFA, PlanRVA staff focused on the fundamentals of organizing regional staff engagement of localities and stakeholders and understanding existing data sources and gaps. PlanRVA staff worked with the Environmental Technical Advisory Committee (EnvTAC) and other relevant agency committees to solicit and prioritize a list of resilience projects. PlanRVA coordinated internally, identifying opportunities to consider resiliency in agency or regional planning processes.  PlanRVA staff cooperated with and provided support for agencies of the Commonwealth of Virginia in resilience planning.

In year one of the 2023-2025 RFA proposed herein, PlanRVA staff will continue regional coordination and collaboration efforts through the EnvTAC.  PlanRVA staff will continue technical planning activities including data analysis and visualization and improvement of a regional resilience framework document.  PlanRVA staff will maintain and update information about resilience on the PlanRVA website.  Additionally, PlanRVA staff will work with partners to engage the public about resilience risk and solutions.  A focus will be placed on communities that are projected to be most at risk given geography, demographic, and/or socioeconomic background.  PlanRVA staff will continue to provide support to state agencies in resilience planning.

Federal Funding:

$64,500

Project Contact:

Sarah Stewart; 804-924-7049; sstewart@planrva.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Final Report: Richmond Regional Technical Assistance Federal Fiscal Year 2023 (PDF)

Project Summary:

Coordination and Training Meetings: PlanRVA Hosted an Environmental TAC meeting on 10/26/23 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training on the James River Association’s Buffer Program. PlanRVA hosted an Environmental TAC meeting on 1/31/2024 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training on the City of Richmond CSO Plan. PlanRVA hosted an Environmental TAC meeting on 4/25/24 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training on the DEQ Environmental Justice office. PlanRVA hosted a Don’t Trash Central Va coordination meeting on 4/30/24 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training from Friends of the Lower Appomattox River staff. PlanRVA hosted an Environmental TAC meeting on 7/25/2024 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training on new PlanRVA Pluvial Data.  PlanRVA hosted an Environmental TAC meeting on 9/26/2024 which provided an opportunity for PlanRVA, member localities, and regional partners to receive training on Green Infrastructure Network Mapping.

Regional Coordination and Local Technical Assistance: PlanRVA staff provided support to Chesterfield County and participated in the Plant RVA Natives campaign.  PlanRVA processed 130 environmental reviews.

Don’t Trash Central Virginia Campaign: PlanRVA held coordination meetings for the Don’t Trash Central Virginia campaign and maintained active social media outreach, with 16 campaign posts over the reporting periods. These efforts fostered collaboration for coastal debris reduction and conservation activities across the region.

Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative (LCWC): PlanRVA coordinated regular meetings for the three LCWC workgroups and the steering committee. Significant progress was made on deliverables, including mapping, data gathering, and outreach planning for erosion management with partners DCR-SEAS and Colonial SWCD.

Benefits Accrued: PlanRVA staff compiled a Benefits Accrued report included in the Final Report.

Resilience Planning: PlanRVA staff supported regional coordination and technical work related to resilience.  PlanRVA facilitated a regional resilience workshop, providing a platform for local government input on flood resilience priorities.  PlanRVA staff participate in the Virginia Coastal Resilience Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Project Prioritization subcommittee.   At Environmental TAC meetings, PlanRVA staff included resilience agenda items.  Key resilience-related work efforts were undertaken by PlanRVA staff during the grant period.  PlanRVA staff kicked off an update of the Regional Green Infrastructure Plan.  The Plan will be a core document guiding the work of the environment program as well as others at PlanRVA.  PlanRVA staff also conducted the annual review of the Hazard Mitigation Plan.  PlanRVA staff developed a resilience Public Outreach Plan to aid in resilience engagement by both Planners and Outreach staff.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

49

Grantee:

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation

Project Title:

Virginia Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network

Project Description:

The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Foundation’s Stranding Response Program (VAQS) is permitted by the NOAA Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Commonwealth of Virginia to manage the state’s sea turtle and marine mammal stranding networks. The Aquarium’s mission is to “inspire conservation of the marine environment through education, research and sustainable practices.” With assistance of this grant from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, VAQS maintains a statewide stranding network and responds to marine mammal strandings (average 99/year from 2003-2012, 427 in 2013, average 96/year from 2014-2021) and sea turtle strandings (average 255/year from 2012-2021) throughout the tidal waters and shorelines along the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Virginia has a rich diversity of marine mammal and sea turtle species. There are 32 marine mammal species and five sea turtle species in the state stranding records. During 2013, a historic number of marine mammal strandings (427 in a single year) occurred in Virginia as a result of a bottlenose dolphin unusual mortality event (UME) caused by a cetacean morbillivirus. The strandings were part of the largest cetacean mortality event ever recorded. The UME continued throughout 2014 and into 2015, though associated dolphin mortalities were primarily focused south of the mid-Atlantic region. Virginia has experienced more normal overall levels of marine mamal strandings since 2013, however 2015 included the third highest annual total of bottlenose dolphin strandings (85) ever recorded in the state, and 2017 (11) and 2019 (9) were record years for large whale strandings. 2015-2019 also included increases in live sea turtle strandings, with the majority of the strandings associated with incidental capture by hook and line fishers. In 2022, VAQS documented a record number of incidental captures of sea turtles in recreational fishing, and the second highest number of sea turtle strandings (n= 324) on record since 2004. Stranding response includes carcass recovery, external/internal examination, photo/video documentation, human interaction analysis, stomach contents analysis, tissue sampling, carcass disposal, and database management. Live animal strandings, especially sea turtles and some seals, are provided with emergency medical care and rehabilitated for return to their natural environment. Animals that are succesfully rehabilitated but unable to be returned to the wild are placed with professionally managed zoological parks or aquariums. Nonreleasable animals are placed with the guidance of the agency with authority – either NMFS, USFWS or both. The VAQS staff recruits, trains and coordinates a volunteer stranding team with approximately 60 members. Additionally, stranding response cooperators within the state network include state and federal parks staff, game wardens and biologists, military base personnel, U.S. Coast Guard, VMRC, VDGIF, life guards, and law enforcement officers. Trainings are conducted throughout the year with emphasis on the natural history and stranding response requirements of sea turtles and marine mammals. The VAQS maintains the state marine mammal and sea turtle stranding databases and submits reports to NMFS and other agencies. Stranding data is compiled and stored by VAQS and reported to NMFS national databases. The VAQS views each stranding event as an opportunity for education about natural history, threats (such as marine debris ingestion, entanglements, vessel strikes, and disease) and conservation needs of Virginia's sea turtle and marine mammal species. This message is presented through exhibits and outreach programs, at schools, to teachers, to groups such as girl and boy scouts, to civic organizations, and at scientific conferences, workshops, trainings, and special events. Through these efforts, information about the status of these protected species in Virginia is presented to the public and to the agencies and individuals responsible for their management and conservation.

Federal Funding:

$35,650

Project Contact:

Allyson McNaughton, DVM; 757-385-0376; amcnaugh@virginiaaquarium.com 

Project Status:

1/1/24 - 12/31/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Virginia Sea Turtle & Marine Mammal Stranding Network Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

The Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response Program (VAQS) conducts and coordinates the Virginia stranding network activities including response, recovery, rehabilitation, necropsy, and data collection. VAQS documents all marine mammal and sea turtle strandings throughout Virginia, maintaining the state stranding database, and contributes to the national stranding database. In 2024, VAQS reported 461 strandings in Virginia, involving 352 sea turtles and 109 marine mammals. This is an increase from the 2023 stranding total of 347 with 285 sea turtle and 89 marine mammals strandings.

The total sea turtle strandings in 2022 and 2023 (325, 284) were higher than the previous ten-year annual average (277), and 2024 brought the highest number of sea turtle strandings (352) in Virginia since 2004. The incident of live stranded sea turtles (118), especially those with stranding due to incidental capture via recreational fishing (73) were also higher than previous records. The Kemp’s ridley stranding numbers were highest by species for this year for both total strandings (123), and live stranded cases (61). Continued monitoring of Virginia sea turtle strandings in the future will provide valuable information to assess cause of strandings and whether changing numbers represent a significant and predictable trend or fluctuating temporary changes.

The total number of marine mammal strandings in 2024 (109) was within normal limits. Overall temporal and geographic stranding trends were similar to observed historic trends. However, since 2016 the number of large whale strandings has drastically increased, and 8 large whales were documented in Virginia during 2024. The associated examinations and necropsies of these animals, especially that of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, highlight the strong need for funding support as these large events are expensive to complete and require highly skilled personnel and extensive logistical planning. Bottlenose dolphins were the most commonly stranded species in 2024. Eleven live-stranded marine mammals were documented throughout the year.

VAQS continues to expertly monitor stranded marine mammals and sea turtles for signs of human interaction. In 2024, 14 marine mammals and 145 sea turtles exhibited evidence of human interaction, the most common of which were interactions with fishing gear (8 marine mammals, 73 sea turtles).

Data collected by VAQS continues to be critical to the long-term monitoring efforts for sea turtle and marine mammal populations in the mid-Atlantic region. The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program remains committed to providing the valuable service of documenting strandings of protected marine mammals and sea turtles in Virginia, with the hope that the vitally important data can be utilized by state and federal agencies to ensure continued protections for marine mammals and sea turtles. A complete listing and discussion of 2024 stranding data and VAQS professional and education activities can be found in the final grant report to the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, VAQF Scientific Report 2024-01 and is available at www.VirginiaAquarium.com or by contacting VAQS at stranding@virginiaaquarium.com.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

71

Grantee:

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Project Title:

Advancing the use of spatial data and coastal modeling in implementing adaptive management to support coastal community resilience

Project Description:

Sea level rise is impacting coastal communities and natural resources by increasing shoreline erosion and changing the location and extent of intertidal habitats, such as marshes and beaches.  To increase coastal resiliency, we need to find ways to address multiple community needs by taking advantage of the co-benefits available from carefully planned projects. Persistence of natural shoreline habitats will depend upon the opportunity and capacity to migrate landward into adjacent lands (e.g., forests, non-tidal wetlands). Based on the current state of Virginia’s coastal climate and projections for the future, effective community resilience will require maintaining up-to-date data to support coastal analysis and modeling activities, as well as continued and expanded efforts to monitor and record those changes to strategically support adaptive management. In the past, VCZM provided funding toward the creation of comprehensive coastal inventories (CCI).  The inventory data is the baseline shoreline data which is used in combination with other data sets to underpin the Shoreline Management Model (SMM) (Nunez et al., 2022) to derive best management practices (BMPs) in support of Virginia policy to prefer, and now require, the use of living shorelines for erosion control where suitable. Absent more current data, they are still being used as major inputs for decision-making in the coastal zone, despite being as much as 10 years old for many of the VA coastal counties. As described in the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, climate change is imposing rapid changes in shoreline conditions and the riparian zone. The need to update this information is urgent in order to support localities in preparing for inevitable changes.

The Center for Coastal Resources Management, VIMS, is proposing to partner with appropriate Planning District Commissions to apply an adaptive management approach to the collection of current comprehensive coastal inventory and tidal wetlands inventory data to support an update of SMM. This will entail generating new inventory information, as well as other critical datasets, and applying this information to increase currency, precision, and robustness to best management practices recommendations in the SMM. Model improvements and additions will be made within a resiliency context. Taking advantage of the new technology and satellite data that are currently available, as well as the incorporation of community science into this effort, we propose to 1) apply machine learning techniques (Lv et al., 2023) to update the inventory of shoreline conditions and expand the features surveyed based on locality needs; 2) update the SMM to include new data inputs and new advanced model approaches; 3) map marsh migration corridors to assist with marsh conservation and restoration decisions under multiple sea level rise scenarios; and 4) develop and implement a community-science web application for citizens, local government, and PDC staff, where they can share information to more accurately and efficiently maintain current shoreline conditions in Virginia. We propose that the PDCs will provide feedback on the inventory features surveyed, as well as on the development and testing of the web application. 

The greatest drivers of change to the shoreline are climate (sea level rise), storms (erosion, and human development). These factors are having the greatest impacts on the outer coastal plain, which will be the focus of this study. The entire project will take three years. Each year would be comprised of elements listed in Table 1, rotating to different localities (Table 2). The entire study will be conducted at a county level for better coordination with local government on the implementation and application of final products; in particular, inventory input and WebApp development. In addition, previous inventories conducted by county set a mapping extent that could be used for change detection between inventories. Target localities for Year 1 (Table 2) were selected based on a combination of prioritizing oldest inventories and current localities' needs.

Federal Funding:

$120,052

Project Contact:

Dr. Karinna Nunez; 804-684-7273; karinna@vims.edu
Pamela Mason; 804-684-7158; mason@vims.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Advancing the Use of Spatial Data and Coastal Modeling in Implementing Adaptive Management to Support Coastal Community Resilience Final Project Summary (PDF)

Project Summary:

See Final Product for Project Summary.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

72

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Project Title:

Resilience Planning for Protected Lands

Project Description:

The Virginia Natural Heritage Program (VNHP) currently maintains a database of lands in need of additional protection for Natural Heritage Resources (NHRs), as well as to enhance the resilience of existing Natural Area Preserves (NAPs).  This database consists of two main types of parcels:  those adjacent to existing NAPs that have a foreseeable impact on the longevity, persistence, and manageability of the NAP and their protected resources (called “Resiliency Tracts"); and parcels known to support one or more occurrences of NHR classified as essential by an analysis conducted by VNHP where land protection is most urgently needed to establish NAP or other appropriate forms of formal designation (called “Resiliency Areas").  An occurrence of a NHR is considered essential if it is the only extant occurrence, or one of only two extant occurrences (five extant occurrences for the most globally rare species), in a region or the Commonwealth.  Essential occurrences of NHR are used to identify Essential Conservation Sites (ECS) and a custom version of ECS for the Virginia coastal zone is being developed currently under NOAA grant NA22NOS4190187.  In both cases, parcels may be targeted for acquisition or for partnerships and collaborative conservation strategies.  Further work is needed to determine which of these parcels would best contribute to the overall protected lands network in light of new resilience determinations.  This work is especially critical in the Virginia coastal zone where challenges from ongoing and predicted sea level rise are extraordinary.

The key focus of this project is to further evaluate and expand on Resiliency Areas, not just for NAPs, but for other strategically important protected lands in the Virginia coastal Zone.  VNHP proposes to build upon the strategic plan developed as the culmination of the FY2020-2022 focal project (NOAA grants: NA20NOS4190207, NA21NOS4190152, NA22NOS4190187; VNHP technical reports: 22-08, 23-03, TBD) by estimating the resilience contribution of parcels adjacent to or nearby all protected lands in the Virginia coastal zone that both support NHR and are managed at least for general natural resource conservation.   While the strategic plan addresses the conservation of the most vulnerable and highest priority NHR on resilient sites, it does not address directly how the NAP system could be most effectively expanded to ensure resilience at individual sites and across the network.  There are new tools available that may lead to more precise predictions of resilience.  VNHP will explore use of the most current and accurate data on sea level rise, marsh migration and building, natural land, species distributions, species observations, and other data, to expand and update the resilience dataset and further illustrate the significance of these data to known NHRs.   VNHP will use these results to inform future conservation decisions, even if those decisions are to let available lands go unprotected because they have low levels of resilience and are not expected to persist.  The results will greatly inform VNHP and our partner efforts to strategically focus limited funding and stewardship resources.

The VNHP proposes collaboration with other land management agencies (e.g., DWR, DOF, USFWS), non-government organizations (e.g., TNC, CBF), and at least one Planning District Commission (to be determined) to ensure that priority lands with NHR are included in the Year 1 assessment.  In Year 2 of this project, the VNHP proposes conducting field inventory of protected-lands adjacent, resilient, and high priority parcels identified in this Year 1 assessment to further guide protection and management decisions.  In Year 3 of this project, the VNHP proposes entering the data collected during Year 2 into Biotics, VNHP’s database management system, and then using the NAP resilience analysis and updated NHR inventory data to update the strategic plan developed under the FY2020-2022 focal project.

Federal Funding:

$44,920

Project Contact:

Joe Weber; 804-371-2545; joseph.weber@dcr.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

VACZM_FY23_Final_Product_Task_73Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

73

Grantee:

Virginia Department of Energy/Virginia Energy

Project Title:

Aggregate Resource Mapping for Localities within the Middle Peninsula, Virginia

Project Description:

To address research needs outlined in the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP) (DCR, 2021), Virginia Energy proposes to conduct mapping of aggregate materials (i.e., sand, gravel) in the Middle Peninsula Planning District. The resulting products will be used by local planners, developers, engineers, and contractors to develop resilient roadways and infrastructure in regions that may be impacted from increased flooding. Aggregate-specific mapping has not been completed for the Virginia Coastal Plain Province. Virginia Energy’s web site hosts an interactive story map resource entitled, “Aggregate in Virginia”, which identifies different types and uses of aggregate across the state and the supply chain and costs associated with transportation of these resources. In many coastal localities, the existing permitted aggregate operations do not meet current or projected future demand (Mineral Mining Program). The project has the potential to occur in three phases across three separate Virginia CZM grants. This scope of work pertains to FY23 only, but a description of how the work may transfer into FY24 and FY25 Virginia CZM-funded projects is included in the Extended Project Description.

For FY23, Virginia Energy will develop an ArcGIS geodatabase, a 1:100,000-scale digital map, and a summary report with economic data for aggregate resources for the Middle Peninsula Planning District. These products are intended to complement existing geological map data at the 1:24,000- to 1:250,000-scale (e.g., Berquist, 2013; Witt et al., 2021), providing a valuable tool for land-use decisions by planning authorities. Additionally, data on aggregate resource potential will benefit the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and associated contractors in identifying potential source material locations. This work will benefit land-use planners by identifying land areas that are restrictive to extractive resources, and potential resource areas that are compatible with local land-use plans.

As stated in the 2022 Middle Peninsula Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, traditional sand and gravel mining provides high wage jobs for the local community and is a recommended industry for growth within the Middle Peninsula region (2022 Plan). An economic study on the cumulative effects of natural resource extractive industries was completed in 2020 for localities within the Middle Peninsula (2020 Study). While the report indicated that sand and gravel mining operations offer high worker wages and revenue returned, the authors also noted the current tax framework should be reassessed to ensure revenue benefits are received by the localities in which the operations occur. Data obtained from these products would provide information on potential economic incentives for aggregate operations, and where more evaluation may be needed. At the end of the project, end-users may incorporate the data into their specific ArcGIS-compatible web browsing applications for increased usability. The proposed work will also support efforts outlined in NOAA’s Middle Peninsula Habitat Focus Area (NOAA Habitat Blueprint), by providing data on potential aggregate for use in living shoreline and coastal resilience projects and identifying areas more vulnerable to disruption by hazards over time.

Federal Funding:

$59,677

Project Contact:

David Hawkins; 434-951-6326; david.hawkins@energy.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Aggregate resource potential reconnaissance mapping of the Middle Peninsula, Virginia: Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

Resilience refers to a community’s ability to adapt to changes from increased hazards due to natural and anthropogenic forcings. Initiatives to better prepare municipalities and establish protective measures are a key focus in the Virginia coastal zone as the region experiences one of the highest rates of sea level rise on the East Coast. The Virginia Department of Energy’s Geology and Mineral Resources Program conducted a study of potential sand, gravel, and clay aggregate resources in a portion of the Coastal Plain. This one-year effort was funded in part by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program through a grant provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The focus for this pilot phase of assessment was Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, which encompasses almost 900 thousand acres, with over a 1,000 miles of shoreline. Other efforts in states with significant glaciofluvial deposits guided this study; however, the geologic deposits in this region of the Coastal Plain are fluvial, estuarine, and marine in origin. Virginia Energy staff conducted a multiparameter geospatial analysis in ArcGIS including the comparison of topographic, geologic and soil maps, borehole data, occurrences of mine sites, textural data, and the presence of sensitive habitat such as wetlands. Staff also visited active mine sites across the project area for field mapping and characterization of existing aggregate materials. The majority of potential sand and gravel deposits identified in study are within Pleistocene fluvial-estuarine terraces, extending into older Pliocene units. Clay resources are typically limited to Miocene Chesapeake Group marine units. These data can support resilience initiatives that were identified in the 2021 Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, which include efforts to mitigate widespread habitat loss, impacts to critical infrastructure, and potential residential displacement due to increased coastal flooding. Planners and contractors who are interested in materials for elevating roads, shoring up existing structures, providing shoreline protection, and restoring wetland habitats can utilize the data to understand where potential resources may occur. The final technical summary report and accompanying digital GIS files are available for download on Virginia Energy’s maps and publications store: https://www.energy.virginia.gov/commerce/. Users should consult the report for details on methodology and criteria used for the resource potential analysis. Funding for this project was made available to Virginia Energy through NOAA’s Section 306 Focal Area funding for fiscal year 2023 and administered via the CZM Program. More details on current project activities can be found here: https://energy.virginia.gov/geology/AggCoastalPlain.shtml.

Technical Summary Report Citation:

Hawkins, D.W. and Schmidt, L.N., 2025, Aggregate resource potential reconnaissance mapping of the Middle Peninsula, Virginia: Virginia Department of Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources Program Open-file Report 2024-19, 34 p., 1 Plate, and 4 appendices.

Geodatabase Citation:

Schmidt, L.N. and Hawkins, D.W., 2025, Aggregate resource potential reconnaissance mapping of the Middle Peninsula, Virginia, Geodatabase NA23NOS4190255_Task73: Virginia Department of Energy, Geology and Mineral Resources Program, accompanying Open-file Report 2024-19.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

90

Grantee:

Virginia Sea Grant at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Project Title:

Section 309 Legal & Policy Technical Assistance

Project Description:

Given the dissolution of William & Mary Law School’s Virginia Coastal Policy Center (VCPC) in June 2023, Virginia CZM will help fund a legal/policy position(s) at Virginia Sea (VASG) to provide legal analysis capacity to Commonwealth stakeholders at the local, regional and state levels with respect to Virginia’s Section 309 5-year strategies. Legal and policy analysis capacity at VASG will leverage a summer legal research assistant and a lawyer at VASG to support the legal and policy analysis of resilience. Although no match is required on Section 309 projects, this task will leverage up to $70K of funds from the VASG, plus additional VASG fund-raising efforts to support legal and policy analysis capacity.  For example, in the past VCPC had received funding from Virginia Environmental Endowment and the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (CCRFR). The CCRFR had been co-hosted by VCPC, along with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Old Dominion University’s Institute of Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ODU ICAR), and was the direct recipient of funds from Virginia’s General Assembly (GA). Current GA budget negotiations are proposing appropriation language to transfer VCPC’s CCRFR funding to VASG for legal/policy analysis capacity. The Virginia CZM Program intends to maintain funding for this Task 90 indefinitely to provide legal and policy assistance to all Section 309 5-year strategies. For FY23 this position(s) to be hired in summer 2023 would work with Tasks in the 91 series (Coastal Hazards), 92 series (Ocean Resources) and 93 series (Marine Debris) as time allows. The priority for FY23 will be the Ocean Resources tasks. The VASG Director and Virginia CZM Manager will continue their ongoing communication and coordination efforts to jointly set workload priorities among Virginia CZM’s Section 309 strategies.

Federal Funding:

$20,000

Project Contact:

Troy Hartley; 804-684-7248; thartley@vims.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Pending

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

91.01

Grantee:

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Working Waterfront Assessment

Project Description:

Working waterfronts provide critical access to coastal waters for people engaged in commercial and recreational fishing, seafood processing, boat building, aquaculture, and other water-dependent businesses. Unfortunately, working waterfronts across the nation face serious challenges due to recurrent flooding, storm surge, wave attenuation deficiencies, and lack of investment to adjust to water management challenges. These and other factors have resulted in Virginia slowly losing its working waterfronts. 

A loss of working waterfronts constitute a potential loss of infrastructure and jobs for watermen (e.g. finfish and shellfish farmers); a loss of the identity of the region; and a loss of support industry jobs (e.g. boat building, transport, seafood processing, etc.) as well as loss of tax revenue. While threats to the existence of working waterfronts remain, there is growing recognition of the problem associated with adapting to water management challenges and an expanding list of possible flood mitigation solutions.

The proposed project will build on previous efforts that have taken place over the last decade to strengthen the working waterfronts found in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay and the Seaside area of the Eastern Shore. Each PDC will identify 5 working waterfronts within their region that are suffering from flooding. These sites will be assessed for water management flooding challenges and associated cost estimates will be prepared with enough detail for entry into the Virginia Coastal Resiliency Master Plan (VCRMP) database for future funding consideration. The PDCs will strive to submit these projects as watershed specific community scale projects for consideration under the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). The PDCs will work with DCR staff to determine how to enter project criteria into the DCR database so that an application for funding can be made to the CFPF. This includes the awareness of development for specific PDC Resiliency Plan(s) according to the criteria established by DCR. Each PDC must have a DCR-approved Resiliency Plan in place as a requirement to make application to DCR for funding of the resiliency project. To date only MPPDC has a DCR-approved plan in place.

This initiative will help communities with both public and privately owned water-dependent commercial infrastructure understand the long-term costs associated with protecting working waterfronts from water management challenges.

Federal Funding:

$54,505

Project Contact:

Lewie Lawrence; 804-758-2311; llawrence@mppdc.com

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission Working Waterfronts Resilience Assessment (PDF)

Working Waterfronts Resilience Assessment Appendices (PDF)

Project Summary:

The Virginia Working Waterfronts (WWF) Resilience Assessment Report evaluates approximately 20 waterfront sites across four (4) Planning District Commissions (PDCs) in Virginia: Accomack-Northampton (ANPDC), Hampton Roads (HRPDC), Northern Neck (NNPDC), and the Middle Peninsula (MPPDC). The assessment, conducted from January to December 2024, focused on identifying infrastructure conditions, operational challenges, and vulnerabilities to coastal hazards, particularly flooding and sea-level rise. The methodology included site visits, interviews with harbormasters, and infrastructure reviews to create a comprehensive understanding of the current and future needs of each site. 

The findings highlight the critical role of these waterfronts for industries such as commercial fishing, seafood processing, and aquaculture, which depend on direct access to coastal waters. However, these sites are increasingly vulnerable to  coastal hazards impacts, including recurrent flooding and storm surge, which threaten both infrastructure and the economic vitality of the region.

Several key projects, like living shorelines and flood management infrastructure, have been identified to address these vulnerabilities and will be submitted for funding through the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). These efforts will support the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP), which aims to guide long-term strategies for strengthening Virginia’s coastal communities and industries.

The WWF assessment provides valuable data to inform future resilience projects, ensuring the protection of Virginia’s working waterfronts from climate change impacts. By addressing these challenges now, the state can preserve the economic and cultural value of its waterfront industries for generations to come.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

91.02

Grantee:

University of Virginia - Institute for Engagement & Negotiation

Project Title:

The RAFT: Maintaining Progress in Coastal Virginia

Project Description:

Through the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation (IEN) and partners’ work with localities to assist them in their resilience efforts, it became clear that an important gap in the toolbox of Virginia’s coastal communities that are dealing with the impacts of climate change is an easy and accessible scorecard to define and measure a locality’s resilience coupled with a supporting process for defining local priorities for resilience and implementing those priorities. In response, The Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (The RAFT) was developed by an interdisciplinary academic collaborative (the “Project Team”), which has included IEN at the University of Virginia, the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at William & Mary Law School, and Old Dominion University's Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ODU).

The goal of The RAFT is to help Virginia’s coastal communities improve resilience to flooding and other coastal hazards while striving to be economically viable and socially relevant. Because this is an “adaptive management” effort, continued refinements to the RAFT are expected in the years ahead. The RAFT is an 18-month process of assessment, engagement, and implementation that bridges the gap between science and action by catalyzing meaningful action by localities to increase their resilience through policies and programmatic changes.

Unlike many resilience initiatives that begin with self-assessments by the locality government, The RAFT process begins with an external resilience assessment (the “Scorecard”) of a locality’s climate-related policies and programs conducted by the Project Team. More recently, to increase a focus on climate equity, the assessment phase has expanded to include a qualitative assessment of community resilience through interviews and focus groups with locality and regional PDC staff, local non-profits, community organizations, critical service providers, and other groups to identify resilience challenges and opportunities. A report of these findings is shared with localities and participants alongside the Scorecard results, and all participants are invited to participate in the community workshop and implementation phase. External assessment of resilience through both qualitative and quantitative processes lends both independence and academic collaboration to the process.

Next, to assure that the assessment of needs and priorities leads to real action, the Project Team engages in a two-step process of presentations to the locality Board of Supervisors or City/Town Council followed by a regional community workshop. This collaborative process enables each community’s thought leaders to identify their community’s resilience strengths and opportunities. The workshop product is a co-produced one-year priority Resilience Action Checklist (“the Checklist”) for each locality, with clear goals and an implementation timeline. A final component of The RAFT process is that the Project Team and partners (such as the Planning District Commission and state agencies) continue to work with the community as Implementation Teams (“IT”) through one year of implementation to provide various forms of assistance, whether technical assistance, studies, facilitation, networking of expertise, or help in finding funding sources to achieve specific resilience goals identified in the Checklist. The Project Team leads monthly IT meetings for each locality throughout the year to work through the Checklist items and sustain the momentum for changes in policy and programs. Through this sustained engagement, the RAFT catalyzes community-level knowledge sharing, networking across silos, and capacity building that is missing from the scope of most resilience assessments performed by private consulting firms on contract. Since the founding of The RAFT, local government representatives have made it clear that the Project Team must continue to provide localities with independent academically-scored and qualitative results, as well as the facilitated implementation and networking support, in order to help generate change.

The portions of the project for which the Project Team seeks 309 funding are vital to the implementation and continuing success of The RAFT. With 309 funding, the Project Team will use the outcomes from its first five rounds of application of The RAFT to continue to grow, develop, and deliver resilience planning resources to Virginia coastal communities. Previous applications of the RAFT included three pilot localities in Hampton Roads, a regional approach of seven localities in Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a regional approach of eight localities in Virginia’s Northern Neck, a regional approach of six localities in the Middle Peninsula, as well as current work in two cities in the Crater region.

Expansion in 2023-2024 will involve: 1) implementation of the fifth round of The RAFT in two localities in the Crater planning district (Hopewell, Petersburg)  and closing out implementation via a workshop; (2) pre-RAFT engagement in George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) localities;  (3) continued support for resilience planning activities in alumni localities, particularly in the Middle Peninsula and Crater regions, and (4) continued review and potential revision of the RAFT scorecard and process to improve inclusion and community connections.

Federal Funding:

$80,000

Project Contact:

Tanya Denckla Cobb; 434-924-1855; td6n@virginia.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

The RAFT: One-Year Virtual Progress Workshop for the Cities of Petersburg & Hopewell Summary and Presentations Synopsis (PDF)

The RAFT: One-Year Virtual Progress Workshop for the Cities of Petersburg & Hopewell Agenda (PDF)

The RAFT: One-Year Virtual Progress Workshop for the Cities of Petersburg & Hopewell PowerPoint presentation (PDF)

Hopewell Final RAFT Implementation Summary, Status, and Next Steps (PDF)

Resilience Planning Recommendations: Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios Workshop Brief for the City of Hopewell, Virginia (PDF)

Hopewell RAFT Implementation 2024 Heat Action Toolkit Comparison (PDF)

The RAFT City of Hopewell Scorecard Report (PDF)

Petersburg Final RAFT Implementation Summary Summary, Status, and Next Steps (PDF)

Fall 2024 Petersburg Open House - Greening Petersburg: Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives: Explore, Vote, Ignite Change (PDF)

Petersburg Trolley Route Survey Responses; Food Sources Survey Responses; Park Location Survey Responses (PDF)

The RAFT Factsheet (PDF)

Proposed Timeline and Plan for Implemen1ng RAFT with Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Historic Triangle Localities (PDF)

RAFT Fall 2023 Alumni Workshop - Lifting Equity in Climate Change: Identifying Climate-Vulnerable People and Places in Your Communities (PDF)

The RAFT Scorecard Template (PDF)

Project Summary:

The goal of The Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) process is to help Virginia’s localities and tribal nations improve environmental, economic, and social resilience to climate change and other stresses. The RAFT framework was developed by an academic collaborative (Project Team), which includes the Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at the University of Virginia, Old Dominion University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR), and Virginia Tech’s Coastal Collaborator. Since RAFT is an “adaptive management” process, customized to the unique needs of each cohort of localities or Virginia (VA) Indian Tribes, RAFT’s assessment metrics and implementation process require continued refinement. This provides an opportunity to iteratively ground truth and test RAFT’s community-driven resilience planning approach against the unique, on-the-ground needs of VA’s diverse communities and tribal nations.

During this project, the Project Team leveraged outcomes and lessons learned from past rounds of RAFT to successfully: 1) implement The RAFT process with the Cities of Petersburg and Hopewell in the Crater Planning District Commission (PDC) (https://raft.ien.virginia.edu/2022-2024-crater); (2) conduct pre-RAFT engagement with the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) (3) provide continued support for resilience planning to RAFT’s 26 alumni localities; and (4) update and refine the RAFT Scorecard to address more diverse climate induced hazards (https://raft.ien.virginia.edu/raft-scorecard).

The RAFT Project Team, led by IEN and ICAR, facilitated monthly or bimonthly Implementation Team (IT) meetings for the Cities of Petersburg and Hopewell through March 2024 as part of The RAFT’s standard, one-year implementation phase. This was followed by a virtual, One-Year Progress Review Meeting hosted on April 12, 2024 to review progress made on Resilience Action Checklist (RAC) items, celebrate locality successes, discuss continued challenges, and review future opportunities. A workshop summary from the event highlights presentations made by locality staff sharing the impact of RAFT faculty at partner universities who provided technical support and research to address diverse locality resilience needs, and representatives from the Crater PDC and local nonprofits who will support resilience work post-RAFT. This critical implementation funding allowed the Project Team to leverage additional resources from the Virginia Environmental Endowment to continue to provide strategic implementation support to the under-resourced cities of Petersburg and Hopewell through October 2024. Key implementation successes included robust technical support facilitated by The RAFT’s three university networks to deliver green infrastructure planning and site designs, city-wise tree canopy strategic planning and tree planting prioritization, transit and broadband mapping, food security assessment, and developing resilience actions and language to be used in the next Comprehensive Plan update. As in other RAFT localities, there were also challenges to implementation and progress. For example, in Hopewell, significant turnover in IT members occurred between the start of the project and the end, leading to shifting priorities. This, coupled with what City staff characterize as a community-wide challenge with sustaining engagement with community leaders and volunteers on all topics, meant that some RAC items did not progress by the end of the project (e.g., exploring redevelopment of the marina). The ICAR team learned to be agile in working with those who did remain engaged and adapt progress and goals over time to meet how needs in Hopewell changed over time and what continuing participants were reasonably able to accomplish.

Through this project, The RAFT was also able to secure a partnership with the HRPDC and begin pre-RAFT engagement with the Historic Triangle localities of the City of Williamsburg, James City County, and York County, Virginia. These localities will be the focus of a next round of RAFT planned to begin in January 2025. Additionally, IEN led an update to The RAFT scorecard that was based on consultations with under-resourced and historically underserved communities, including Southwest Virginia localities and several VA Indian Tribes, to understand how The RAFT Scorecard and assessment metrics can be adapted to address their resilience challenges. This updated scorecard will be used in future iterations of RAFT, including with HRPDC Historic Triangle localities and with VA Indian Tribes.

Finally, this project has allowed The RAFT to continue to provide support to its now 28 alumni localities through periodic communications sharing resilience funding and training opportunities, including an equity workshop held in November 2023. IEN has also continued to advise a Regional Resilience Equity Workgroup in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula and provide strategic consultation on a resilience funding grant program established by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund as an outcome of RAFT in these regions.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

91.03

Grantee:

Wetlands Watch

Project Title:

Supporting & Growing the CRS Program in Virginia’s Coastal Zone

Project Description:

Wetlands Watch will complete three products that will support and grow the Community Rating System (CRS) Program in Virginia’s Coastal Zone. Much of this project continues the work previously funded by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM), enhancing their influence across Virginia’s Coastal Zone, and growing interest and success in the CRS Program. Wetlands Watch will also continue coordinating with the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) program team to offer technical assistance for current RAFT programming and host follow-up meetings for alumni RAFT communities in the Northern Neck region of coastal Virginia. Additionally, this project will build Wetlands Watch’s staff capacity to conduct floodplain management technical assistance to communities, by supporting one staff member to earn the Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) certification.

Wetlands Watch will continue supporting and managing the Coastal Virginia CRS Workgroup in Product 1. This community of practice helps inform professional staff across Virginia’s Coastal Zone, and recently beyond, on various Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs. The CRS Workgroup’s role in the state is particularly important for under-resourced communities that cannot afford to attend meetings in-person. We will grow the value of the CRS Workgroup across Virginia’s Coastal Zone through the creation of one additional educational video that will provide specific CRS information for local staff and other stakeholders. These educational videos are critical to expanding knowledge on the CRS to under-resourced communities who do not have the time or travel budget to attend training in-person. Additionally, Wetlands Watch staff will attend the Association of State Floodplain Managers conference to present on our role as technical assistance provider and capacity builder, while learning from other floodplain professionals on how to improve our current work in coastal localities.

Wetlands Watch will provide two additional CRS Trainings/Evaluations in Product 2. If awarded, Wetlands Watch will have conducted 18 CRS trainings in Virginia’s Coastal Zone at the close of the grant period. This opportunity to meet in-person with locality staff and spend dedicated time reviewing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and CRS Program has been well received and appreciated across Virginia’s Coastal Zone, supporting the continued need for financial support. The CRS Trainings/Evaluations increase education and awareness of the CRS Program, grow participation in the CRS Program, and encourage locality staff to adopt enforceable policies in communities to reduce flood risk. To support this work, Wetlands Watch will have one staff member pursue CFM certification.

Wetlands Watch will continue expanding its partnership with the RAFT team in Product 3, bringing the NFIP and CRS Program training and education to local government RAFT teams. Technical assistance for current RAFT communities includes participating in RAFT team meetings or hosting separate meetings with RAFT communities, as requested, to provide specific information about the NFIP and the CRS. In consultation with the RAFT team, Wetlands Watch will also offer NFIP and CRS assistance to five alumni communities that participated in the RAFT evaluation process in 2020-2021. Technical assistance for RAFT alumni communities includes hosting in-person meetings that seek to accomplish two goals: (1) collect feedback on the community’s progress on implementing resilience initiatives since completing the RAFT process and (2) provide additional technical assistance on the NFIP, CRS, and additional floodplain management technical and funding resources. This follow-up work will continue to build local knowledge and capacity that is critical for Virginia’s Coastal Zone communities.

Federal Funding:

$39,125

Project Contact:

Madison Teeter; 984-220-4878; madison.teeter@wetlandswatch.org

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

September Meeting Attendees List of the Virginia CRS Workgroup (PDF)

Funding for NGOs Floodplain Management Technical Assistance PowerPoint (PDF)

Wetlands Watch Training: Leveraging Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF) Resources to join the Community Rating System (CRS) (PDF)

Technical Assistance: CRS Training/Evaluations Summary 2023-2024 (PDF)

Northumberland and Lancaster County RAFT Alumni Follow-Up Meeting Summary, and Wetlands Watch Outreach for VA DCR’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan Phase II (PDF)

Project Summary:

Coastal VA CRS Workgroup - Increasing Education to Floodplain Professionals: The Coastal Virginia CRS Workgroup met a total of six times during the grant period. The meetings were held both in-person and online via Zoom. The hybrid meetings, that utilize audio/visual equipment financed by previous CZM grant funding, continue to afford the greatest benefit to those resource-stressed localities with limited to zero travel budgets. Wetlands Watch staff coordinated with the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and secured 7 total continuing education credits (CEC’s) for the Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) credential for these workgroup meetings. Wetlands Watch staff attended and presented at the ASFPM National Conference which took place in June 2024. Due to the low subscription of the existing CRS video training resources developed by Wetlands Watch in the prior FY, Wetlands Watch staff instead hosted a virtual training for localities to pursue CFPF resources in September, encouraging localities to pursue CFPF funds to support capacity-building including training for CFM credentialing, flood resilience planning, and staff time necessary to join the CRS. 

Technical Assistance – CRS Trainings/Evaluations: Wetlands Watch conducted two CRS Trainings during this grant period. Crater Planning District Commission and Northern Virginia Regional Commission were provided CRS training, equipping commission staff to serve their member localities as regional CRS hubs for resources and support. During these trainings, member localities participated, increasing the impact of each training.

Integration of the CRS Program into the RAFT: Wetlands Watch has been engaging with the RAFT Team to provide technical assistance and floodplain expertise to RAFT communities. Wetlands Watch staff conducted RAFT alumni community interviews in the Northern Neck with Lancaster County and Northumberland County. Wetlands Watch contacted the remaining three of five planned alumni interviews, but due to low capacity and turnover, the localities were not able to meet. In place of these, Wetlands Watch provided resources to all Northern Neck RAFT alumni communities about the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF), the important resources completed under the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan (VCRMP) development process (funding database & online map tool), and the CZM-funded resilience project database hosted on the Coastal Resilience Master Plan web-portal. Additionally, Wetlands Watch engaged with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Public Outreach Meetings for the VCRMP Phase II in Tappahannock, Warsaw, Richmond and Chesapeake to provide attendees, localities, and partners with resources on the CFPF, coastal resilience, and flood insurance and CRS/NFIP technical assistance. Wetlands Watch staff engaged 63 members of the public during these meetings.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

91.04

Grantee:

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

Project Title:

Developing a Model Floodplain Management “Review, Assess, and Document” Policy

Project Description:

Compliance with the minimum standards of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is mandatory for communities that wish to give their residents the option of purchasing NFIP policies. These minimum standards, which are found in CFR § 60.3, require communities to review and permit “all proposed construction or other development in the community, including the placement of manufactured homes, so that it may determine whether such construction or other development is proposed within flood-prone areas.” Many types of development are also subject to other permitting processes in Virginia. These include stormwater, erosion and sediment control, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, zoning, subdivision, and other requirements. However, a relatively limited number of types of development do not fall under these existing requirements. In many cases, these types of development also have little or no impact on flooding or floodplains. Recognizing this, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has established a mechanism (“Review, Assess, and Document” or “RAD”) for allowing localities to use general permits or a similar class-based process to ensure that the minimum standards are being followed without placing an undue burden on locality staff or residents.

This project will help develop a model policy for Virginia communities (with a focus on coastal communities) wishing to adopt a “RAD” policy as part of their floodplain management programs. The project will include significant coordination and communication with FEMA and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) staff, coastal Planning District Commissions, local government representatives, and other engaged stakeholders to identify issues, questions, and concerns. The project will include significant research into existing examples from communities in FEMA Region 3 (where Virginia is located) and other FEMA regions as well as examples of similar policies for other regulatory programs. Following this research and in consultation with stakeholders the HRPDC staff will develop a model policy and process that could be used by interested localities. The HRPDC staff will also develop a training module and conduct at least one (1) training event with PDC and locality staff.

Federal Funding:

$25,000

Project Contact:

Ben McFarlane; 757-420-8300; bmcfarlane@hrpdcva.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

92.01

Grantee:

Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Project Title:

Interagency Large Whale Stranding MOU – Year 1: Identifying Needs

Project Description:

There have been a large number of large whale strandings in recent years along Virginia’s coast. There are multiple causes for these strandings such as increases in ship traffic causing more whale strikes, increases in the humpback whale population and therefore an increase in strikes, and the steady rate of whale entanglements in fishing gear.  The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center is the sole stranding agreement holder from NOAA Fisheries for the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, dealing with stranded and entangled large whales, requires cooperation and coordination from many state, federal and other stakeholders that are impacted by these events.  Through development of a Virginia stranding response Memorandum of Understanding focusing on large whales, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (MRC) and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) seek to codify state efforts to assist the Virginia Aquarium with resources towards the effort required for large whale responses. This project proposes a two-year effort. In year one (FY23) MRC, working with DWR and the Virginia Aquarium will evaluate the resources required for consistent, scientifically-based large whale stranding response in Virginia. Specifically they will:

• Identify and document the current "regulatory and stranding response/disentanglement resources required" for large whales in Virginia
• Document the future communication structure for when a large whale event occurs
• Identify and reach out to other state agencies and personnel with jurisdiction over public resources needed for recovery, examination and disposal of stranded large whales and “on the water” response to entangled animals.
• Compare other states’(e.g. MD, NC, FL) engagement in stranding response to Virginia’s stranding response for justification and future funding

They will also identify gaps discovered through the exploration of the above.  Specifically they will identify: 

• communication gaps
• equipment and supply gaps
• permissions, agreements and other resources needed for recovery, examination and disposal
• training needs
• funding required for all the above

Meetings among the Virginia Aquarium, MRC, DWR and other as yet unidentified agencies will be held 3-4 times during the grant period to ensure all relevant information is collected and accurate. The Aquarium will have final review of documents and agreements for accuracy.

As yet unidentified agencies may include the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to explore the possibility of using appropriate State Parks and Natural Area Preserves as landing and burial sites for dead whales. Owners of other conserved lands, either publicly owned or owned by The Nature Conservancy, may also be consulted for their potential involvement in this effort. Federal resources such as the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement may also be included in some discussions.

In Year two (FY24), a final large whale stranding plan and interagency MOU will be developed and the group will explore other aspects of marine mammals and sea turtle stranding response and disentanglement in Virginia that could be addressed in future agreements.

Federal Funding:

$40,000

Project Contact:

Rachael Peabody; 757-247-2269; rachael.peabody@mrc.virginia.gov

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Interagency Large Whale Stranding MOU - Year 1: Identifying Needs (PDF)

Project Summary:

This CZM-funded project sought to improve the coordination and response to marine mammal strandings in Virginia by documenting the existing structure of responsibilities and creating formalized plans for collaboration among agencies. With a focus on large whale strandings, the project aimed to streamline communication, identify suitable landing and disposal sites for floating carcasses, and address resource needs for efficient, scientifically-based response efforts. By fostering agreements among stakeholders, the project aimed to enhance timely and effective reactions to stranding events while minimizing conflicts with private and public interests.

The project was originally designed to collaborate with landowners and managers of coastal property along the ocean and Chesapeake Bay shorelines to identify suitable locations and establish agreements for the placement of floating whale carcasses. The overarching goal of this exercise was to minimize conflicts with private landowners while facilitating the examination and disposal of stranded whales in Virginia. Ultimately, the project aimed to foster agreements and understanding among state agencies, public landholders, and the Virginia Stranding Network, with guidance from NOAA Fisheries' Protected Species Division, to streamline the response to and disposal of stranded large whales in Virginia. During the project, a second goal of identifying resource needs for the Stranding Network and its state partners was developed and addressed.

The project was led by Virginia Marine Resources Commission (MRC) who partnered with the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program (VAQS) with funding and staff assistance from Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM). In addition, representatives from Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) State Park and Natural Heritage Divisions, Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, US Navy Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, NOAA Fisheries Protected Species Branch, City of Virginia Beach Public Works were invited to meet with the team and provide input. The team also had assistance from the Coastal GIS Coordinator at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

While the team felt that the project went very well during initial meetings and discussions and a draft memorandum of understanding was completed (included in final report), work remains to get the agreement formalized. The challenges the team faced when trying to develop written agreements with state entities suggests that a considerable amount of explanation may be required before state assets will be formally available for stranding response activities, and the information in the report appendices will be useful in that endeavor for future projects. Despite the challenges in finalizing agreements, the original goal and several ancillary tasks were accomplished and are described in the final report.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

92.02

Grantee:

Virginia Commonwealth University

Project Title:

Virginia Ocean Fisheries Stakeholder Coordinator

Project Description:

Virginia Commonwealth University will provide an Environmental Scientist/Analyst/Program Manager to serve as the Ocean Fisheries Coordinator (OFC) for the VA CZM Program.  The OFC will work under the direction of the Virginia CZM Program Manager as a member of Virginia’s Ocean Planning Committee. The Coordinator will further the development of relationships with Virginia’s ocean-based, commercial fishing  stakeholders through personal contact, public meetings, PGIS workshops and other techniques to refine Virginia’s role as it relates to ocean activities, engagement, policy analysis and information. The OFC will also assist with addressing emerging issues, researching relevant topics, providing policy input and analysis to advance the Virginia Ocean Plan and changes in ocean use.  The Coordinator will concentrate on the commercial fishing sector, as their activities relate to renewable energy, seafood production and processing and ensuring a sustainable seafood industry.

Engagement of the commercial fishing sector will continue to address changes in ocean use, particularly offshore wind to maximize compatibility of multiple uses and sustainability of ocean resources.  The lack of a central coordinating organization for the Virginia commercial fishing industry necessitates this ongoing engagement by the Coordinator. Changes in ocean use are likely to result in changes in Virginia seafood landings resulting from increases in cargo and shipping, deployment of renewable energy and regulations affecting available fishing areas. As Virginia continues to refine their strategy around ocean resources, construction begins in 2024 on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial lease, and new leased areas increase the pressure on limited areas, the need for maintaining a close relationship with the commercial fishing industry will be greater than ever. The VA CZM has supported this activity for more than ten years and has resulted in the VA Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) matching the contribution of funds to support an Ocean Fisheries Coordinator. The VMRC supports that activity through the Commercial Fishing License Fund permitting more time is dedicated to bringing the industry to the table to be part of the decision process and obtain immediate feedback to inform policies.  The Coordinator is a primary point of contact for coordinating outreach and engagement of fishing industry stakeholders, arranging and establishing meetings, and communicating with those stakeholders and the support from the VMRC validates the need.

Integrating the interests of commercial fishing in the existing VA lease area and development of future areas will benefit long-term sustainability of the seafood industry and changes in ocean use. The Coordinator communicates with Cabinet members, state agencies, wind industry developers (Orsted, Dominion Energy, Avangrid, etc.) and the commercial for-hire fishing sectors regarding information sharing, fisheries science and management.  They engage these sectors to better understand their needs and perspectives and to make those available for decision making. The Coordinator is a member of the BOEM Intergovernmental Task Force for the Central Atlantic Call Area, which also strengthens this coordination role.

The Coordinator will assist with obtaining data from the Commercial fishing community, Ports, Renewable Energy developers, and recreational fishers regarding Virginia-based activities to inform the development of Virginia’s ocean strategies and policies.  The OF Coordinator will also work with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) and Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO) on priorities related to commercial and recreational for-hire fisheries in a regional and local context. The Coordinator will participate in MARCO work groups as needed. Outreach and facilitation of stakeholder meetings will be summarized and analyzed such that a Virginia perspective on management objectives will be available for informing and advancing Virginia’s participation. The Coordinator will work with other Mid-Atlantic fisheries and wind related coordinating groups as needed.

Federal Funding:

$55,000

Project Contact:

Todd Janeski; 804-828-2858; tvjaneski@vcu.edu 

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Completed

Final Product:

Virginia Ocean Stakeholder Engagement Final Report (PDF)

Project Summary:

For the grant reporting period, the Virginia Commonwealth University provided a Senior Program Director/Senior Marine Policy Analyst to serve as the VA Ocean-based Commercial Fisheries Coordinator (“Fisheries Coordinator” or FC) for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The grant funded position is supported by both the VA Coastal Zone Management Program (VCZM) and the VA Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) to provide a collaborative and complimentary effort to strengthen the relationship between the ocean-based, commercial fishing industry and the CZM as it relates to changes in ocean use. The role of the Fisheries Coordinator is to deliver direct support to the VCZM Program Manager, VMRC Commissioner’s Office and the Governor of Virginia’s Office on marine policy and ocean fishing issues deemed important to the State of Virginia. The Fisheries Coordinator works closely with those Virginia permitted, licensed, or landed fisheries actively working in the Atlantic Ocean to ensure they are fully informed to changes in ocean use that might directly affect commercial fishing activities, traditional use, and the protection of domestic food security. By working directly with the commercial seafood industry, the Fisheries Coordinator brings their unique perspective to inform the VCZM Program Manager, VMRC, and the Governor’s Cabinet on issues as it relates to the ocean-based commercial fisheries. This role has provided the Commonwealth with a unique perspective to remain ahead of most issues that could impact the success of those private businesses and the seafood economy.

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

92.03

Grantee:

Virginia Commonwealth University

Project Title:

Virginia Ocean Fisheries Data Development

Project Description:

Virginia Commonwealth University will provide an Environmental Scientist/Analyst/Program Manager, serving as the Ocean Fisheries Coordinator (OFC) for the Commonwealth, to oversee the development of ocean fisheries data as it relates to developing products from the NOAA GARFO Fishing Footprint data. The OFC will work under the direction of the Virginia CZM Program Manager as a member of Virginia’s Ocean Planning Committee and directly with the VA Marine Resources Commission to further quantify fisheries exposure as it relates to changes in ocean use.

Changes in ocean use, particularly through the deployment of offshore wind, will require the Commonwealth to obtain more detailed information regarding fishing activity, fisheries shifts, migration, and affects from changes in climate to inform policies. The goal of this effort is to ensure those important fisheries to Virginia are sustainably and economically managed. As Virginia continues to refine their strategy around ocean resources, construction begins in 2024 on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial lease, and new leased areas increase the pressure on limited areas, the need for understanding the direct impacts to ports and fishing sectors will be greater than ever. The VA CZM has supported the engagement of commercial fisheries for more than ten years and has resulted in the VA Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) matching the contribution of funds to support an Ocean Fisheries Coordinator. The VMRC support of these activities through the utilization of the Commercial Fishing License Fund has permitted more time to bring the industry to the table to be part of the decision process and obtain immediate feedback to inform policies.  Integrating additional commercial fishing data broken down by port and sector, cross-walked with wind development areas will benefit long-term sustainability of the seafood industry and historic ocean use.

The NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) maintains and publishes reports on fisheries data in a variety of formats including Socioeconomic Impacts of Atlantic Offshore Wind Development. This report been extremely useful in providing a baseline of understanding of the potential fisheries and businesses affected by wind development and deployment. NOAA clearly states the limitations of these reports, “we do not recommend these summary reports be used for project-specific analysis, but they can be used to identify fundamental data that are available and should be included in such an analysis.” Working directly with the NOAA GARFO, the VCU will coordinate with fisheries economists, fisheries researchers, state agencies and the commercial sector to refine those data to improve upon those NOAA data products.

Federal Funding:

$41,370

Project Contact:

Todd Janeski; 804-828-2858; tvjaneski@vcu.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.

Virginia CZM Program: 2023 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary

Project Task Number: 

93

Grantee:

Longwood University - Clean Virginia Waterways

Project Title:

Implementation of Marine Debris Reduction Strategies

Project Description:

This task supports the VA CZM Program’s leadership in reducing marine debris:

1. Development and implementation of new laws and policies that will be created inspired by the VA Marine Debris Reduction Plan (VMDRP) and Section 309 5-year strategies.
   • This will include sharing with policy makers the results of the 2022 public opinion survey which measures support for laws and policies that will reduce marine debris.
2. Implementation of the 2021-2025 VMDRP and NOAA’s Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan. Also, collaboration with the Mid-A Committee on the Ocean’s Marine Debris Work Group.
3. Monitoring of Fisherman Island for balloon debris.

The VMDRP (updated in 2021) charts a course to measurably reduce marine debris in Virginia coastal waters focusing on specific actions (e.g., policies, procedures, outreach campaigns). These Actions were determined to be politically, socially, and economically feasible in VA.

Actions in the VMDRP are organized under four Goals:

• Consumer Debris (22 Actions)
• Derelict Fishing Gear (17 Actions)
• Microplastics & Microfibers (13 Actions)
• Abandoned & Derelict Vessels (8 Actions)

The Strategies in the Plan are: Prevention; Education and Outreach; Research, Monitoring, Data Collection; Proper Disposal/Infrastructure; Removal and Cleanup; and Policy & Management.

Projects undertaken during this grant period will include priorities that were set by stakeholders:

1. Analyze existing legislation & policies. Provide recommendations to local and state elected officials to support waste minimization of common and harmful marine debris (e.g., plastic bags, food & beverage packaging)
2. Analyze policy recommendations from government-mandated work groups (i.e., the Plastic Waste Prevention Advisory Council; Waste Diversion and Recycling Task Force)
3. Increase engagement with state and local advocacy groups and the public regarding policies that are proven to reduce marine debris
4. Facilitate adherence to Virginia’s laws and policies by raising public awareness and working with vendors
   • assist communities in placing a 5-cent fee on plastic shopping bags
   • stop the intentional releasing of helium-filled balloons
   • phase out the use of expanded polystyrene food packaging
5. Continue to co-facilitate the work of the Virginia Abandoned & Derelict Vessel Work Group. Support adoption of laws and policies that prevent or remove abandoned boats.
6. Virginia Plastic Pollution Prevention Network: facilitate coordination, collaboration, and communication among groups working to reduce marine debris and plastic pollution
7. Provide financial support to local governments and NGOs for pilot programs to reduce marine debris
8. Explore alternatives to netting used in clam aquaculture as well as alternative disposal options
9. Reach out to the media regarding intentional balloon release events
10. Work with mid-A partners to develop and implement a social marketing campaign to increase the use of reusable water bottles at beaches (led by MARCO)
11. Conduct an economic assessment of the cost of mismanaged waste (Phase 2)
12. Continue monitoring at Fisherman Island. Also prepare a report summarizing ten years of monitoring there
13. Support existing community-based social marketing campaigns

Overall Impacts

Reduction of marine debris will have positive impacts on coastal resources, protected species such as marine mammals and sea birds, and economically important species and will make significant contributions to Virginia’s coastal economy as well as protect coastal and ocean resources. Plastic tarps, abandoned nets and fishing gear, tires, and other debris can smother and crush sensitive ecosystems as far away from land as the deep-sea corals found in the submarine canyons off VA’s coast. Derelict fishing gear (e.g., fishing line, nets, and rope pieces), consumer debris (e.g., plastic bags) as well as abandoned and derelict vessels can compromise boaters’ safety.

Federal Funding:

$160,000

Project Contact:

Zach Huntington; 804-214-1905; huntingtonza@longwood.edu

Project Status:

10/1/23 - 9/30/24; Project Open

Final Product:

Project Summary:

Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Ryan Green, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4258 or email: Ryan.Green@deq.virginia.gov 

A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov or April.Bahen@deq.virginia.gov.