Posted on March 31, 2020
Despite the shutdown that the Coronavirus has caused & thanks to modern technology, last week’s 2020 National Coastal Summit kicked off their two-day event on March 23 in an ONLINE ONLY format.
The Coastal Summit co-chairs Brian Caufield (Coastal Eng- CD Smith), Margarita Kruyff (Asst. Dir. Environ. & Sustainability, Miami), Mike McGarry (Program Mgr. Beaches & Waterways-Brevard County, Fl) and ASBAP Executive Director Derek Brockbank and Managing Director Kate Gooderham kicked off the meeting by welcoming all on-line participants.
Highlights were USACE’s Martin Durkin from Jacksonville District and Jeff Strahan from Headquarters discussing district perspective on process involved in the benefit cost ratio (BCR) of a USACE coastal storm risk management (CSRM) project, as well as benefit cost ratios and policy.
Ken Wilson – Coastal Protection Eng. from Dare County, NC discussed local funding examples through special taxing district & tourism/bed/occupancy taxes to provide for beach restoration.
Michael Brain and Ken Wilson
Michael Brain, who serves as Professional Staff for the Subcommittee on Energy & Water Appropriations for the U.S. House of Representatives, discussed the challenges of possible future increases beyond current funding levels due to the current Coronavirus outbreak.
Other Congressional Committee Staff members Camille Touton-Transportation & Infrastructure, John Kane-Environment & Public Works, Alexis Rudd-Commerce Committee and Bill Ball-Natural Resources Committee provided progress of various bills in the committees on coastal & living shoreline bills and encouraged stake holders to continue to reach out to the committees.
Other presenters discussed important issues from designing natural infrastructure, spectrum of funding and financing tools, water & beach program, offshore energy’s impact on coastal funding to FEMA’s involvement in building resilient infrastructure and briefing as to what’s happening on the hill from congressional committee staff.
ASBAP made a point throughout the presentations to thank all of the Coastal Summit’s sponsors for their continued support.
The next ASBAP National Coastal Conference is scheduled for October 13-16, 2020, in Long Beach, Ca., with Shifting Shores, Surf and Sediment as the main agenda.
