Mass. Governor Launches Initiative for Climate Resiliency

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(TNS) – Gov. Maura Healey is launching the ResilientCoasts initiative, a new strategy to find and develop long-term solutions to the harms of climate change along 1,500 miles of coastal line across the Commonwealth’s communities.

The initiative will be led by a new chief coastal resilience officer – who has yet to be named – within the Office of Coastal Zone Management. The initiative will work with 78 coastal communities in the Bay State to establish different districts based on “their unique climate impacts,” the governor announced Tuesday.

Together, coastal communities and ResilientCoasts will work to create policies and strategies for addressing climate change while maximizing funding opportunities.

On a statewide level, the Office of Coastal Zone Management will work with relevant state agencies to evaluate infrastructure needs, best scientific practices and financial strategy. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will lead a statewide buyout program to purchase properties that are at risk of climate change impacts.

“Climate change poses a very real threat to our coastal way of life, but it also presents a unique opportunity for us to build communities that are safer and more equitable for years to come,” Healey said in a statement. “This is a matter of fiscal responsibility. Our coastal cities and towns have been weathering erosion, sea level rise, and extreme storms without a holistic state strategy. Homeowners, small businesses, and municipal governments deserve a regional approach to this problem. Our ResilientCoasts initiative will allow us to bring the full powers of the state to deliver real solutions to our coastlines.”

State officials estimate that if global emissions are not significantly reduced, sea levels near Massachusetts could rise by up to 2.5 feet by 2050, compared to the levels recorded in 2008.

Severe flooding is already expected to increase in Massachusetts, officials said. The increasing sea levels pose a threat to the infrastructure in coastal communities.

Currently, the estimated value of infrastructure in these areas for the century is approximately $55 billion. But, by 2070, the Bay State could be paying over $1 billion per year to address the damages heavy rain and storms inflict on coastal communities.

A little over half of the people who live in Massachusetts’ coastal regions consist of people of color, low-income residents, and/or communities facing language barriers.

“Now is the time for action,” Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer said in a statement. “This initiative will allow us to make prudent cost-saving investments that protect our communities and coastal ecosystems. The state’s 2022 Climate Assessment identifies a reduction in state and municipal revenues as an “urgent impact” of climate change with a “major level of consequence.” As we pull out all the stops to reduce emissions, these investments will help municipalities and the state save on climate response costs in the long term.”