On July 31, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments to Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program on the commonwealth’s Coastal Needs Assessment and Strategies for 2021-25. Pew expressed support for the program’s focus on incorporating coastal hazards and climate impacts into enforceable coastal zone management policies, the continuation of assistance for local resilience planning, and the promotion of living shorelines. In its comments, Pew also backed the development of an ocean plan to address current and emerging needs and use the best available science to identify and protect ecologically rich areas in coastal and offshore waters.
The updated strategy will allow Virginia to receive funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the Coastal Zone Management Act to implement these priority efforts.