Preparing for the Storms: Municipal Adaptation for Climate Change Resiliency
Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors Annual Conference
UMass Lowell – Inn and Conference Center June 6, 2013
E. Heidi Ricci
Senior Policy Analyst Mass Audubon
Thanks to Scott Horsley, Horsley and Witten, Carrie Banks, MA Div. of Ecological Restoration, and Elisabeth Hamin, UMass LARP
Shaping the Future of Your Community Program
Working in the state’s fastest developing regions to provide community leaders and concerned citizens with tools and support to chart a more sustainable future
www.massaudubon.org/shapingthefuture
Landscape Context for Resiliency
Ecological Resiliency: ability of a natural system to return to a stable state following a disturbance
Intact habitats are most
resilient to many threats and stresses
Interconnection is vital for adaption and migration
Landscape Planning
Focus land conservation on areas most critical for long-term persistence of rare and other native species, exemplary natural communities and a diversity of ecosystems Align local plans and zoning Look beyond parcel and municipal boundaries
Protect the biodiversity of MA in the context of projected effects of climate change.
Prioritize Protection: Important habitat and Green Infrastructure Prioritize Development: Concentrate near infrastructure and away from important natural resources
Planning Ahead for Growth
Regional Plans – Toolkit for Implementing • Priority Protection Areas • Priority Development Areas www.massaudubon.org/495Toolkit
Resiliency and the Built Environment
Scour on the outside of meander bends
Deposition on inside of bends
Rivers erode and deposit. Give them room to move
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Swift River, Cummington
Photo: Matthew Grallert Photo: NRCS
Photo: NRCS
Bank hardening transfers energy downstream
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Building constructed between 2005 and 2008, now in regulated floodplain after 2010 FEMA re-study
100-year flood, depth >1 foot, from 2010 FEMA study
Prior 100-year flood, depth > 1 foot
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Same building, March 2010 flood (approximately 40-year flood)
Horsley Witten Group, Inc.
Watershed Barriers
Taunton Watershed Dams
Taunton Watershed Barriers
Barriers to Aquatic and Terrestrial Life Movements
Hazards - degraded conditions, undersized culverts
Walker Brook, Becket
(10/06/05)
Undersized culverts
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
6/30/2011
Same Site – Culverts washed out in 2005 replaced with similarly undersized culverts
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Post Irene
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Post Irene – Replacement Culverts
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 years
10 + years
Estimate for Stream Crossing Span:
Cost of Two Replacements in 6 years:
$130k
$300-400k
Comparison of Estimated Crossing Lifespan and Costs
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
• 2- 10 foot box culverts washed out in 2003. Road was closed to all traffic. • Culvert had a history of clogging with debris
Bronson Brook, Worthington
Design with the river in mind!
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Bronson Brook During and Post Irene
River process slides courtesy Carrie Banks, MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Political Technical (lack of
data and guidance)
Staff time and money
Costs to implement
Barriers
• Spotlight – Master Plan update or freestanding Adaptation Plan
• Mainstream – Modify local regulations – wetlands, floodplain, zoning/subdivision, stormwater, etc.
• Stealth – or No Regrets
– multi benefits
Public Health
Sustainable Development
Disaster Risk Reduction
Choose Your Method
Multi-sector Adaptation Planning Analysis
Remove barriers to fish and
accommodate storm flows
Green infrastructure
and low impact
development
No Regrets Actions
Mitigation/Adaptation Co-Benefits
• Compact development and land conservation keeps forested and natural (carbon absorbing) lands intact • Massachusetts’ forests are sequestering 12% of our annual carbon emissions! • Every acre of forest holds 85 TONS of carbon • Natural landscapes absorb rainfall during storm events, decreasing flooding, and filter the air and our drinking water
http://www.apa-ma.org/resources/publications/nrb-guidebook
Subdivision Regulations – Low Impact Development
Clean Energy and Climate Change Tools
• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
• Green Communities
• Greening Transportation
• Energy Efficiency
• Protecting Natural Carbon Storage and Resiliency
© Andrew Sylvia, Westford Solar Park
www.massaudubon.org/495Toolkit
The Massachusetts Homeowner's Handbook to Prepare for Coastal Hazards Grant Funding available from MEMA for Hazard Mitigation
