March 25, 2021
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Wetlands Watch is an environmental and advocacy organization based in Norfolk, Virginia that educates the public and policymakers on behalf of Virginia’s wetlands. Sea level rise threatens 50-80% of the state’s tidal wetlands, so Wetlands Watch’s recent work focuses on helping local governments in Virginia adapt to this growing threat.
“We estimated that we were going to lose 50–80% of our vegetated tidal wetlands due to sea level rise. So the question became: how are we going to allow these wetlands to migrate uphill and adapt to sea level rise?”
— Skip Stiles, Wetlands Watch’s Executive Director
In September 2020, Wetlands Watch was selected as one of American Flood Coalition’s 2020 Flooding Solutions Grantees. Through this grant, they are working with two municipalities in coastal Virginia to create resilient land use strategies that combine buyouts, conservation, and market-based tools to reduce flood risk and benefit landowners and communities. Wetlands Watch’s work in the City of Chesapeake and the City of Norfolk will generate best practices for other communities utilizing the FEMA Hazard Mitigation program for buyouts or implementing resilient zoning ordinances.
Wetlands Watch created the video series below, to introduce their projects in Chesapeake and Norfolk.
Introducing Wetlands Watch’s sea level rise initiatives
First, meet Wetlands Watch’s Executive Director Skip Stiles and learn about the relationship between wetlands and sea level rise. Next, hear from their Policy Director Mary-Carson Stiff about how they are looking to experts to identify how land trusts can help Chesapeake and Norfolk manage flood-affected areas and parcels. Click on the Twitter link below to watch the first two videos!
In @WetlandsWatchVA’s two projects, they are looking to experts to identify how land trusts can help #Chesapeake and #Norfolk manage flood-affected areas and parcels. More from Wetlands Watch Policy Director Mary-Carson Stiff….and stay tuned for new videos all week! pic.twitter.com/0Ki5EKdycG
— American Flood Coalition (@floodcoalition) March 22, 2021
A closer look at the pilot projects in Chesapeake and Norfolk
In the next video, Mary-Carson explains the aim of the Chesapeake, Virginia project. Watch the video to learn how this project raises an important question that could help towns across the U.S: can a land trust turn bought-out properties into resilient spaces that reduce flooding? In Norfolk, Virginia, Wetlands Watch is working with community members and the land trust to help landowners voluntarily get themselves out of harm’s way as flood risk increases. In a final in-depth video, Mary-Carson illustrates how Wetlands Watch, a land trust, and property owners are collaborating in Norfolk to set up voluntary agreements for property owners to move as flood risk increases.
Today's #AFCGrantees On-the-Ground video focuses on @WetlandsWatchVA’s pilots. 1st up – Chesapeake, #Virginia where Mary-Carson Stiff asks a question that could help towns across the US: can a land trust turn bought-out properties into resilient spaces that reduce #flooding? pic.twitter.com/q2OHFFbXHu
— American Flood Coalition (@floodcoalition) March 23, 2021
How these pilot projects scale
“This pilot project that we are running is the first of its kind in the nation. We hope that our work in the pilot project will help other communities and other organizations struggling with the same realities of sea level rise develop and implement the same types of projects in their communities.”
— Mary-Carson Stiff, Wetlands Watch Policy Director
Besides providing valuable information and promising models for Chesapeake and Norfolk to address flooding, Wetlands Watch’s pilot projects create templates for action in communities around the country. Mary-Carson explains the projects’ scalability in the final video in the series.
How do @WetlandsWatchVA’s pilot projects create templates for action in communities around the country? Learn more in the final video of the #AFCGrantees On-the-Ground video series: 📷 = @madisonateeter pic.twitter.com/ynkYu5h6S3
— American Flood Coalition (@floodcoalition) March 24, 2021
American Flood Coalition is proud to work with Wetlands Watch on these visionary projects. Follow the AFC Blog to learn more about their work and our other Flooding Solutions Grantees, the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER), featured here, and Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development. To set up a call with an AFC team member, just send an email.
This post was authored by Star Nadiyah, Digital Marketing Associate, and Caroline Resor, Strategy Associate. Video credit goes to Wetlands Watch’s Madison Teeter.
