U.S. House Passes Coastal Resilience Bill That Will Benefit Birds and People
Statement from Karen Hyun, VP for Coastal Conservation, 约炮视频
WASHINGTON (December 10, 2019) 鈥 The US House of Representatives voted to invest in coastal resilience today with the passage of the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act. The legislation, consolidating ten bills including H.R. 729, H.R. 3115, H.R. 3596, H.R. 2185, H.R. 3541, H.R. 1747, H.R. 1023, H.R. 2189, H.R. 1314, and H.R. 2405, will help coastal states and communities prepare for impacts from flooding, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and changing weather conditions. Included in the bill is much needed financial assistance to help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change on all of our coasts.
鈥淭his bill will help communities implement natural infrastructure solutions that will build coastal resilience and deliver important environmental benefits to birds, wildlife, and their habitats,鈥 said Karen Hyun, vice president for coastal conservation, 约炮视频. 鈥淏y making these investments Congress will save taxpayer dollars by avoiding disaster-related expenditures, enhancing public safety, and providing environmental benefits.鈥
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal areas, which face increasing threats from rising seas, erosion, and storm hazards. In addition to the effects of more extreme weather events, sea level rise is also increasing the number of days coastal communities are experiencing costly 鈥渘uisance鈥 or 鈥渟unny day鈥 flooding. NOAA estimates that some communities have seen a 300 percent to more than 900 percent increase in nuisance flooding over the last 50 years and that 170 coastal communities across the U.S. will be affected by nuisance flooding more than 26 times per year by 2035 (an increase from just 2.1 days per year 50 years ago). And sea level rise is accelerating with climate change, which will exacerbate the risks to communities from both routine and catastrophic flooding.
For more information on the legislation and how it can help communities, birds and other wildlife in support of the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act.
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Media Contact: Matt Smelser, matt.smelser@audubon.org, 202.516.559