The Great Marsh Coastal Adaptation Plan Is Now Online

We are excited to announce that the final Great Marsh Coastal Adaptation Plan is now available online and accessible to all!

  The Great Marsh Coastal Adaptation Plan is the product of a two-year adaptation planning effort led by the National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Ipswich River Watershed Association and municipal task forces from six coastal communities in northeastern Massachusetts (Salisbury, Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex). The report assesses regional and town-specific vulnerabilities to current and future coastal climate impacts, and identifies near and long-term ecosystem-oriented strategies that reduce risk and increase community resiliency. Strategies include natural and nature-based solutions, building retrofits, policy measures, and outreach and education initiatives—all of which are operationally feasible and can be implemented in the near to moderate term. Shovel-ready projects have been identified and vetted and relevant municipal policy measures have been identified that incentivize climate-smart development.

The plan also provides key recommendations for advancing the implementation of nature-based adaptation strategies in the Great Marsh Region. This report was developed with financial support from the U.S. Department of the Interior, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant Program, and from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management’s Coastal Community Resilience Grant Program.

The health and resiliency of the Great Marsh lies in the hands of the towns and the region, and the Great Marsh partners stand ready to assist and help drive further progress across our communities. Please visit www.greatmarshresiliency.org to learn more about the project and www.nwf.org/greatmarshadaptation to download the plan.