Gov. Maura Healey Unveils MA ResilientCoasts Initiative In Beverly

BEVERLY, MA — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll were in Beverly on Tuesday to unveil a new state ResilientCoasts initiative aimed at developing long-term regulatory, policy and funding programs to help combat the effects of climate change along the state's 78 coastal communities.

A new Chief Coastal Resilience Officer within the Office of Coastal Zone Management will work with the communities to mitigate the effects of what the administration said is a projected sea-level rise of 2.5 feet from 2050 compared to 2008 "if global emissions are not significantly reduced."

By 2070, the administration said, statewide annual average damages to coastal structures could be
more than $1 billion per year.

"Climate change poses a very real threat to our coastal way of life, but it also presents a unique opportunity for us to build communities that are safer and more equitable for years to come," said Healey. "This is a matter of fiscal responsibility. Our coastal towns have been weathering erosion, sea level rise, and extreme storms without a holistic state strategy.

"Homeowners, small businesses, and municipal governments deserve a regional approach to this problem. Our ResilientCoasts initiative will allow us to bring the full powers of the state to deliver real solutions to our coastlines."

Healey made the announcement at the Carriage House in Beverly.

"Lynch Park is a beautiful, historic place where community comes together," Healey said. "But coastal flooding, erosion, and severe weather put it all at risk."

According to the administration, of the nearly 2.5 million people that live within the 78 coastal communities in Massachusetts, approximately 55 percent of the population lives within Massachusetts-designated Environmental Justice Block Groups, representing communities of color, low-income populations, and/or communities facing language barriers.

"Gov. Healey and I both hail from coastal communities and we feel strongly about the need for both strong statewide support and local collaboration," Lt. Gov. and former Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "As mayor of Salem, our city saw a need for state, regional, and local collaboration on tough coastal issues. ResilientCoasts will provide this framework to harness the expertise of our communities to implement a long-term vision for our coasts."

Massachusetts has the nation's oldest coastal and waterways protection program with the goal of the ResilientCoasts initiative to:

• Support nature-based solutions for coastal erosion and flood protection and resilience;
• Streamline the permitting process for coastal restoration and resilience projects;
• Ensure that permitting and regulatory processes consider projected future sea level rise and precipitation levels that are based on the latest science and accurately reflect the changing climate.

"As a coastal city and environmental justice community, Salem is contending with escalating impacts from the climate crisis," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "Excited by today's announcement of the Resilient Coasts initiative by Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll, look forward to putting it into action."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)