VASG held a listening session as part of the Virginia Coastal Policy Team meeting agenda on Wednesday, Feb 18th. The Virginia Coastal Policy Team is managed and chaired by the Virginia Coastal Program, and is comprised of coastal and marine staff from the state agencies, planning directors from the coastal planning district commissions, and staff from VIMS. The Team meets quarterly and is attended by 35-40 participants.
General needs identified during the meeting:
- Climate change, adaptation – conducting the mapping and research to understand what’s under threat at the local scale in Virginia’s coastal region.
- Impacts of climate change on coastal wetlands and coastal community infrastructure.
- Offshore energy – mapping uses along the coast and ocean, e.g., fishing activity, benthic ecology, turtle migration, bird migration pathways, bat movements offshore.
- Water quality – wastewater treatment infrastructure, marine debris.
Needs identified specifically for VASG, during our section of the agenda:
Sustainable coastal development
- Water quantity, drinking water in the coastal zone
- Cumulative, aggregate impacts of regulatory requirements on local governments
Participants also identified other specific resources and information sources that might be constructive for VASG to review during its strategic planning activities, including:
- The Coastal Program has made a considerable investment in mapping and database serving (coastal GEMS). They are working with various partners (e.g., TNC, VIMS) to expand GEMS off-shore.
- The Nature Conservancy held a climate change workshop regarding the impacts of the seaside, pulling together scientists from VIMS and others to identify specific impacts on the seaside of Virginia. The report will be done by spring, and a management implication workshop will be held thereafter in April/May.
VASG is extremely grateful to Laura McKay with the VA Coastal Program and the entire VA Coastal Policy Team for dedicating time on their busy agenda to VASG. We thank them for their helpful and enlightened comments. We look forward to holding more listening sessions around the state and continuing to hear about the interests, needs and concerns of VASG’s constituents and stakeholders.
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