EFC has released the guidance document Integrating Resilience into Local Capital Improvement Programs, which shares best practices for embedding climate preparedness into capital improvement planning processes in municipalities and counties.
This document is a companion to the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy's report Mainstreaming Sea Level Rise Preparedness in Local Planning and Processes on Maryland's Eastern Shore, which aims to help local governments plan for the impacts of sea level rise expected in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
EFC's document discusses the need and opportunity to protect tax-funded capital projects from climate threats, by assessing vulnerabilities of existing assets and ensuring that new projects are located and designed to withstand environmental conditions expected over the assets' lifetime.
The sea level rise report was written on behalf of the Eastern Shore Climate Adaptation Partnership (ESCAP), a regional workgroup of local government staff, partners from the state of Maryland, academic institutions and nonprofits seeking to help Maryland's Eastern Shore communities reduce climate risks, share information, and pursue adaptation strategies.
For more information, contact Kristel Sheesley at sheesley@umd.edu