Presenter: Michael Levkowitz, Marc Hershman Fellow / Department of Ecology Title: Building Coastal Community Resilience through Effective Partnerships.

The Coastal Hazards Resilience Network (CHRN) is comprised of hazards and climate change practitioners from federal, tribal and state government agencies, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations in Washington State. The CHRN aims to improve regional coordination, integration, and understanding of coastal hazards and climate change impacts through the establishment of effective partnerships. In addition, the network aims to address multi-hazard planning, preparedness, adaptation, response and recovery as critical needs in Washington State. To help strengthen local capacity to reduce risk, FEMA initiated a Risk MAP (Mapping, Assessment, and Planning) program to provide communities with enhanced multi-hazard data and assessment information. This process culminates with a Resiliency Meeting where FEMA-generated data is presented to local communities. Resiliency meetings also offer an opportunity for local governments to provide feedback on FEMA’s risk assessment and highlight additional areas of concern. The CHRN has partnered to support FEMA’s efforts through the Risk MAP process by further supporting the needs and interests of communities beyond the Resiliency Meetings to move towards implementation. As a result of this work, the CHRN has been able to assist two communities with high priority hazard issues (North Cove and the City of Ocean Shores) and will continue to help address the needs of Washington’s coastal communities identified through the Risk MAP process and other forums. This presentation will highlight the CHRN’s role in the FEMA RiskMAP process and will continue with the results of that partnership through two community case studies: Ocean Shores and North Cove. These two coastal communities are facing severe shoreline erosion, one of which has the fastest eroding shoreline on the US Pacific Coast.[1] As a result of the heavy erosion, the land under the homes in North Cove is disappearing, leaving the homes in danger of “falling into” the Pacific Ocean. Due to the heavy storms in December 2014, three separate homes fell victim in one week.[2] The community of Ocean Shores has historically implemented short-term solutions due to immediate need of preparation and response to severe storms, to protect its condominium development, however those solutions have aged and are now failing. The drastically eroding shorelines in both communities are jeopardizing the safety and livelihoods of residents. The CHRN’s efforts to provide technical assistance and management solutions for each community will be showcased as part of this presentation. [1] http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/coast/erosion/North Cove.html 2014. Southwest Coastal Erosion Study, George Kaminsky, 2001. [2] Eldridge, 2014. http://www.komonews.com/news/local/WATCH-IT-GO-3rd-home-tips-into-ocean-at-Washaway-Beach-285567491.html