Adaptation to the Impacts of Sea‐Level Rise at the Monmouth County Raritan Bayshore Developed in partnership with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve‐Rutgers University, Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National recreation Area‐National Park Service, and the American Littoral Society
June 4, 2009
Adaptation to the Impacts of Sea‐Level Rise at the Monmouth County Raritan June 4, Bayshore 2009
Table of Contents
Issue/Background 1
Workshop Objective 1
Workshop Summary 2
Agenda 5
Workshop Participants 6
More Information
Coastal Resources 7 GIS Resources 7 Workshop Presenters 8
Adaptation to the Impacts of Sea‐Level Rise at the Monmouth County Raritan June 4, Bayshore 2009
Issue/Background The impacts of global warming and sea‐level rise are currently affecting many elements of the Monmouth County Raritan Bayshore communities. The Raritan Bayshore is home to over 120,000 residents and is situated in the northern region of Monmouth County, NJ. The ecological area is a mix of developed community, wetlands, micro‐estuaries, and beach systems. Because the area is relatively close to local mean sea level, flooding is common during storm events. The erosion of the estuarine beaches and dunes, along with absolute sea‐level rise, impacts the built and the natural environment. The projected climate change impacts for coastal regions are an increased rate of sea‐level rise, displacement of natural features related to a sea‐level position, increased frequency of flooding of low‐ lying, fixed infrastructure, and increased vulnerability to inundation caused by storms. These coastal changes are impacting the vital marine resources and coastal ecosystems, as well as posing potential damage to building, business, and infrastructure. Effective adaptation measures often meet obstacles due to finite financial resources and a lack of community awareness and understanding of scientific projections
Workshop Objective The main objective of the workshop is to provide the communities with a better understanding of New Jersey’s Bayshore dynamics, and to promote a collective approach to adaptation of the impact of sea‐level rise in the Raritan Bayshore Area. In an effort to convey information about the scale of sea‐ level rise and its variety of impacts on the natural and cultural systems of the Bayshore of Monmouth County, Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook and the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve held a workshop to aid the communities in conducting vulnerability assessments and developing a community adaption plan. Together, the efforts of this workshop would like to help the Raritan Bayshore communities prepare for adaptation, develop initiatives to reduce coastal hazard risks, establish a system to incorporate local concerns, and improve the resilience of the communities. Our goal was to reach five to seven members from the planning and zoning boards, environmental commissions, and engineering offices from each of the seven municipalities. Contact with the communities began with e‐mails informing the municipalities that a workshop was being planned. A Coastal Needs Assessment was sent in April 2009, along with a follow up letter in the beginning of May 2009. An invitation to the workshop and agenda was sent out, via mail and e‐mail, in the middle of May. A week before the workshop, phone calls were made to the members of the Environmental Commissions.
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Workshop Summary Rutgers, The State University partnered with the JCNERR, the National Park Service: Gateway National Recreation Area and the American Littoral Society to host a workshop that focused on adaptation to sea‐level rise at the Monmouth County Raritan Bayshore. The workshop was directed at local officials and board members that are interested in protecting their municipalities from sea‐level rise.
In the morning we heard from Barry Sullivan, Superintendant of Gateway National Recreation Area (GNRA). Barry identified the global and local changes that will be occurring due to climate change. He compared observed and predicted changes using data from the IPCC and other reports. The park will be developing their new general management plan to preserve the parks resources in light of climate change. A study done at Columbia University looking at the effects of climate change for Gateway identified key problem areas for the park; including wetlands loss, flooding, erosion, and damage to existing structures. Future projects for mitigation and adaption could involve decreasing hard structures along the shoreline and restoring wetlands, natural dune systems, and the natural shoreline. The systems cannot be restored to the way they were, but adaptation and mitigation can occur. Gateway National Recreation Area will continue to collaborate with other agencies to share information and resources on sea‐level rise.
Dr. Norbert Psuty , Director of Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs, Institute of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, presented data showing sea level rise and climate change in the Bayshore Region of Monmouth County. He used DEM models to show how sea level rise will affect sections of Spermaceti Cove, Sandy Hook and Jamaica Bay, NY. He presented historical data from the Sandy Hook tide gauge that indicated relative sea level, the combination of sea level rising and land sinking was about 16 inches over the past century. The natural system dynamics would cause the dunes and marsh to roll back as sea level rises, but with hard structures in place, the marshes will shrink in area as they migrate vertically. Currently there are tide gauge and satellite data to monitor the current rate of sea level rise (about 3.9 mm/yr).
Darlene Finch, NOAA Coastal Services Center (CSC), presented tools and resources for adaptation to the impacts of sea‐level rise. The tools that the Coastal Services Center created were developed to help coastal communities evaluate their present exposure and simulate options that alter land use and community services. The CSC also provides various trainings, such as GIS for Strategic Conservation Planning and Coastal Inundation Mapping.
Eric Anderson, GIS Coordinator for the Monmouth County GIS Office, identified the GIS resources that Monmouth County can provide to the coastal communities. Data are available from federal, state, local, and non‐profit sources; including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) Model. State data are available from the NJ Geographic Information Network and includes 2007 aerial photographs and municipal boundary maps. Monmouth County elevation maps are available at 2 foot contour intervals. Future projects for Monmouth County include updating parcel (real estate lots) during the summer of 2009.
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Sarah Newkirk, Coastal Program Director for the Nature Conservancy, spoke about different considerations for adapting to sea‐level rise. The Nature Conservancy partnered with NOAA’s CSC, Pace Law School, and the Association of State Floodplain Managers to create an online Coastal Resilience tool for Long Island (www.coastalresilience.org). The project is giving complete information to natural resource and land use managers, enabling them to move towards socioeconomic and ecological resilience. The data layers in the program include wetlands, population density, economic value of property, and possible future impacts in 2020, 2050, and 2080. Three different flooding scenarios are used: the 5 year flood, Category II storm, and Category III storm. The recommendations for adaption were to amend key laws, realign public structures, promote voluntary land acquisition, plan for post‐ storm redevelopment, and restore key coastal habitats.
Tom Dillingham, Executive Director for the American Littoral Society, led a group discussion with the participants of the workshop. The following is a summary of the concerns and suggestions expressed during the exercise. Expressed Concerns: • There are conflicting policies between FEMA and Flood insurance. • COAH mandates development in areas that should not be built where development should not occur. • There is no more money coming from Coastal Blue Acres Program (lack of funding in general). • Townships plan for today not the long term (6 yr. management plans). • There is a lack of leadership from upper agencies (FEMA, NJDEP, Army Corps of Engineers). • Existing State & Federal infrastructure is not being maintained by the agencies that originally constructed the components of the infrastructure. • Beach nourishment only offers short‐term shoreline stabilization and not ecological function (structure ≠ function). • Home Owner Conflicts: a. Home owners need assistance to move from vulnerable locations (who buys their property?) b. There are concerns that if flood maps/LIDAR is shown then property value goes down. c. Different approaches seem to apply for multifamily housing vs. single homes. Connecting with the Communities: • Municipalities react to upper agencies. a. SLR should be handled at a regional scale, not local. b. Experience shows that there needs to be a mandate from the state level for the communities to change (e.g., ‐ communities did not take an interest in storm water management until it was mandated). • Members of local governments are often volunteer positions; workshops need to be in the evening and short.
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Suggestions: • County gatherings of elected officials on coastal change topics. • County‐wide climate change task force. • Integrate NJDEP to the workshops. • Stop incentives for building in coastal areas. • Provide more funding and incentives for communities to incorporate adaption approaches. • Provide ‘environmentally appropriate’ flood control strategies. • Encourage review of township master plans and long range planning. • Provide training for municipalities with Coastal Services Center tools.
Linda Brennan, Supervisor of the Environmental Planning Section, Monmouth County Planning Board, spoke about the county’s initiatives that apply to the topic of sea‐level rise. The Monmouth County Bayshore Plan recommended recreational resources along the bay front. The Planning Board produces brochures called Eco‐Tips that include topics such as dune protection and restoration, and the county is currently working on GHG Emissions reduction – Phase I Inventory of Emissions and Phase II Emission Reduction Strategy. The Planning Board is committed to municipal assistance and is interested in learning about the areas of need by the local agencies and offices. A survey instrument was distributed asking which “projects” would be most useful. These were the suggestions on the survey: o Internet Resource Guide o Roundtable Event o Community Visioning Exercise o Task Force o Model Ordinance Components o Review Existing Zoning Ordinance o Identify Broad Problem Areas (GIS)
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Coastal Adaptation to the Impacts of Sea-Level Rise at the Monmouth County Raritan Bayshore
Developed in partnership with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve - Rutgers University, Sandy Hook Unit, Gateway National Recreation Area - National Park Service, and the American Littoral Society
The Chapel at Sandy Hook, New Jersey on June 4, 2009 9:00 - 9:30 Registration (coffee provided) Welcome and Introductions 9:30 - 9:45 Michael DeLuca Senior Associate Director, IMCS, Rutgers University Gateway NRA and Global Climate Change 9:45 -10:15 Barry Sullivan Superintendent, Gateway National Recreational Area Scale and Impacts of Sea Level Rise. Resources at Risk 10:15 - 11:00 Norbert P. Psuty Director, Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs, IMCS, Rutgers University 11:00 - 11:15 Break Tools and Resources for Coastal Adaption 11:15 – 11:40 Darlene Finch NOAA Coastal Services Center Tools and Resources Available to the Communities 11:40 – 12:00 Eric Anderson GIS Coordinator, Monmouth County GIS Office 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch (light lunch provided) Introductions & Gateway Research Programs 1:00 - 1:10 Kim Tripp Jamaica Bay Institute Director, Gateway National Recreational Area Adaptation: Concepts and Considerations 1:10- 1:40 Sarah Newkirk Coastal Program Director, The Nature Conservancy Facilitated Group Discussion: Visioning for Adaptation 1:40 – 2:30 Tim Dillingham Executive Director, American Littoral Society Efforts at the County Level 2:30 – 2:45 Linda Brennen Monmouth County Environmental Planning 2:45 – 3:00 Wrap up and Closing Remarks - Mike DeLuca
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List of Workshop Participants
Name Affiliation 1 Bill Shenton Township of Aberdeen 2 Fred Hofman Borough of Atlantic Highlands 3 Peter Mullen Borough of Highlands 4 Jennifer Dilorenzo Borough of Monmouth Beach 5 Chris Klaube Monmouth County GIS Office
6 Ann Waters Monmouth County Planning Board
7 Robert W. Clark Monmouth County Planning Board
8 Helen McLain National Park Service
9 Mark Christiano National Park Service – Gateway
10 Diane Abell National Park Service – Fire island 11 Paula Valentine National Park Service – Fire Island 12 Dave Avrin National Park Service – Sandy Hook 13 Liam Strain National Park Service 14 Brian Feeney National Park Service 15 Bruce Lane National Park Service – Sandy Hook 16 Hollis Provins National Park Service – Sandy Hook 17 Lisa Auermuller Rutgers University ‐ JCNERR 18 Norbert Psuty Rutgers University
19 Mike DeLuca Rutgers University
20 Barry Sullivan National Park Service – Gateway 21 Kim Tripp National Park Service – Jamaica Bay Unit 22 Darlene Finch NOAA – Coastal Services Center 23 Linda Brennen Monmouth County Planning Board 24 Sarah Newkirk The Nature Conservancy – Long Island 25 Tim Dillingham American Littoral Society 26 Eric Anderson Monmouth County GIS Office
27 Tanya Silveira Rutgers University 28 Andrea Spahn Rutgers University 29 Stephanie Kealy Rutgers University 30 Rebecca Bouchard National Park Service ‐ Sandy Hook
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MORE INFORMATION
Coastal Service Center Resources
• Hazard assessment template ‐‐ www.csc.noaa.gov/hat/ • Habitat priority planner ‐‐ www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/hpp/ • CanViz ‐‐ www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/canvis/ • GIS tools for strategic conservation planning ‐‐ http://www.csc.noaa.gov/training/gis_tools.html • Coastal inundation mapping ‐‐ http://www.csc.noaa.gov/training/coastalin.html • Digital Coast ‐‐ www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/ • Coastal Climate Adaption ‐‐ community.csc.noaa.gov/climateadaptation/ • Risk and Vulnerability assessment (http://www.csc.noaa.gov/rvat/)
GIS Resources
• NJGIN (New Jersey Geographic Information Network)‐‐https://njgin.state.nj.us o 2007 Aerial Photos & Municipal Boundaries
• NJDEP GIS‐‐http://www.state.nj.us/dep/gis/
• Monmouth County GIS‐‐ http://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=2145
• GIS Software: • ArcGIS Explorer (FREE)‐‐ www.esri.com o Change the appearance or layers, create buffers • Google Earth (FREE) • ArcGIS Desktop (ArcView) o Data Creation o Advanced Cartography • Electronic Field Study (Pictometry) o Enterprise‐wide license o Oblique, 3D‐like photography
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Workshop Presenters
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve Michael P. De Luca Reserve Manager Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences Rutgers University 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ 08903 732/932‐6555 x512 [email protected]
Lisa Auermuller Jacques Cousteau Coastal Education Center 130 Great Bay Blvd. Tuckerton NJ 08087 609/812‐0649 x204 609/294‐8597 (fax) [email protected]
Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs Dr. Norbert P. Psuty, Director Sandy Hook Cooperative Research Programs 74 Magruder Road, Unit 3 Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Rutgers University Highlands, New Jersey 07732‐4054 Phone: (732) 708‐1462 (office) [email protected]
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Coastal Services Center Darlene Finch [email protected]
Monmouth County GIS Eric Anderson GIS Coordinator Monmouth County GIS (732) 683‐2194 [email protected]
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Jamaica Bay Institute, Gateway National Recreation Area
Kim Tripp Director, Natural Resource Manager [email protected]
The Nature Conservancy Sarah Newkirk Coastal Program Director, Long Island (631)‐367‐3225 [email protected]
American Littoral Society Tim Dillingham Executive Director (732)‐291‐0055
Monmouth County Planning Board Linda J. Brennen, PP/AICP Supervisor, Environmental Planning Section [email protected]
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