SYNOPSIS OF AN ASSESSMENT: POLICY TOOLS FOR LOCAL ADAPTATION TO SEA LEVEL RISE • Barbara J. Lausche, JD Deputy Director Marine Policy Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory TECHNICAL REPORT #1419 October 2009 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway • Sarasota, FL 34236 • (941)388-4441 • www.mote.org Acknowledgements The research and writing of this synopsis and the full assessment on which it is based were made possible by a grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. Printing, dissemination and outreach activities associated with this synopsis and full assessment have been supported through the same grant. The assessment is authored by Barbara J. Lausche, Deputy Director of the Marine Policy Institute (MPI) at Mote Marine Laboratory. Elisabeth Salinas and Genevieve Joy, MPI policy interns and seniors at New College and Columbia University, respectively, provided research assistance during the summer of 2008 on Florida’s regulatory framework and sea level rise adaptation policy initiatives in other states and localities across the nation. The author especially would like to thank Elisabeth and Genevieve for their contributions, which provided important background documentation and analyses. On the science portion of the assessment, Dr. Ernest Estevez, Director of Mote’s Center for Coastal Ecology, provided constructive reviews, references for additional information sources and editorial suggestions. Dr. Frank Alcock, MPI Director, provided helpful comments and support. And it was a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with Nadine Slimak, editor at Mote, and Mary Ellen Seyle, of DesignWorks Advertising Associates, on layout. The author also would like to thank staff of the Sarasota County government who graciously took time to speak about the research, provide information and fact-check descriptive information on various county programs. Author contact information: Barbara J. Lausche Marine Policy Institute Mote Marine Laboratory 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway Sarasota, FL 34236 (941) 388-4441 [email protected] www.mote.org/mpi ABOUT THE MARINE POLICY INSTITUTE !e mission of the Marine Policy Institute at Mote and Environmental Council of Sarasota County in 2001 Marine Laboratory is to strengthen the scientific basis of and served as its Executive Director for five years. She is on public policy and societal decision making for economic the Board of the Island Resources Foundation, a member development and sustainability of our oceans and coastal of the D.C. Bar, and a member of the World Conservation ecosystems. Working closely with Mote scientists and Union (IUCN) Commission on Environmental Law, other programs, the Institute conducts, integrates and where she serves as Caribbean co-chair of the Specialists communicates multi-disciplinary research on marine and Group on Oceans, Coasts and Coral Reefs. coastal issues in a manner that produces salient, credible assessments and advice in policy (legal, economic, social) Dr. Michael Orbach is the Institute’s Special Advisor. Dr. to decision-makers, stakeholder groups and concerned Orbach, Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy at the citizens. Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University, holds both a Ph.D. and M.A. in Cultural Dr. Frank Alcock is Director of the Marine Policy Institute. Anthropology from the University of California, San Diego Dr. Alcock, Assistant Professor of Political Science at New and a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, College of Florida, holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Irvine. He has worked as a Cultural Anthropologist with Duke University, an M.A. in International Affairs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, George Washington University and a B.A. in Economics has held several Governor’s appointments to environmental from the State University of New York, Binghamton. His Boards and Commissions, as well as several appointments experience traverses both governmental and academic with the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Orbach was an research on sustainable development and trade and global advisor to both the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. environmental politics with a focus on oceans and marine Commission on Ocean Policy and is a former President policy. He was a Belfer Fellow at the Kennedy School of of the Coastal Society and the Southern Association of Government, Harvard University and an active member Marine Laboratories, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the human dimensions of global environmental change of the Surfrider Foundation and a member of the Board of research community. Directors of the Ocean Conservancy. Barbara J. Lausche, J.D., is the Institute’s Deputy Dana O’Mara, M.S., serves as the Marine Policy Institute Director. She received her J.D. from the Columbus Program Manager. She holds an M.S. in Oceanography School of Law and has some 30 years of experience with and Coastal Sciences from Louisiana State University. government and non-governmental organizations in O’Mara has research experience in coastal management, the U.S. and internationally. Lausche has worked with marine policy and economic issues pertaining to the Gulf multi-disciplinary teams of scientists building institutional of Mexico region and beyond. She received a National capacity and legal frameworks. Past positions have included Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal legislative counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Management Fellowship to help develop a Shoreline Agency, project director for the Congressional Office of Access Plan and a Shoreline Economic Analysis for the Technology Assessment and senior environmental staff state of Texas. with the World Bank. Lausche co-founded the Science SYNOPSIS OF AN ASSESSMENT: POLICY TOOLS FOR LOCAL ADAPTATION TO SEA LEVEL RISE Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................................2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................4 What Climate Science Tells Us About Sea Level Rise .........................................................................................................5 Some basics ...............................................................................................................................................................5 Sea level rise projections and impacts ........................................................................................................................5 Global sea level rise .........................................................................................................................................5 Sea level rise in Florida ...................................................................................................................................6 Potential impacts in Florida ............................................................................................................................7 Key Policy Tools for Local Sea Level Rise Adaptation .........................................................................................................8 Local comprehensive land use plans .........................................................................................................................8 Coastal development – beaches, shorelines, estuaries ..............................................................................................10 Ecosystem conservation ..........................................................................................................................................13 Public facilities and infrastructure ...........................................................................................................................14 Post-disaster redevelopment ....................................................................................................................................15 Principles for Sea Level Rise Adaptation ...........................................................................................................................16 Leadership Opportunities .................................................................................................................................................17 Internal government capacity-building ..................................................................................................................17 Local development planning...................................................................................................................................18 Outreach and partnerships .....................................................................................................................................18 Concluding Observations .................................................................................................................................................19 References .........................................................................................................................................................................20 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY !ere is broad scientific consensus that global !e good news is that even without special rules for climate is warming largely as a result of increased dealing with climate change, there are a number of concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other policy tools local governments