Governor Romney's Charge to the Massachusetts Coastal Hazards Commission

COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
251 Causeway Street, Suite 800Boston, MA 02114
617-626-1200617-626-1240 (fax)
czm@state.ma.us

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Governor Romney's Charge to the Massachusetts Coastal Hazards Commission

The purpose of the Coastal Hazards Commission (CHC) is to review existing coastal hazards practices and policies, identify data and information gaps, and draft recommendations for administrative, regulatory, and statutory changes, if deemed necessary.

At the February 15, 2006, kickoff meeting for the Massachusetts Coastal Hazards Commission, Governor Mitt Romney and Environmental Affairs Secretary Stephen Pritchard charged the Commission to:

Generally characterize Massachusetts' vulnerability to coastal hazards (including coastal storms, erosion, sea level rise, storm surge, etc.).
Evaluate the adequacy of coastal hazards data and tools, regulations, and best management practices for development in coastal flood or erosion prone areas.
Evaluate management approaches to coastal hazards, including (1) existing seawall repair, removal, or replacement with alternatives; (2) beach nourishment, including an evaluation of offshore sand mining for such purpose; (3) coastal retreat, including infrastructure relocation and private property acquisition; (4) market-based influences and incentives/disincentives (insurance, etc.); and (5) hazard mitigation planning.
The Commission will target the South Shore for an initial detailed coastal hazards assessment. This detailed assessment will: specifically characterize coastal hazards practices; inventory public storm damage protection infrastructure and characterize as good, adequate, or failing; and identify and generally characterize significant/major areas of both public and private infrastructure. Additionally, the assessment will identify substandard infrastructure (seawalls, revetments, needed beach nourishment) and provide estimated capital and maintenance costs to address: (1) immediate conditions; and (2) out-year conditions with assumed constant rate of sea-level rise, with the objective of developing a 20-year Coastal Infrastructure and Protection Plan.
Initiate 20-year Coastal Infrastructure and Protection Plans for the Cape and Islands, South Coast, Boston Harbor and North Shore regions. These Plans will be completed by November of 2007.
Make recommendations as deemed necessary and appropriate.

Products and Schedule
The CHC will produce a report that will include a 20-year Coastal Infrastructure and Protection Plan, initially for the South Shore and ultimately for the entire Massachusetts coastline, as well as recommendations to improve coastal hazards management coast wide that respond to the Legislature's requests. The 20-year Coastal Infrastructure and Protection Plan will focus on a prioritization of coastal structure maintenance and repairs (and estimated capital costs) necessary to protect the Commonwealth's coastal natural resources and ensure the safety of both human life and property. After public review and comment, the report will be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the Senate. Subsequently 20-year Coastal Infrastructure and Protection Plans for the remaining coastal regions of the Commonwealth will be completed by November of 2007.

Resources
Susan Snow-Cotter, Director of Coastal Zone Management, will chair the CHC on behalf of the Secretary of Environmental Affairs. The CHC will be staffed, at a minimum, by a coastal planner with expertise in coastal hazards policy and outreach employed by CZM with support from a project management team from the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, CZM, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. In addition, CZM will hire a Coastal Hazards Coordinator to assist in final product development, oversee implementation of the Commission's recommendations, and ensure that state policy is coordinated between key agencies. The project management team will be responsible for developing materials for the CHC's review and discussion, and for managing contractual work necessary to develop those materials. Finally the CHC will require the services of a contractor to provide technical materials and engineering analysis that will be the raw materials for the Commission's work.

In addition to the core members of the CHC, ad hoc working groups will be established to address specific policy, technical, and fiscal issues. The Commission has asked Senator Robert Hedlund, Senator Steven A. Baddour, Representative Shirley Gomes, and Representative Jeffrey D. Perry to facilitate regional participation in the work of the Commission. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also agreed to participate in this effort.