DOVER (August 2, 2013) – DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs is pleased to announce the awarding of the 2013 Coastal Management Assistance Program grants, with this year’s focus on projects that involve sea level rise and SLR adaptation planning. More than $126,000 was awarded this year through funding made available to the Delaware Coastal Programs by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Projects eligible to receive funding during this grant cycle were those focused on advance planning for, and reducing the impacts of coastal hazards, including sea level rise adaptation.

“Given Delaware’s vulnerabilities as a low-lying coastal state, it’s absolutely critical that we prepare for more extreme storms and sea level rise,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “These communities and organizations should be commended for taking proactive steps toward sea-level rise adaptation and coastal resiliency.”

This year’s Coastal Management Assistant Program grant recipients, with a description of their projects, were:

• The City of Delaware City received grant funding to evaluate long-term adaptation alternatives in response to sea level rise with tools developed by the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategies Community Task Force using existing data and information, current engineering projects and community input to develop strategies to minimize risk to the city and its residents and businesses within the Dragon Run drainage area.
• The City of Lewes received grant funding to review and assess the city’s floodplain ordinances and building codes, and to identify opportunities to improve the ordinances and codes to reduce future flood risk form coastal storms and sea level rise.
• The Town of Bethany Beach received grant funding to purchase and install equipment necessary to provide real-time conductivity and water level monitoring in an effort to improve the town’s current salt-water intrusion monitoring program and to develop long-term contingency plans to proactively identify future conditions that could trigger remedial responses before the problems became critical.
• The Town of Slaughter Beach received grant funding to evaluate and ascertain which structures located within town limits could be eligible for federal grants to raise the first floor elevations above flood level, compute cost estimate for construction services, and prepare applications for federal grants available to elevate the structures.
• The Town of South Bethany received grant funding to establish an elevation base to assist in further defining protection and accommodation options for SLR adaptation strategies including conducting center line surveys along the town’s road corridors and associated bulkheads and catch basins.
• Widener University received funding to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the legal means that may be used in managing adaptation to sea level rise to inform property owners, policymakers (both legislators and regulators), and the public as to what options are available through the identification of potential tools, review of local and state laws, and recommendation of new laws, regulations or polices. 
• DNREC’s Tanks Management Section received funding to conduct a near-term vulnerability assessment of hazardous materials installations to assess flood and storm risks on storage tanks, process tanks and pressure vessels containing hazardous substances.

Vol. 43, No. 300

Contact: Bonnie Arvay, Delaware Coastal Programs, 302-739-9283, or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

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