Maryland’s shorelines extend over 3,000 miles along the diverse landscapes of the Chesapeake Bay, the Coastal Bays, and the Atlantic Ocean. These landscapes are highly susceptible to coastal storms, sea level rise, high tide flooding, erosion, hurricanes, and are vulnerable to the long-term impacts of a changing climate. The damages and impacts resulting from flood events present a substantial threat to communities, infrastructure and natural resources throughout the state. Flooding, sea level change, and other coastal hazards effect our coasts in many different ways that require unique solutions at both local and landscape levels. What does it mean for Maryland's coastal communities to be resilient? DNR Chesapeake and Coastal Service builds resiliency in our coastal communities using an understand, plan and implement strategy that incorporates the best available tools, practices, and planning to better protect our coastal communities.​

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Building Coastal Resilience in Maryland's communities

The Coastal Resilience Program is housed within DNR's Center for Coastal and Ocean Planning. This program, dedicated to assisting Maryland’s coastal communities, addresses short- and long-term coastal hazards, such as high tide flooding, storm surge, and sea level rise. The Coastal Resilience Program connects local government staff and partners to essential information, tools, people, trainings, and financial assistance.

Coastal​ Resilience Program provides:

• Financial Assistance through Outcome 2 of Chesapeake & Coastal Grants Gateway
• Technical Assistance to local communities
• Training Opportunities​ for local practitioners
• Links to supportive information, federal and state resources, tools​, visualizations, and networks.

​Grants Gateway:

• The Chesapeake and Coastal Grants Gateway provides a one-stop location for communities seeking technical and financial support for projects that foster healthy ecosystems, communities, and economies that are resilient in the face of change.
  

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Maryland Sea Level Rise Projections

• Every five years the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences leads a panel of scientific experts to update the sea level rise projections for the state of Maryland. The last update was in 2023. The latest report finds that sea levels along Maryland’s shorelines are rising, and they are rising faster than in the past. CCS in collaboration with Maryland Sea Grant extension developed guidance for using the 2023 Maryland Sea Level Rise projections in planning, regulatory and site specific projects.
• Guidance for Using Maryland’s 2023 Sea Level Rise Projections
• Appendix A: Worksheet for Selecting a RSLR Estimate

Nuisance Flood Plans:

• ​All counties and municipalities that experience nuisance tidal flooding are legislatively required to have a nuisance flood plan that is updated every 5 years. The next update is due by October 1, 2025. Use the ​​2024 Nuisance Flood Plan Guidance Update​ with new recommendations on what to include in nuisance flood plans due in 2025. The guidance used for plans that were due in 2020 can be found here​.

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​ Coastal Resilience Tools

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Contact Information
Sasha Land​​
Chesapeake & Coastal Service
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Tawes State Office Building E-2
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone 410-260-8718
Fax 410-260-8739

Sasha.Land@maryland.gov​

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