The Chesapeake and Coastal Service supports communities to address adaptation in three phases: Understand, Plan, and Implement. Each phase reflects a step towards a resilient community that addresses the challenges of today and tomorrow.

The Resiliency through Restoration Initiative directly supports on-the-ground implementation of nature-based projects. Over the short term, the Initiative will demonstrate how nature can help protect communities from climate change impacts. Over the long term, the Initiative will reduce Maryland’s vulnerabilities and enhance resiliency of local communities, economies, and natural resources.

These goals will be reached through the implementation and tracking of pilot projects that address coastal, storm water and floodplain impacts. Nature-based restoration techniques can enhance the ability of communities to respond to or recover from storms, flooding and other climate hazards by buffering people and infrastructure. Wetlands, dunes, living shorelines and other green-infrastructure practices can help communities adapt to changing conditions when used alongside other strategies.

The Resiliency through Restoration Initiative enhances community resilience through the following resources and services:

• State and county-level restoration targeting through the Coastal Resiliency Assessment
• Financial assistance through the Grants Gateway to fund nature-based designs (Outcome 3). Funding is provided by the State of Maryland.
• Technical assistance to local communities in the form of project identification, design of climate-resilient restoration practices, and implementation guidance.
• Monitoring and adaptive management of nature-based practices, including development of monitoring protocols and community science trainings.
• Community outreach to discuss and share resilience strategies.
• Education opportunities for students to participate in restoration projects and learn about resiliency benefits.

For information on understanding and planning for coastal impacts, such as storm surge, shoreline erosion, sea level rise, and nuisance flooding, please see CoastSmart Communities. For information on understanding and planning for stormwater and riparian flooding hazards through the use of green infrastructure practices, please see Green Infrastructure Resilience.

Contact information:

Nicole Carlozo
Chesapeake & Coastal Service
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Tawes State Office Building E-2
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Phone 410-260-8726
Fax 410-260-8739
E-Mail: nicole.carlozo@maryland.gov