RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE 29 PAGE 30 PAGE 31 PAGE 32 PAGE 33 Overview 2" Tropical Storm Sandy exposed significant vulnerabilities in how we use our land, coasts and waterways. The storm damaged over 300,000 homes' and upended millions of lives throughout the region's densely populated and flood prone areas? Sandy, like Tropical Storms Irene and Lee that preceded it, demonstrated the risks of extreme weather events aggravated by climate change.' The scale of damage incurred during Sandy, Irene and Lee reflects in part the legacy of New York's outdated development practices. For years natural drainage and flood prevention systems were damaged and destroyed to facilitate economic development and then replaced by hard engineering investments to hold back the force of overflowing rivers and streams and surging seas. The storms of 201 and 2012 have demonstrated that these 19th and 20th century practices are imbaianced and have in many cases exacerbated the risks to our communities rather than reducing them. The legacy of past strategies is still visible on the landscape and woven throughout existing laws and practices, leaving New York increasingly vulnerable to a changing climate and the severe weather that will accompany it. Enhancing the resilience of New York's communities, businesses, and critical infrastructure depends fixndamentally on what we learn from recent storms and similar extreme weather across the country and around the world. Enhancing resilience depends on whether New Yorkers can embrace a new, more strategic relationship with the land and water they live on and depend on. New York can only become more resilient to natural threats by re- integrating environmental functions into the built landscape, enhancing natural protections at the water's edge, and deploying sophisticated engineering to mimic environmental functions to the greatest degree possible. Environment and land use improvements are New York's first line of resilience to climate change over the coming years and decades. The force and direction of floods upstate depends on how the landscape is shaped by policy and practice. Land use decisions will determine whether there will be dunes and beaches to protect houses and businesses along the coast when the next hurricane or nor'easter hits. Land use decisions will affect how high up into Manhattan the next extreme storm surge will go and whether it crawls through parks and other green infrastructure features designed to hold the water temporarily or rushes destructively into residential and commercial buildings. The Commission focused first on understanding the state's vulnerabilities and categorized them according to: 1) the specific problems facing our coastal communities and resources; 2) inland challenges resulting from severe weather events, such as extreme precipitation or drought; 3) weaknesses in clean water and drinking water infrastructure; 4) problems with hazard and risk mapping; and 5) outdated planning practices and policies. To reduce the impact of future extreme weather events and prevent disasters across the state while providing an environment within which New Yorkers can thrive despite a changing climate, we looked for measures that would increase social--ecological resilience in vulnerable places. The characteristics we looked for in proposed recommendations were those that would: Recognize and protect the value of ecosystem services Preserve the flexibility to evolve and adapt strategies as circumstance change Design for safe failure to avoid catastrophic loss if thresholds are exceeded - Use our experience to learn - Provide redundancy, diversity, and multiple pathways of protection Re-establish function to contain losses and avoid further disruption - improve our resourcefulness to visualize, set priorities, and act Be cost--effective, coordinated, and integrated {la} a Our coastlines are home to a vast majority ofthe State's population and one of our most vulnerable assets. Because of the significant risk of coastal problems resulting from climate change, this section focuses specifically on strategies for protecting our coastal communities and establishing natural, land use, and engineered measures to improve resilience. rimfiya?' 4 .. This category relates to the additional system more redundant during events, and are critical for the State's iong term growth. Supplementary systems may inclu?e additional surface transit systems (rail and bus), as well as the expansion of ferry services to support underground systems. . es. waneasfiZe;;:i The supply and distribution of clean water is essential to the public health. However, these critical pieces of infrastructure are highly vulnerable to storm events but must also serve an increasing population. This category focuses on how the design and planning of New York's treatment facilities, pump stations, and pipes can be updated to reflect current risks. . ., . Me . .li:.o new is Tropical Storm Sandy exposed major weaknesses in our ca acit to reriict flood events and determine the areas affected. Identif in risks is critical to re arin for and 8 reacting to weather events and other disasters. This category identifies problems and solutions for current methods of hazard and risk assessment. gigs iiagesee 'signer - mime in This . category relates to changes in the way plan for, design, buiid, maintain and pa for our transportation network in light of increased occurrences and types of extreme events. Within each of the categories, recommendations range from short term quick fixes that can be irnplemented quickly based on lessons learned from recent events; medium--term projects that can we get them right; and long term solutions that may be developed overtime, be identified immediately, but require adequate planning and development to ensure that or are irnplerriented in an ongoing way. iiapacis .. ;y to'pr_ep'aroj Storm'--Sanoy in the hears arri_iIeri_ heipad to save" fives and ass "cr%t?eai_ city "infrastructure - - . hang -Snare Roe.kaway, ieairing. doyoioomafiand infrastructurevofaeifaoiato axiom stonjn 'Lo_ss or" nature pro'tection_ for. a'ad- has .- yriieroa section of the ro'a?'raay was in city" across the" hernias were -oarnage? . sag/eraiy er'zoagif_i'io roqnire_ dernoiition} test--anti-'-the" was-.-an infers; And"-in the Mamiet of Montana eroded awaafieaving. "hotels-and: the .. econom_ic_ future vuln_arabl_a..__ - PAGE 35 NYS 2106 A, 1. Protecting coastal communities New York's coasts and waterways remain essential to our ecological, social and economic way of life. Over 90 percent of New York's population is centered on the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson River, and Great Lakes coasts.' Our coasts and waterways are one of the State's major economic assets, providing for cargo shipping, tourism, residential development, and fishing, and provide major recreational and cultural assets that contribute significantly to the New York's quaiity oflife. New York's coast encompasses uses as diverse as national parks, transportation corridors, critical infrastructure assets, industrial sites, waterfront communities, and commercial and residential uses. This range of use demands a multi-layered and site-specific resilience strategy. Coastal resilience strategies, moreover, cannot be static. They need to be adaptable to the new challenges as climate change accelerates and sea levels and temperatures rise. Over the decades, unless something unexpected changes, an increased frequency and severity of severe storms, drought, and temperatures extremes is likely, necessitating a progressive need for protection. The environmental, engineering, and social sciences capacities to respond intelligently to a changing environment are vastly more advanced today than even five years ago. New York should establish itself as a leader in the development and use of a suite of tools to understand the probability of storm--related hazards, the risk to people, buildings, infrastructure and nature, and options for reducing vulnerability. These tools can involve smarter use of land, education and engagement, and a range of natural and engineered storm~resistant barrier designs. The Commission's coastal protection recommendations emphasize beginning with the most ecologically sound options to take advantage of the economic, environmental and risk-reduction services provided by natural infrastructure such as barn er beaches, dunes and coastal wetlands. Recognizing that many of New York's coastal communities are already highly developed, the Commission urges a mix of structural and natural solutions that least weaken and best mimic natural processes. And it urges informed decision making by local authorities and landowners to adopt similar climate resilient strategies. PAGE 36 detail below, the Commission recommends building coastal resilience by: As discussed in Prioritize the conservation, restoration or creation of natural systems like tidal wetlands, dunes, coastal barriers and natural sediment transport so they continue to provide large- seale, beneficial eco-system services including flood damage reduction. storm water management, water quaiity maintenance, habitat restoration and other important economic and environmental benefits. Use green infrastructure to mimic natural processes to infiltrate, evaporate, retain or reuse storm water. These systems use soils, topography and vegetation to conserve ecosystem function, providing associated benefits to human populations. In urban settings. for example, building parklands and installing porous pavement can absorb and contain storm water. - Reduce risk through planned adaptation strategies that could include land- use management policies that require elevation of newly~built assets and the infrastructure they depend on, as well as relocation of at-risk development and infrastructure where appropriate. - Urging local governments with land use authority to enhance coastal resilience through protecting the natural landscape. Local governments should make informed land use decisions that will protect development and infrastructure from storm surge, flooding and the rise in sea level. Study where the shoreline should be physically armoring urban shorelines with surge barriers, levees, and bulkheads. This should address the complex engineering, environmental, and financing questions inherent in for creating a system of barriers to protect New York Harbor. HIGHLIGHTED RECOMMENDATION A, Immediately Protect the Most Vulnerable Populations in Coastal Areas The Commission's recommendations for protecting New York's coastal communities begin with those that are needed most urgently to protect areas made more vulnerable by recent storms and that are at risk of further damage during the 2012 and 2013 winter stonn season. Specific measures should include the following: - In Rockaway and Long Beach, emergency action should proceed to rebuild the dunes and beach to provide a level of temporary protection equal to that which existed before Tropical Storm Sandy for the 300,000 residents that are now vulnerable. This will require dredging sand from adjacent inlets, shoals, and offshore sources and using it to create new dunes and elevated or wider beaches. The US Army Corps of Engineers would be best positioned to conduct this work. - On other barrier islands along the Long Island coast, preemptively prevent breaching by filling low spots in dunes. Add sand to low points in the dune line from Jones Island eastward to prevent against new inlets forming during the coming winter storm season. The US Army Corps of Engineers could implement this emergency action .in coordination with other dredging actions. An assessment 'must be completed quickly to identify the vulnerable sites, estimate the quantity of sand needed, and identify the sources of sand dredged vs. trucked in). Prevention of breaches will minimize the likelihood of additional flooding impacts on the mainland of Long Island without significant long--terrn impacts, but may not be the preferred long-term solution. Long~term solutions will need to consider the benefits of breaches in specific areas. 3 The breaches at Cupsogue and Moriches Inlet on Fire Island have been closed already. The State should monitor the impact of the Fire Island Wilderness breach on the barrier island, the bay, and the mainland to determine whether or not to close that breach in the near future. Limited monitoring to date suggests that the inlet is stable or closing which has resulted in improved water quality in Great South Bay, created a platform for new eelgrass and wetland growth, and may actually reduce flooding in certain cases (ie, when winds blow from the west). Dredge sand fiom Fire Island Inlet and use it to nourish the beach and dunes in front of Ocean Parkway to allow further measures to restore traffic flow in the 2--mile section that was damaged. Once the protective dunes system is restored, additional measures to fully restore traffic flow should be reviewed and implemented as appropriate. While repair of Ocean Parkway makes sense at this time, options should be considered for altemative traffic routes and modes over the long term. An inter-agency team should inventory sites of significant damage, including those in New York City, on the south and north shores of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, in the lower Hudson Valley, and on the Long Island Sound shoreline of Westchester. The team should prepare a list of immediate actions that should be undertaken. For the longer term, the State should create an improved damage reporting system and an immediate response team. PAGE 37 NYS 21930 CASE STUDY 1 Lido Beach/Long Beach' The Army Corps proposed dune defenses. coupied with elevated beaches, to mitigate the potential damage caused by the Atlantic Ocean along the Long Beach coast. This program aimed to protect the barrier island; however Long Beach City rejected the proposal claiming that it would remove their ocean views, damage tourism and altering the waves and affecting surfers. Lido Beach, a neighboring community, approved the construction of 15 foot high dunes to protect against potential storms. Foliowing Tropical Storm Sandy, Long Beach City, and its 33.000 residents, suffered damages of at least $200 million. Although Lido Beach did suffer some damages, these were minimal in comparison. The difference between these two communities was a healthy dune barrier, which protected Lido Beach from the full extent of potential damage faced during Tropical Storm Sandy. How does this recommendation make New York more resilient? Integrated Managing land use on an ecosystem scale rarely fits within a single political boundary, technical discipline or stakeholder interest. Working across political boundaries to coordinate response and reinvestment will help to enhance the regional recovery. With the inevitability of future degradation and significant weather events, New York must also consider long-term solutions through coordinated, comprehensive planning to increase the resiliency of shorefront communities. Coordinated Efforts to mitigate key coastal assets should coordinate with local, regional and state government actors on energy, transport, ecosystem and other land use planning decision-making to restore the coastal landscape . Convening an inter-agency team will help to coordinate effort, reduce redundancies, share resources and prioritize effective implementation in recovery and reinvestment efforts from the impacts of Sandy. Robust it is a certainty that the New York coastal communities affected by Tropical Storm Sandy will be affected by future storms. This recommendation, to reconstruct the dunes and beaches, recognizes the protective value these systems provide for the 300,000 residents left vulnerable to coastal flooding in the wake of Sandy's destruction These projects will also restore natural habitat before critical spring migration and breeding seasons and support other ecosystem services provided by dune systems such as spring flood mitigation. The recommendation is about re--establishing functional protection from the future storms to contain losses and avoid further disruption to private and commercial property. Refilling the eroded beach and road base of Ocean Parkway will restore transportation access to impacted coastal communities and alleviate transportation congestion on other road networks by re~establishing Ocean Parkway as an alternative commuter route when traffic is heavy on the Southern State Parkway - increasing diversity. Cost-effective Over 90 percent of New York's population is centered on the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson River, and Great Lakes coasts. The state's coastline contributes $__~billion to the state economy through local businesses, tourism, fisheries, and other coastal businesses. The Port Authority of New York and Helping these coastal communities recover from Sandy and build resilience to future risks is vital to the states long--term economic prospects. PAGE 38 Develop a strategy for New York Harbor and Hudson River Tropical Storm Sandy destroyed any lingering perception that the New York Harbor shoreline was sufificiently robust to withstand significant storm surge. The Harbor's limited coastal defenses failed as water stormed over beaches and bulkheads and into homes, businesses, tunnels, and power substations. Unless we make significant changes to our coastal protection, New York City and Hudson River communities will face increased risks from coastal storms and other extreme weather. The challenge before this Commission is to present a bold, achievable resiliency vision to prepare all of New York for this new norm. The key to understanding the future of a resilient Harbor is to understand what was lost during its construction. Over the course of more than 350 years, New Yorkers dramatically reshaped, expanded, hardened, and deepened the waterfront to accommodate an ever expanding population and critical maritime commerce." By 1900, there were more than 1,800 docks, piers and wharves in the Port of New York.' By 1916, half of the gradually--sloping Manhattan waterfront was replaced by a massive, 100,000-foot long seawall with deep-water access." As shoreline flats were filled and land was expanded, the Harbor lost 80 percent of its historic tidal wetlands" and virtually all of the 200,000 acres of historic oyster reefs." The end result was a commercially accessible waterfront that helped fuel the fantastic growth of New York City, but one that paradoxically left the City vulnerable to storms because we built so heavily at the water's edge and lost the protections afforded by these natural systems. ln recent decades, New York has become less dependent on waterfront commerce. Only a small percentage of the waterfront accounts is still in intensive commercial use while the rest remains underutilized but still hardened. This commercial transition provides the state with an opportunity to redevelop and reshape the dormant portions of the waterfront to enhance resiliency through a bold commitment to natural shoreline restoration. This is the first of our major recommendations for protecting New York's harbor. Natural systems, and sophisticated "soft" engineering projects that mimic them, can prevent and mitigate storm surge and sea level rise, and will provide a vast array of additional environmental and economic benefits, as described further, below. Yet, in the face of relentless rise in greenhouse gas emissions and the consequential rise in sea level and coastal flooding, the Commission makes a second major recommendation: New York should invest now to examine the engineering, environmental, and economic consequences of storm surge barriers to protect New York Harbor from events. New York has been an important American and global city for centuries and this generation needs to think ahead to LAND USE ensure it will remain so for coming ones. Together these two recommendations call on the state to work with nature to protect New York while explore hard engineering as a failsafe. It is going to take a lot of redundancy to increase the climate resilience of New York City and its scores of local neighborhoods. No defense, whether manmade or natural, can guarantee total protection. Even the largest and most fortified barriers fail to offer complete protection from extreme events, as was seen during the Japanese tsunami in March of 2011, when most of the nation's sea walls and coastal barriers failed, including those at the Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants." The nature of floods and the movement of water is such that any defensemmanmade or natural<<= may fail under extreme circumstances or if not properly sized, designed and maintained. As other chapters of this report and the Ready and Response Commissions have recommended, property owners and asset managers need to take common sense measures in the near term to flood- proof subway and tunnel entrances, elevate critical building infrastructure, increase the diversity and moduiarity of power back-up, PAGE 39 NYS 2100 Six major types of natural systems that can or do exist within the New York Harbor system and can limit flooding and climate related impacts Barrier beach and dune systems Barrier islands, dunes and beaches are the first level of defense against storm surge. A wide beach and dune complex provides significant storm protection. During storms, beaches and dunes can mitigate storm impacts by absorbing and dissipating wave energy. While storms can move sand from the beach into the ocean, erode dunes, and push sand into areas behind the dunes, these changes are natural responses to storm surge and high waves and are often less costly to repair than damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Preliminary indications following Sandy are that communities located behind restored dunes (such as Point Lookout, Lido Beach, Atlantic Beach, Coney island and Plumb Beach in New York and Bradley Beach in New Jersey) experienced less damage than those that did not have protective dunes." This fits with the findings of detailed studies conducted following storms in other states. For example, during Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina, most of the homes that were damaged were located behind dunes that were less than 15 meters wide. Communities located behind dunes of at least 30 meters experienced little to no damage. -3.. 1 - Figure 2. Protection by a wide 'beach, Staten Island, after Sandy. Susan McCormick, NYSDEC Figure 3. Tidal wetlands construction, Jamaica Bay. Guy Nordenson. 'lidai wetlands Tidal wetlands can protect coastal communities from storm damage by reducing wave energy and amplitude, slowing water velocity, and stabilizing the shoreline through sediment deposition. Studies have conciuded that more than half of normal wave 'energy is dissipated within the first three meters of marsh vegetation such as cordgrass. ln addition, given sufficient sediment deposition, wetlands are able to build elevation in response to sea~level rise, providing a buffer against climate change and coastal subrnergence. Wetlands also have the added benefit of being able to retain storrnwater during intense precipitation events. New York City has over 4,000 acres of tidal wetlands, about 20 percent of historic levels (and 2000 acres of freshwater wetlands, around 1% of historic levels). Since 2002, Federal, State, and City agencies have invested over $56 million to restore or create over 146 acres of wetlands. in addition, over one-third of Staten lsiand is served by natural drainage corridors, called biue beits, including streams, ponds, and other wetland areas. These wetland systems convey, store, and filter storm water, saving tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs compared to conventional storm sewers." However, this is a fraction of the historical level of wetlands and much less than is needed to make a significant impact on surge protection Harbor-wide. Oyster reefs The Eastern oyster has been called an "ecosystem engineer" because its reefs provide many benefits to coastal and estuarine systems, in particular, shoreline stabilization. Oyster reefs and mussel beds contribute to shoreline stabilization by reducing wave action and providing coarse material along marsh and estuarine shorelines. Much like a manmade breakwater, the physical structure of a reef absorbs and dissipates wave energy prior to the wave reaching the shore, thereby reducing the erosion of coastal systems such as tidal wetlands and beach or done systems. Moreover, there is evidence of some accretion of sediment on the backside of oyster reefs, allowing for the potential growth of marsh and beach systems. PAGE 40 -- LAND USE Riverine floodplains and flood proofing Floodplains--most simply defined as relatively flat areas that border rivers--essentially increase the ability of a river to move or convey floodwaters. Floodwaters move much more slowiy in natural floodpiains, because they tend to be flat and vegetated. Very extensive floodplains can act like a quasi-reservoir that temporarily stores water, slowly releasing it back to the river as the flood recedes. While there are few riverine floodplains within the Harbor itself, impacts to floodplains that feed the lower Hudson River and other tributaries into the broader harbor system can have considerable effects on the speed with which floodwaters move toward the coast and the amount of damage that may occur within New York Harbor from extreme precipitation and flooding. The Hudson River is a tidal estuary, meaning that it feeds fresh water into the Harbor but also is subiect to the ebb and flow of tides from the Atiantic Ocean. Floodpiains can be augmented or created through innovative designs in urban areas. This includes parklands designed to flood; the use of porous pavement, sidewalk swales, and green roofs to capture stormwater; and large under or above ground tioodwater detention areas that would detain stormwater. Many of these elements are being used in New York City's Green infrastructure Plan. Utilized in combination with the flood proofing of infrastructure, elevation of buildings and building utilities, and site--specific measures to protect buildings from damage, floodplain management can increase the resilience of communities to coastal and inland flooding. The Arveme-by--the-Sea housing development in the Rockaways is an example of the benefits that come from intentionally designing a project to mitigate flood impacts. Living Shorelines Living shorelines are coastal areas that are designed with sait--tolerant plantings, rip-wrap, and other measures to prevent or reduce shore erosion and dampen wave energy while emulating the physical and biological conditions of naturally occurring, stable shorelines. Figure 5. Living shorelines Brooklyn b. Guy Nordenson. Figure 4. Oyster reef: North Coast, New Zealand. Guy Nordenson. Figure 6. Living Shorelines Brooklyn c. Guy Nordenson. Several examples of living shorelines exist and are being designed in New York Harbor. Hariern River Park in Manhattan inciudes oyster beds and eelgrass plantings. tide pools, and gabions that step into the water to provide public access as well as strategicaily placed seawaiis to minimize flood risks and improve water quality and public access to the water. Similar designs were used in Brooklyn Bridge Park and Hallets Cove in New York City and are being prepared for the Astoria waterfront in Queens, Randall's Island on the Harlem River, and Governors island. Natural Berms and Levees . i The use of large earthen wails, or herms, can effectively direct flood waters away from vulnerable areas and protect infrastructure on the landward side if property designed. The southern side of Governors Island was protected by 16 foot tail mounds of fill that were designed specifically to protect the island from coastal storms. A post Sandy assessment found that the fill and additional top soil protected C-'iovemor's island from complete inundation. While this strategy can obviously have impacts on flows and habitats. it may be a good hybrid approach that allows for reducing some of the impacts that are associated with the implementation of harder structures such as concrete sea walls and barriers. PAGE 41 and emergency response systems. Tilt: large systems recommended in this chapter do not obviate the responsibility of individuals and businesses to understand fiood risk and make investments to reduce their vulnerability and that of their customers and dependents. Put Nature to Work To Protect New York Harbor The Commission recommends that a comprehensive package of soft infrastructure installations would be developed to provide protection to the communities along the New York Harbor. The package could include building offshore and tidal wetlands, oyster reefs, and small island archipelagos in shallow offshore areas in the vicinity of flood zones, including Sunset Park, Red Hook, Gowanus, Williamsburg, Lower Manhattan and the northeast coast of Staten Island. Similar projects are identified for the New Jersey coast. It would aiso include creating living shorelines, and enhancing dunes and beaches, and natural benns. Measures should also include land use and zoning appropriate for achieving risk reduction in New York City. Importantly, the comprehensive package would not impair any existing or contemplated commercial and navigational interests." This soft infrastructure approach, when implemented, would begin to provide New York with enhanced resiliency and numerous co--benefits. "Soft" infrastructure has been increasingiy recognized and promoted among hazard and climate planners and managers. A growing body of evidence indicates the vaiues of coastal ecosystems in wave attenuation, deflection, and erosion reduction. These systems can also retain stormwater during rain events, preventing surface flooding. In fact, analyses performed by McKinsey and Swissfle have shown that reef and wetland managernent and restoration can be among the most approaches for iiazard in rnitigaiing coasiai risks, io'?rastrucru'rc iias a nniniier of PAGE 42 significant cobeneiits. Natural systems such as wetlands help to cleanse urban storm water of contaminants before it enters the waterways, improving water quaiity. New green space improves the quality of life for urban residents and can provide recreational opportunities, and will have a cooling effect during hot weather, helping to combat the urban heat island effect. Zoning modifications that increase the percentage of open space on waterfront lots can improve public access and scenic quality. Many green infrastructure techniques intended to retain and absorb storm water at the surface have the benefit of reducing the strain on storm sewer capacity by reducing the volume of storm water that enters the piped system. Softer solutions also generally have lower maintenance and management costs when compared to traditional built infrastructure. ln addition, natural infrastructure provides habitat for wildlife and opportunities for fishing and recreation. These approaches, however, also have limitations. They do not serve to protect against certain types of events, may not be appropriate or feasible in some urban areas, and under some circumstances may preclude development. There are six major types of natural systems that can or do exist within the New York Harbor system that can limit flooding and climate--related impacts: barrier beach and dune systems, tidai wetlands, oyster reefs, riverine floodplains, living shoreiines, and natural berzns and levies. Each of these must be considered in detail as part of an overall soft infrastructure package. Perform a robust planning process for the creation of comprehensive soft infrastructure in New York Harbor. While the State proceeds with initial, pilot-scale actions as described below, it shouici initiate a robust pianning process to rieiennine vriiere and lime to iinpieinern. a pacaage of actions vvouid inciuiic soft infrastructure measures, eievaiing or iiooriproofing ouiidings anri critical infrastructure and streetscapes that provide for controlled flooding and hard structural measures where necessary. This effort should include a rigorous environmental, engineering and economic feasibility analysis to determine whether a comprehensive package of soft measures and building and infrastructure flood- proofing could limit the potential harm from sea level rise, storm surge and other major storm events to an acceptable level of risk. The study should accomplish the following: is Explore how to expand and protect beach and dune systems as part of its overall strategy Barrier isiands, dunes and beaches are the first level of defense to storm surge. A wide beach and dune complex provides significant storm protection. During storms, beaches and dunes can mitigate storm impacts by absorbing and dissipating wave energy. While storms can move sand from the beach, these changes are natural responses to storm surge and high waves and are often less costly to repair than damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. Explore how to expand and protect beach and dune systems as part of its overall strategy. iv Explore how to protect and enhance existing tidal wetlands and create new wetlands systems in dormant shorelines. Efforts could be focused initially on restoring existing wetlands and critical areas damaged by the recent storm. The State and municipal agencies should evaluaie areas of storm debris and reznove debris that will increase scour, undermine existing wetiand habitat, or does not provide habitat function (ie. remove trash, but not woody or naturai debris). Removing structures and other debris from the wetlands during the winter allows the tidai wetlands to grow back natutaily in the spring without further restoration. Eagiiore in ivizicii ii}/seer can no couici on focuscri on soft LAND USE Jamaica Bay Salt Marsh Island Restoration The ongoing collaborative effort to re-construct salt marsh islands in Jamaica Bay is an example of an effective program to construct protective soft infrastructure that could be placed in New York Harbor and along the Atlantic Coast. This project has resulted in re-construction of 148 acres of salt marsh islands within Jamaica Bay. (Fig. 1) These isiands provide important storm buffering for the communities and public infrastructure in and around the bay. During Hurricane Sandy, the islands reduced wave action and current speed. Although these islands were ultimately submerged by Hurricane Sandy's stonri waters, they emerged unharmed, and are still providing their many benefits. (Fig. 2) The Army Corps of Engineers' implementation of the marsh island projects included expedited permitting and beneficial reuse of clean navigationai dredge material (Fig. 3). Projects were conducted under a series of project--specific contracts and funding agreements among the Corps of Engineers, DEC, the City of New York, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The reconstruction of Jamaica Bay's marsh isiands within a National Park Service national recreation area shows that permits and approvals can be readily obtained for well-designed soft infrastructure projects that protect from coastal storms while providing an enhanced environment. Figure Jamaica Bay E,cosysiem.Fiestoration Project.' Figure 2. West Eiders marsh restoration project using beneficial use of dredged material, 40 ac. I Figure 3. Reconstructed Jamaica Bay salt marsh islands emerged unharmed from Sandy's flood. Left: Pre-Sandy, Right: December 3, 2012, source: NOAA. PAGE 43 principles to restore existing wetlands and critical areas damaged by the recent storm utilizing soft infrastructure principles. The State and municipal agencies should evaluate areas of storm debris and remove dehris that will refiect energy, increase scour, undermine existing wetland habitat or does not provide habitat function (ie. remove trash, but not woody or natural debris), while allowing natural materials to remain and support further wetlands enhancement. Removing structures and other debris from the wetlands during the winter allows the tidal wetlands to grow back naturally in the spring without further restoration. Explore how to expand the creation of living shorelines around the Harbor and its tributaries. Living shorelines are coastal areas that are designed with salt>> tolerant plantings, rip--wrap, and other measures to prevent or reduce shore erosion and dampen wave energy while emulating the physical and biological conditions of naturally occurring, stable shorelines. The State should identify and evaluate shoreline areas where the use of living shoreline techniques would be appropriate for potential use of soft infrastructure coastal protection strategies The areas selected could include sites experiencing significant erosion, especially vuinerable areas in Brookiyn, Staten Island and elsewhere, and locations prozvtimate to environmental justice communities. a Use existing mapping resources to identify vulnerable areas that could be made more with natural systems. Neighborhoods with high concentrations of socially vulncrabie residents (for example, as defined by the Social Vulnerability Index), critical infrastructure (including but not iirnited to power plants, substations, hospitals, transportation and rnaior roads'), and high popuiation densities shotiid he orioririried. use eaisiing rnaoping giregrarns are hy ern:ergenc3-' managers PAGE 435; for planning. is Develop detailed proposals on how projects would be funded, constructed and maintained. This should involve determining how a wetland banking system could engage the private sector in building new, protective tidal wetland and natural features systems, as noted more fully below in section 1.3.1. Twenty-two states have some form of mitigation banking, which provides sustainable revenue streams for wetland and natural systems restoration and predictability for developers. Reguiatory improvements Development of wetiands and other soft infrastructure may also be wellwserved by revising regulations that often complicate work in tidal areas. In particular, the State should work with key stakeholders to identify whether any changes should be made to Article 25 of the Environmental Conservation Law (tidal wetlands) that would provide flexibility in the design of green infrastructure that couid enhance habitat function and promote resilience; provide incentives for creation of soft shorelines and wetlands; and require consideration of sea level rise scenarios. The State should also explore revisions to Articles 15 and 24 (Protection of Waters and Freshwater Tidal Wetlands) that may help to streamline and fast-track soft infrastructure projects. in addition, the State should work with New York City and other impacted municipalities to identify zoning changes that could support the implementation of soft infrastructure projects. Finally, the State should undertake a muiti~agency review to ensure that necessary permits and approvals for soft infrastructure development can be obtained easily and ouickly. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the need, feasibility, costs, and impacts of storm surge barriers, or other hard infrastructure as a faiisafe for Near iiarhori "torus surge harriers are iarge gates that close during storm events to protect coastal areas from flooding. Extensive storm surge barriers have been used in various locations including the Netherlands, London and St. Petersburg, Russia. Similar but smaller scale barriers protected the waterfront of Stamford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode island from the surge associated with Storm Sandy. Although these barriers are each different, they all involve engineered systems that mechanically move gates into place several hours prior to the arrival of a storm to hold back the storm surge entirely and protect the area behind. the barrier. Storm surge barriers have major environmental and economic impacts, and are not easily adapted to changing hazards or risk conditions. A system in New York Harbor would have to be much more complex than those in London and St. Petersburg, because of the size, geography, and hydrology of New York Harbor. On the ocean side either two barriers would be required one across the Verrazano Narrows and one at the mouth of the Arthur Kill between Perth Amboy New Jersey and Staten Island or a single one extending from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to the Rockaways in New York. An additional barrier would be needed at the entrance to the East River from the Long Island Sound. Cost estimates for either option of three or two surge barrier locations vary widely, from to $29 billion, in addition to significant ongoing maintenance and operation costs. WelI--designed storm surge barriers can be designed to provide protection against the combination of coastal storm surge and rising sea levels. For example, the barriers could be designed to hold back the surge that may accompany a Category 1 hurricane on top of the six feet of sea level rise that may he experienced by the end of this century," The proposed barrier frorn Sandy fiooic to the Rocliavrays cooiri he dc-signed to protect mess of the iioo-riieci in faroan core of the iaiesv var; tffirjr area. If such a barrier system had been in place, it likely would have prevented the flooding of the subways, tunnels, airports, wastewater treatment plants and other critical infrastructure. And a barrier from Sandy Hook to the Rockaways could have prevented much of the damage to homes and communities on Staten Island. Storm surge barriers, however, have certain shortcomings that must be recognized and further explored. First, they provide little protection in dealing with other threats. For example, they do not mitigate the effects of freshwater flooding caused by extreme precipitation associated with hurricanes or other heavy rain events such as Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. In the event of a large storm surge as occurred with Sandy combined with heavy rainfalls as occurred with Tropical Storm Irene, the barriers would have to be closed in time to protect against the storm surge and then opened for freshwater flooding surges on the rivers tributary to the Hudson estuary. There is usually a delay of hours and even days between the storm surge and the freshwater flooding allowing for the barriers to be closed and opened as necessary, but this does require well-planned response planning and operation. The City of Rotterdam is currently evaluating the need to build several new seawalls to redirect the Rhine River during flood events to prevent inland flooding when the city's coastal defenses are closed. In a constricted waterway such as the Long Island Sound, surge barriers may actually worsen the flooding impacts outside of the surge barriers because the water that is prevented from entering the protected area will be deflected elsewhere. Similar impacts would be expected along the Rockaway Peninsula. Surge barriers would have to be designed to prevent significant adverse impacts on physical oceanographic conditions in the harbor area, the aquatic life, sedimentation or erosion, shipping, and recreational uses in New York Harbor. Since barrier systems must aliow for the flow of water during times other than storm RECOMMENDAHONS--LRNEUSE PAGE45 events, they also do not protect against coastal inundation that will result from seadevel rise. Some localized areas will be increasingly at risk of flooding during events that would not trigger closure of the barriers and some wili eventnaliy be permanently under water. isreaoi Dredging scheduie The State should consider establishing a schedule to dredge inlets on a 2 to 4 year cycle and shift the sand to adjacent beaches to keep the beaches and dunes healthy. The health of the natural coastal system depends on the transport of sand along the shoreline by the action of waves. However, inlets stabilized by jetties fill up with sand and they block its transport, resulting in the accumulation of sand in and around the inlet, where it can cause navigation problems and deprive beaches of sand. To remedy this over the short term, inlets and their shoals should be periodically dredged and the sand placed on the sand~starved beaches to address the incremental chronic erosion. Dredging on the larger inlets is generally performed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, but usually for navigation purposes only. More routine dredging to address erosion will require state or local action. Cycie of review of the Breach Contingency Plan The State and US Army Corps should consider establishing a regular cycle of review for the Breach Contingency Plan. This would include evaluation of approaches to closure of breaches in the barrier islands, and the environmental, public safety, and property effects. The Breach Contingency Plan was prepared by the US Army Corps of Engineers, New York State, and other federai partners in $994 foilowing the opening ofa breach in Westhanipttin. inaction aiionied that inreaeh to groin, and the nest ior iriosure one year; Eater tinderstaririing of hreaehes tnshieii are near PAGE 453 inlets) is constantly improving. We now recognize that these breaches are important transporters of sand into the bays, which allows new wetlands and eelgrass beds to start and provides a platform for the barrier isiands to roll onto as sea level rises. Absent this platform, the barrier islands are likely to drown in place. Further, new inlets can improve water quality in the bays. Tidal and coastal wetlands protect upiand areas from flooding and shorelines from erosion associated with storms. As such, their protection and enhancement must be a central part of a coastal resilience strategy. Atypical tidal wetland is the salt marsh that is found in the near shore areas all around Long Island, the lower Hudson River, and in protected bays along the entire Atlantic coast of the United States. These areas are dominated by grasses and other marsh plants that are adapted to the rise and fall of the tide and the salt water the tide brings. Coastal wetlands are also found on the Great Lakes. They also perform many important ecosystem services. They provide critical spawning grounds, nurseries, shelter, and food for finfish, shellfish, birds, and other wildlife. They also improve surface water quality by filtering. storing, and detoxifying wastes and provide valuable wildlife habitat. The State should explore the benefits and drawbacks of strengthening the Tidal Wetland Act to incorporate projections of future sea level rise and provide for the mapping and regulation of tidal wetland migration areas. Many scientists are concerned that sea levei rise wiil cause numerous wetlands to disappear because they are blocked by and shore protection structures, as they wili he unabie to rnoise apiand oniess apiand areas suitahie ior useiianii niigrarion are protected. The State should also consider increasing regulated buffers to at least 75 feet in New York City (already 75 feet on Long island) and establish rolling buffers that will advance with the migration of wetlands. Language should be considered that ailows permit and regulatory determinations to take into account seadevel rise, storm surge, wetland migration and flooding. In addition, the State and coastal communities should seek to reduce the barriers to wetland migration, including acquiring land in potential migration pathways and minimizing use of hard shore protection on bay shorelines. The state shouid restore tidal wetlands along the coasts in coordination with federal, local, and private entities. These projects can be accomplished using US Army Corps of Engineers or private funding from the creation of wetland mitigation. banks. The Jamaica Bay wetlands restoration project serves as a model project. The Commission recommends that the State lead in the development of a cornprehcnsive package of soft infrastructure installations that would provide protection to the communities along the New York Harbor. The recommendations are: Perform a robust planning process for the creation of a comprehensive soft infrastructure package in New York Harbor, coordinated with New Jersey and including building offshore and tidai wetlands, oyster reefs, and sinali island archipelagos in shallow offshore areas in the vicinity of flood zones, creating living shorelines, and enhancing dunes beaches, and natural berms. Priority should be given to vulnerable areas damaged by Tropical Storm Sandy including Sunset "Park, Red Hook, Gowanus, Williamsburg, Lower Manhattan and the northeast coast of Staten Island. Immediately employ soft infrastructure protections on a pilot basis. DEC could work with municipal agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers to identify and evaluate shoreline areas where the use of living shoreline techniques would be appropriate for potential use of soft infrastructure coastal protection strategies. Additional areas selected could include sites experiencing significant erosion, especiaily .VtliI16I'E1bl6 areas in Brooklyn, Staten Island and elsewhere, and locations proximate to environmental justice cornmunities. Restoring existing wetlands and critical areas in New York Harbor damaged by the recent storm utilizing soft inirastxucture principles through soft practices and maintenance measures such as removal of storm debris, litter and other poilntants. DEC should work with key staireitolders to identify regulatory and zoning improvements that would provide flexibility in the design of soft infrastructure,-specifically considering changes to be made to Article 25 of the Bnvironmental Conservation Law (for tidal wetlands) and to identify any revisions to Articles 15 and 24 (Protection of Waters and Freshwater Tidal Wetlands} that may help to streamline soft infrastructure projects. i' tension 'fiiaterpian 2, fiottesdanri, Netiierianizisig Rotterdam is the second Earnest city in the the tangent port in Europe and is situated" 2 metres see inset. The city protected anti: a eoineinatioo oi dggiies and a coinoiex, pumping systems, viewing water as is threat. in 2353?? Waterpian E3 to Rotterdam iafateicitgi "using a joint approach of ptaon?og and water management. Qotiaroairn focuses on rnaoagorosnt sirateo?es. using water as an to improve the iaooscaoe and educate the poetic. The aims oi' tints ciao protecting the city item itooti?ng, ensuring the teeter insets tine European Water Fraineisork intestine, integrating ocean niaoo?ng with water ioanagernent and reoigan?z?ng through decentratizeo innozxative so?otionsi "the pine atso emphasized a oomioer of principios that iociuoed water setisitivitg. aesthetics. ionctiooatitgi; poetic perception and acceptance. and integrative manning, These innovative sotot?oo.s ?neioc?e, not are not limited to, green roots, water squares {poetic use areas recessed eaten: ground toilet to on fioo-dad}, water gardens and innovative detention areas. The etan sngootates that as new deiteioomeots in the outskirts {tens density} most iocorootate iargo water heifers; "white denser; built areas most use innovative so?otioos {green toois, water stowage}. Waterpian 2 provides as information necessary for imoieroeinationi showirig the Eocatioo of each soiotion and new it coutd be designed Locai and pioneers have for design, a?tiaeugti the pint: contains nteiiminary design and Priority was pieced on the nsatflity of poetic spaces flooded, making them attractive toe pantie nee at aitiirnesi PAGE 47 itarisro giver fiarit, Nos: 'reset itsrisrn is a tidal estoargr permeating are itodsos arzo East Risers teat eras sobiacted to reaiigornent, ooilt and narrowing. tiariero Riser fiarir lntrodooeo ideas of improving and iritertida? izaoitat, entrancing poetic oodersteooirzg and soioigrnent of tire spores a oompsr' oi sizoress-e types were expi red, modeied anti tested to erase tantra to compare erase arid sediment stresses so too snore, These sboreiises locorporatsd steps, tarraoes, tide poois, assess to posts and the water, oiorerriediatioo, ass of salts arid pobiic art. Qrlginai desigio for tire stress it rspiacerneni of tee corroded st-eei sneetapiie-s Witt": rises steei was repisoeo' Witt: iris toiloos?og prisoipies: - Xfarioos loiets and coves in the siroreiins, instead of a stralgni line I 'terraced steps to get closer to the water 0 "tide poois 0 Witt: oyster sbelis arid rocks in oaslreis sod pianting of sait marshes to encourage and antaanoe babitats 0 Variety in arrangement oi to promote varying nsioitats 0 Use of porous pavement and edging to silos: of stormwater and aosoro worse energy iv Retaining existing riprap and repailding to inoioda seatiog - How does this recommendation make New York more resilient? Integrated - Looks across iurisoictiooal and state boundaries - Considers zoning-amendments for the long-term development and design of sott infrastructure. 0 includes short, medium and long-term solutions ranging from immediate restoration of areas affected by Sandy to pilot projects to a comprehensive planning process. Coordinated 0 Encourages coordination between New York and New Jersey 0 Multhagency coordination between DEC, Army Corps of Engineers, others . - Planning to involve multiple stakeholders to understand issues and amend zonirig codes. 0 Soft infrastructure systems should also work to compliment hard infrastrocture as softer systems do not serve to protect against certain types of events,..may not be appropriate or feasible in some urban areas, and under some circumstances may preclude development Robust - Puttirsg nature to work to protect the New York Harbor provides a strong suite of ecosystem services, including flood protection for downtown, the coastline, and iniand. They protect critical infrastructure systems like the transport network. 0 The package of soft infrastructure envisioned provides multiple redundancies, lots of diversity and pathways to protection. 0 These investments preserve New York's flexibility to adapt additional strategies if circumstances change. Cost~effectivo_ 0 Reef aed wetland managemeot and restoration can be among the most costeffective approaches for hazard mitigation and provide a range of ecosystem services and active waterfronts can contribute to economy development. - Long term planning and coordination can help avoid redundant efforts. - importantly, the comprehensive package would not impair any existing or contemplated commercial and navigational interests?" RAGE 48 LAND USE PAGE -59 Across New York, a broad and diverse range of natural landscapes and the communities that live within them and depend upon them are already vulnerable to extreme weather. With a changing climate New Yorkers need to understand these vulnerabilities and how local and regional risks might change in the future. A deeper tzn?erstanding of climate- related risks is the best starting point for making wise decisions on now make New York more resilient to the changes to come. Scientists predict not only an increase in frequency of extreme events big storms with floods, prolonged heat waves or prolonged droughts, for example. They also are predicting wide range of weather- related threats. Environments that were predominantly snowy in winter and infrequently experienced ice storms in the past are beginning to see the balance shift as the winters get warmer and ice storms become more frequent. New York is also likely to experience less violent but still disruptive changes in its climate: changes that will make it hard for some plant and animal species to continue to thrive here such as the sugar maple tree but will invite others to move in such as diseasocanying pests. Ecosystems that are already stressed from the long--~terrn effects of habitat fragmentation and isolation, land conversion or development, soil degradation, acid rain, and clirnare changes already underway will soon strain to absorb and recover from extreme events. Bad weather does not happen in isolation to an individual or her cointnunity. Through related effects, a violent storm or prolonged dry spell can impact whole regions. So muclr of our built environment, including suburban viliages and farmed iandscapes, are vninerable as our smail farms to {he effects of the changing climate. PAGE 53 lea . - _dro_ug'ht' that dry and weaken soils followed "lay-initerifse rainfall that can result in . erogsiori, land subsidence _floodifi9- -E'xtr'em_e djL'3r_ing'? :2 -. giisegaa ii _c5aa??s in Warner patterns "eleven by globai efinrnate e_hange'ea_n to a. onr_en_ie I -snfess__ in the natnrai_ 'tn_at_ aec_a_rnu!_ates risk ving'-note .st:d_den_ - Dirou3gih_tf-Ebaiuga Ciyelesi-Ins elirnate chanrigiel on-ntinaes I wiil_falI andene to three more res_u_lt viei-eus eyeleof extreme 't?rnperat'a'r'as'an'd -experienefadi-during iren'a_'_and . . ciarnage-. p_i_i_b_i?e__and ;a'riira't_e_ -H .: 'designed- to; .- . -efirnate 'for_--paS_si_ve eoneiitionieg may find "fine. er; the in ?n'irnfid_i_ty _will'aggr'_a'vate tire' Power" Rising ?ernp_e_rature signi?eant_ .cor_r;r_nunities_ .ttiat_ are" hot and-humid as upper I i'ir__nits _-are "pushed demand miaifiinin hf?fiitn. stress by power'3syster_n' - 'eXtrern'a -j?verits. or-'st-rained (as evswnex if a . I communities a eiirnate rn_u_nic'i'paI'i'stormwa't'er- 'lanai.-one decisions. _oefere'sta'ti-on team-r=; -. high 'heat' saute . e_v_e_n__ts become-.5rnore; and "intense; An 3 risks of 'fa'iiure'j change: . atrribiiteei to I 2 - 'Ma-ra_' iriterzsel . l: vuinerabie -__less such It or risksibiitiswaisr . and .-effecgts naive .- .i_egaei1es--su-eh_. as rramrdeua materiais in' _f'eonramin_at_ed soil". as-mimeniriesi "are - -henna .5 3 legacy of-.inousirialipeilution. increased cobra-minateoi reieasi-ng _trn_ried .ti:ixi'ns if-KG Qiirriate eirange-nail _airp-anci 'ratio in I by Water or by pan inaovertenriy-e'xa'eerbate da'rnage_' to 'materiais-{especially wood,- -ganici rnateriais?'as pest'a_nd disease profiias 'enae'g7ei:. The State should create a state-wide environmental banking system that would allow private investors and landowners to develop mitigation measures, in the form ofa restored wetlands, habitat, or improved water quality, from which mitigation credits can be sold to private and public developers in order to meet environmental permitting, regulatory and enforcement requirements. This would enable the State to prioritize the creation of transformational natural restoration projects under a well regulated and privately funded system. An environmental bank would be a privately or publicly--owned resource, typically land or wetlands, that is managed over the long term for its natural resource value. In exchange for permanently protecting the land, the bank "manager" may sell credits to developers who need to satisfy legal requirements for compensating environmental impacts of development projects. The bani; would be created using a publicfprivate partnership. among project developers, regulators and private investors. The current permitting system would be expedited by removing the issue of mitigation as an obstacle to development. The "case by case" approach to mitigation is often viewed as expensive, and cumbersome and often produces projects that failover the long term. A new entrepreneurial environmental banking system would create a market for resource protection credits by enabling private investors and landowners to undertake environmental restoration and protection projects using private capital. This provides the duai benefit of putting private money towards environmental protection projects that would otherwise go unfunded. These banks also expedite permitting and reduce overall costs of projects by providing readily available, proapproved mitigation measures or credits to address adverse environmental impacts associated with project developments. blew York could develop a statewide model, starting with priority inland freshwater Wetland or coastal restoration projects. Wh'ile "mitigation" or "conservation" banking is not a new concept. it has not been widely used in New York. At the federal level and in other states, mitigation banking has been used on a patchwork basis to address freshwater wetlands, endangered species, impaired watersheds, and storm water controls. Portions of the Ohio River watershed employ conservation banking to meet water quality goals. The Willamette Watershed Basin in Oregon uses mitigation banking to offset a wide variety of impacts. However, no state has broadly embraced banking as a business model for all aspects of economic development and environmental protection. New York could begin with a pilot program to ensure feasibility. The main criticism of environmental banking is that it encourages development. The basis of this claim is that the proximity of an existing mitigation bank to a proposed deveiopment site will encourage development approval where it previously would not have been approved. Generally, this claim is generally without merit. Under the status quo, projects typically hit a wall at the mitigation phase, where there is a and expensive push and pull between the regulator, developer, and environmental groups who battle over the mitigation. The result is usually that the project goes forward after much delay with two undesirable outcomes: 1) a poorly formulated compromise mitigation project that is less likely to succeed; and 2) frustration and unnecessary costs and delays faced by all parties. If crafted well, an environmental mitigation bank could produce better environmental and economic development results PAGE 51 heississinnds fiasoagea?a fihrer watershed "ihe hasaagaaie ihesr watershed is area oi as orior?hr zaitit asses' aores protested within an rarer sontdort Zsifetianaf h?itigaiion hashing has stayed an important hart in this aonservatieri short. hiatare flonservahov astahiiehad three mitigation hanks ahd directed Environrhehtsi hrogeets another forth at mitigahon regu?red as part of a sethernent of a density} to sonservaaon prionhfes in the watershed. These oroieots have heiosd gene in existing aohseraatioh areas. Cannes': hesitate intnortant for eneoies rhoarehseh?: and iohgterrn sarisivait and sheets heeded hah?tat management. The hanks have restated in a harsher oi hehehts inotnding; a iinkage for this rare species and has enahied the eeht?noed use at hressrihed fire, as presses needed to maintain seen asetiand savanna hahhat; oohservahon as" extensive hardvv-and forests where has enrharv river tributaries merge: and over '22 mites of preserved. enhanced, and restored streams and SEE antes of vvetiand mitigation on a major trihiitary to the Pasoagooia {had Create "the 'Watershed fiioaroaah to ?n~i..ieo Fee Mitigation in hiirgih?a in tees, The sisters {Yeti}; Virginia fihahter estahiished the 'afirg?n?a hesodraes 'this? hand, ties tee srogranr. the end at 2:3? t, "iifiifi reported? having assented snare than sass rhi?iion in fees, of arh?eh it had used rsitiioh to horses 'to snitigahon orogeets. in addition, the rnitigatieh fees have generated more than $4.3 rnitiion in interest, avhiah has he-en returned to the feed to seaport sdaitionai noose-oration' is sit, the Virginia Resoaroes "hast Fens' has assented tees horn orogiests that have anpaated Edit acres at W?iiaf??ifi {heat and norhhda?} and as mites of stream and seasoned restoration of more than 555:3 acres at zeetiartds a rapiaoerhent ratio of aimosit 't:2 {agree impaoted oernnared to sores restored}? and restored aha hroieoted ted miss of stream a repiaoerneat ratio or' stress': "i:-it with more than Qfili?h?i oi aaetiands and nhiands protested as hart of these progeots. How does this recommendation make New York more resilient? . - - - -Wetlands mitigation and hahking preserves and repairs habitat. Chafafitfifisfics 0 Restoring wetlands would increase the resiliency of the area damaged by development, using natural systems to alleviate the negative outcomes from storm impacts. - it provides the ecosystem service of storm water retention, diversifying the states investments in flood protection. Wetlands provide an additional measure of handling stormwater and can help reduce peak storm floods over time. During storm events, wetlands fill up, hold, and then slowly reiease large amounts of water is a manner similar to a large tank or a flood control dam. replicated throughout the State.' integrated - Without wetlands and opening of flood plains, roads and bridge ahutments can be damaged. - By requiring developers to buy into a mitigation hank it ensures that the surrounding neighborhood benefits from a wetland being restored or built. - A namber of communities along the Southern Tier are actively boiiding wetlands as a means to limit peak storm flows while improving water quality. These programs are oost--ef?eotive and can be Coordinated - Having a coordinated system helps to establish a more regional View on the health of wetlands and in turn the quality of water and the to handle quantities of water. Cost-effective - Preventing floods now prevents the costs of damage due to storms. PAGE 52 Protect, restore and olevetcp statewide freshwater wettands Minor wetlands, small seasonal pools and minor streams across New York typically account for the bulk of the land area in a watershed and serve critical flood attenuation purposes, Therefore, the State should enhance their protection. First, the State should update its wetlands maps. Most State wetland maps are seriously outdated and inaccurate, leaving hundreds of thousands of acres of umnapped wetlands vulnerable to destruction. Under current New York law, if a freshwater wetland is not formally mapped it is not protected or otherwise regulated by the State. One recent remapping effort in the New York City drinking water watershed found 12 square miles of completely unrnapped wetlands in a 360 mile area. DEC estimates that there over 700,000 acres of freshwater wetlands meet the threshold to be mapped, but are currentiy not depicted on the maps. Second, the State should consider a statutory amendment that would extend the scope of State wetland jurisdiction to cover wetlands that are smaller than the current 12.4 acre threshold. Small wetlands comprise a significant percentage of overall wetlands. New York can no longer rely on federal wetland regulations, as federal protections for smaller wetlands and headwater stream areas have been limited by recent Court decisions on the scope of federal Clean Water Act. The amount of wetland areas subject to the Clean Water Act has been substantially reduced. With both of these efforts, the State must carefully balance wetland protection with local economic considerations. Wetland mapping and protection programs can create obstacles to iocal development and tax revenue considerations. Any new mapping effort, therefore, must be done through an iterative public process that balances economic development with resiliency priorities. Expand a wetlands and natural systems mitigation banking program to offset damage or loss from development projects and provide an innovative tool to use private funds for resiliency projects. - Lfii?\lD Provide protection for minor streams across the state The State should consider expanding the Protection of Waters Law to extend regulatory protection to minor streams and include a minimum regulated buffersSmall streams, like smaller wetlands, typically account for the bulk of the land area in a watershed and provide crucial stormwater attenuation. Under current law, minor streams (typically classified as or are at risk of damage when regulatory protection is not afforded them under State "Protection of Waters" laws. As with many smaller wetlands, Army Corps of Engineers and EPA jurisdiction over such water bodies has been limited by federal court decisions. The destruction of small streams and associated shunting of storm waters elsewhere exacerbates flooding in the same manner as the loss of wetlands or floodplains or the creation of new impervious surfaces. To minimize this, the State should consider extending regulatory protections to minor streams classified as or streams. This would enable the State to create a streamside buffer of as much as 50 feet. Appropriate regulatory variance criteria should be developed to prevent undue hardships or protect other important economic or social interests. As with enhanced wetland protections, the State must carefully balance enhanced stream protections with local economic considerations. Minor stream protection programs can create obstacles to local development and tax revenue considerations. Any new protective effort, therefore, must be done through an iterative public process that balances economic development with resiliency priorities. PAGE 53 I3 1 Expand green infrastructure and urban forestry New York should promote a statewide effort for green infrastructure. Green infrastructure is another name for green roofs, city parks, permeable pavement, rain barrels, vegetative planters that infiltrate water into soils, wetlands, roadside bioswales, drywells, and street trees. Green infrastructure slows down, spreads out, soaks in, and reduces the destructive energy of storm waters. Holding and infiltrating storm water on the landscape through a multitude of demonstrated programs is not only fundamental to peak flood hazard mitigation and preserving water quality, but also to aquifer and reservoir recharge for drought prevention. By holding or directing storm water to absorptive vegetation, green infrastructure can also help prepare urban areas for the effects of climate change, promote energy efficiency, improve air quality, provide natural habitat, and make communities more livable. Green infrastructure can also help mitigate the effects of heat waves. Heat waves pose the greatest danger to human life in urban areas, where the urban "heat island" effect can cause parts of cities to be up to 10 degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas. The heat island effect is attributable to the large amounts of concrete and asphalt that absorb heat and tall buildings that prevent the heat from dissipating. Marginalized or disadvantaged communities that may already be burdened by environmental challenges are often the most vulnerable to extreme urban heat conditions, due to access to less air conditioning, buildings with relatively poor insulation, and less green space. The devastating heat wave in Europe in 2003 resulted in perhaps more than 70,000 deaths across Europe as a whole, and over 14,800 deaths in France alone. Paris was hit the hardest, due to a roughly 8 degree heat island effect in that urban setting. The prevalence of heat waves will increase both duration and intensity over the coming years as a result of ciimate change. PAGE 54 For example, the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment report, Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast (2007), predicts that the number of days above 100 degrees in New York City each year will increase from an average of 2 days per year to at least 7 and as many as 25 days, depending in part on the rate of growth in GHG emissions. Manage drought affectivaty Help municipalities implement water conservation programs. Climate change is expected to result in more extreme weather conditions, including more severe and possibly more frequent droughts. Water conservation programs can help communities reduce costs of infrastructure construction and make systems more resilient to drought and power outages. The State should help municipalities control infastructure costs of their water systems by financing the installation of water meters and other municipal water efficiency programs by providing interest free loans to municipalities throughout New York. Funds would be used to install certified water saving devices and finance water audits and conservation plans. Such programs have been shown to reduce water use by up to 30%, save ratepayers money, support infrastructure investment, and provide savings to allow for economic growth without spending additional resources for water or wastewater capacity. Enable the Governor to declare a drought emergency New York State, the Governor has very limited authority to regulate water use restrictions during times of even extreme drought. State agencies currently only have the limited authority to issue non-binding, staged warnings pegged to the severity of drought conditions. Local water utilities typically do a good job of controlling water usage. However, local effectiveness becomes water is a shared resource, and allocations and binding conservation practices can become the focal point of significant dispute in times of extreme scarcity. The state should consider the following recommendations to promote the use of green infrastruerurez Establish a goai of planting a sizeable number of trees per year in urban areas around the state. Tree planting is an integral part of a comprehensive strategy to combat stormwater runoff and urban beat. A single tree on an urban street can remove absorb 4,075 gallons of stormwater per year, preventing runoff that exacerbates flood conditions." Tree canopies shade buildings, sidewalks, streets, and other structures, keeping them cooler, reducing air conditioning, and other energy needs in the summer and reducing the overall urban heat island effect. Trees also remove pollutants from the air and soil and can shelter buildings from cold winds in winter months, reducing heating costs. Help local cornmunities to repair the damage by providing trees for replanting. Tens of thousands of trees were lost to Tropical Storm Sandy in the downstate New York area. Amend New York 's clean water regulations to ensure that the state more fully incorporates green infrastructure practices into its many clean water permitting programs including the regulation of combined sewer overflow systems. a Consider an update to the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual (the design criteria for both the "General Permit for Construction Activities" and "General Permit for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems") to require the use of updated precipitation data in the design of stormwater practices to ensure for the control of stormwater up to the 500 year storm. This effort should be approached with caution as the increased stringency of stormwater controls could place a burden on economic development activities. roers irarreesroosnre irreerrtiire rogra Washington 'the iiastriot oi of the Ernziroomorzt is new pioneering management rogotatioos that win rraao a oraroatie irnoaet to iofrastriierore ofaoo?rzsg one ianri ooare?oornenr. 'iboso regoiat?oos contain retention staooarris, test it not root axis' resist in an oiisite mitigation aoo/or ?raiien fee program wii? be oseo when sires as to meet too so retention staooaro_ if a teebn?eai review or too site determines that the first EUR36 inch of storrmeater ronoii be retained, toe wit: be re-oo?rao to participate in a program. Properties within toe E?sttr?et of Coiorohia are reonireo to pay mentor; fees based upon resioern?ai units For sore resioeotiai properties, on equates to LGGS sooare feet or impervious area Separaie fees are paio to @fiQE one DC 'eraser. it too new retention staooaros are met, the toes aria be The DQQE stortraararor rego?atioos reoo?ro teat the peas: stormwater oisenargo rare from the :2~year and tfieyoar storm events most be eootroiteo to the preoovo?opmeot rate. it is anticipated rear the Condition wi?i be defined in the rogoiatioos as a meadow eonoit?orsi or "prior to rnaofs irsffoeocef' PAGE 55 ates; Etorhfi Eh 238%, Gerstrai 'irorir Reg?eaai fiiana?r?g aha Sazre?aprriest Basra 'fie ass grass to rerjaoa reset? is the ifirhahized area {ass} and the fare coahtiss that reeks so the region, seas seveiopes an ergariotatiohai saactsre tar groariag Q23 aatahasa which iatormahae on water aeairtyera?eage issues, pa?eht?ai benefits, ?rritiai practices for consideration, pateraiai site aha seaee?raahts to irnaiemahtatica, From this aataoase, a set of sites?areas arrears waiter soars}; ancifor drainage coats? psieritiairg he ac?siressea ?rhroegh the ?rap?arrzeetat?en of fireeh istrastractare practices was aaveiopae for further RPQS racers-crates storm sewer shad mapping, system aha ihasantorias of stormerater rnahagerneht practices into the es?stihg ragionai srerrasrater' oataoase. this was uses tor iaentif?catiah of specific sites to new or retrofit existing storrnr-aster censor practices to aafaress raaofi' prohieras ozs?hg grear: ?rwtrastractare. Sits aha-racteristics, ihciaitipg soiis, existisg water resources, asetianos, tiaoapiains, aha? areas of steep stapes, aha ra?evant design po?hts were iocated using oatfaii mapping and other oiata oy the ?astitat?ohs, CNY R938 conaactaa a ser?ss of site visits, aariitiohai data arts iacorporatrng this rate the 8:3 oiatabase, tiitirhateigs a aaiahase of appropriate green practices to address peak ties: atterioatios and stormaratsr at the site species, watersheci was aevaiopes. car seas coetacted ptano?eg agencies ans' consearai?os offices in rise coarzaes, identifying water aua?ity aria draieage concerns and deveioprnent piahs that oanatit from the ihciosioh of green ihfrastructsre assign, hriority projects ihciaasci nrahic?pat?y owned sites, tooatea in areas of high pab?ie visie??ity to atiow for erfiacahosat signage. "the teifowing sites ware seiecteci: $amasa:?i?e "train Station infi?tratieh aha Boar-mspoot Disconnection Qreea, Onondaga Soantygaz Baiihaad Point Parsirtg arsa g?oioti??rratiors Swaie {Lake 0sareg'o flouhtgrig Emerson Park ?fihoreiine and Better Latte, Sayuga County}; ilihaprrzan Park Renoir Resection. ass' infiltration ifineida Lake, sriaciison EURoeot3,r}; Gena: Lansing Para flank and Qiornhitratioa {Limestoae Sreex. Qoonaaga County}. How does this recommendation make New York more resilient? Integrated 0 Having incentives to ensure the systems so that don't impact adversely their heighbors and wider communtty -Coordinated Amending code for the entire state wiil provide consistency of standards and best practice. '-Robust - Holding and Enfiitrating storm water on the iandscaoe through a muititude of demonstrated programs - I is fundamental to peak flood hazard mitigation and preserving water quality, and also to aquifer and reservoir recharge for drought prevention. - 0 Green iofrastructure can also help prepare urban areas for the effects of climate change, decrease summer temperatures, promote energy efficiency, improve air quality, and make communities more livabie. in additioa, these systems aiso provide multiple cowbenefits such as cooiing, habitat, open space and recreational opportunities. - Because it can be deployed in a variety of ways, it provides diversity and muitiple pathways to flood protection and other benefits, while being flexible and adaptable to dtfferent urban circumstances. Gost-effective 0 Expanding green infrastrocture addresses the water quality issues that come-wtth ('.805 which not only adversely affect marine and aquatic habitats but can also force beach closures. PAGE 55 In order to ensure that critical public health and safety needs are protected, the Environmental Conservation Law should be amended to enable the Governor to declare a drought emergency. This would require the development of regulations that ensure systematic and equitable reductions of water use when necessitated by worsening drought conditions. Drought-management authority would complement recently enacted Governor's legislation that for the first time extends state permitting authority over previously unbridled water withdrawals by power systems, business, agriculture, and industry. This new program provides an opportunity to obtain infonnation on the safe yield of water available for drinking, agricultural, and business uses. It also provides an opportunity to foster the wise and efficient use of this resource for human health, agricultural production, and economic growth. Protect the from inland fiootiing with natural and engineered defenses Flood waters move with incredible force, with each cubic foot of water weighing 62 pounds. The speed and volume of floods are substantially intensified by a built environment that increases the force of water: impervious surfaces that shunt water quickly into streams; calming flood plains cut off from misaligned and channelized streams; wetlands and headwater tributaries filled so that their immense water storage capacity is lost; and undersized bridges and culverts that act as dams and back up flood waters that then flow with immense force through riparian communities. Structural enhancement of existing flood control levees and dams The state manages 80 miles of levees and flood control projects along inland waterways. Many of these held during Tropical Storms Irene and Lee but sustained USE significant damage currently that required repair in 2012. Unlike a natural flood, levee or dam failure flooding is often rapid, forceful, extremely damaging, and occurs with little or no warning, leading to severe flood impacts on an unsuspecting population. In addition, levees and dams that have been in place for years can accumulate significant levels of sediment in the reservoirs that form upstream behind them. Flood waters released suddenly by a levee or dam failure can strip river systems of vegetation along banks causing damaging shoreline erosion and channel incision, wash away wetlands, change the structures of rapids and river contours, changes in water temperatures, turbidity and sedimentation in water, and release of toxins potentially stored in impounded sediment. The state should: - Revise state dam safety criteria and Governor Cuomo has acted to address the risks posed by neglected dams and levees {highlighted by Lee and ire-no) through his establishment of a $102 million "New York Works" fund to properly maintain the 106 levees and f?ood~controi projects in New York, while bringing dozens of State-owned dams up to modern safety criteria. While they do provide some protection, many of the levees, which were often designed and built some 50 years ago, are significantly undersized relative to the existing and projected flood risks. The structural enhancement of existing flood control dams, levees, conduits, and the like should be considered as part of a package of potential actions to address peak flood risks. PAGE 57 associated flood inunciatiori zones to assure that they are adequate under forecasted extreme weather scenarios; and Review the adequacy of 'flood protections afforded by levees under their current and sometimes sub- standard design. While the armoring of these levees could be extrernely expensive, the State and the Army Corps should assess the need for levee expansion projects where a range of alternative flood hazard mitigation measures would be insufficient to provide adequate protection of high population areas. These projects could be integrated into long--term capital planning to protect against flooding Protect and secure petroleum, chemical, and hazardous waste tanks located in flood plains. Flooding and storm events can contaminate water>> rays with oil, chemicals or hazardous substances stored in areas that are flooded. These toxins can seep into surface and groundwater resources, posing risks to public health and the natural environment. In Tropical Storm Sandy alone, there were over 4,400 identified spills, mostly from heating oil. However, several poorly~protected large tanks on the New Jersey shoreline were destroyed, leading to hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spills. "Exposure to oil and chemicals can pose a health danger to residents and response workers who are exposed to the contaminated waters or the resulting ftzmes. Such spills cause iinrnerise property damage to homes. This danger would oe reduced by protecting large tanks and other containers by requiring tank operators to create protective berzns or other protections appropriately sized to protect aggainst external flooding and storm surge. PRGE 58 ii" the the isiisiegtl?h-aorta. deemed. City of Binghamton Bulk Storage Facilities in Flood Risk Areas Chemical Bulk Storage Faeii?ties A Petroleum Butk Storage Facilities 130 Year Flood Ptain 500 Year Flood Plain Sources FEMA NYSDEC Detzernrxer 2012 hit"-l singhamtqni "Meir" 'res' s?i?t?a1ber- 20-13,. is . _darr'i'a'ge to ttiefiroome County - - -- roe _Susquehan_na 'crested 'at the as "record of "2531 plant . is I 'tlacaui fleea? to tee' '_Blrigi?amtoo 7 'Sen_Iag'e- Treaimeot "from The 'rn'itig'at?on rneasures _are_esti_o't_ated to host"-about 2_ million" for are to be pro't_e'eted against '_futur'e _'fl'o-odiog, it will be funded pruirnarily and fleeciarali -_an'd -other-"moose-res to protect the--sewage treatment plant, which . - heal-th ?th' the fl The 3floodln'_g was and at :2 -deluged. "plants, lr2eap"ae'itating' 1 324 _-in -am. in and' '.swep_t_ ;.tlj:e_ atiutefi Sewage' LAND USE A, 3. Strengthen Wastewater and Drinking Water infrastructure Sandy, Irene and Lee wreaked havoc on the state's wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. Surging floods from Sandy alone knocked out power and operations at dozens of wastewater treatment plants along the coast, leading to the discharge of hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into waterways. Similarly, loss of power and contaminated supplies led to dozens of boil water alerts in drinking water systems. Wastewater and drinking water treatment is a critical part of the State's infrastructure and represents a fundamental indicator of public health. New York has over 600 municipal sewage treatment plants, 2,500 pumping stations, and over 1,000 associated collection systems that collectively handle over three billion gallons of sewage and industrial wastewater every day. This infrastructure is comprised of pipelines and pumps that transport wastewater from homes, buildings, and factories to treatment plants, which treat sewage and discharge cffiuent into New York waters. This critical wastewater infrastructure was largely built in the l970's and early l980's. These facilities were wearing out even before the impacts of climate change were becoming a reality, with an estimated cost of in excess of $36 billion for repairs and standard maintenance over the next 20 years. Municipal governments are often financially unable to address these requirements, as many treatment infrastructure grants have been replaced with a limited system of low-interest loans. New York should address the serious long term risks at waste water systems from floods. coastal surges, and power outages through requiring installation of disinfection systems, hardening of critical components, and improving long term maintenance and planning. Drinking Water Systems New York has a variety of drinking water systems and most are relatively invulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including potential droughts. Upstate, most major systems rely on lakes or major river systems as a source of water, systems that would be expected to be resilient in drought conditions. Other systems relayon underground aquifers, the largest of which is the Long Island aquifer, which serves 3 million people. Although sea level rise could cause saltwater intrusion into the margins of the Long Island aquifer, a substantial reduction in its freshwater capacity is not expected by the end of the century. The water supplies that are most vulnerable to drought are the relatively few smaller water systems that rely on a single small stream and some of the 1.9 million people who rely on weli water. Policies that reduce water pollution and promote clean waters in New York help to ensure that the public maintains access to healthy drinking water. In the long run, the State should continue to monitor key aquifers to ensure that the supplies remain adequate. Protect public health through installation of disinfection systems Wastewater treatment plants with sufficient backup power to maintain disinfection minimized environmental damage during recent storm events. A major health hazard was averted in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Sandy because many of the downstate treatment plants were able to disinfect partially treated waste discharges. Many municipal wastewater treatment plants are not equipped with disinfection capability. nor are they required to disinfect their effluent. Despite the public health benefits, municipalities are often slow to adopt disinfection practices, mainly because of the cost of the disinfection systems. The cost for full implementation of disinfection systems at the 180 municipal treatment plants that do not currently use disinfection is estimated by DEC to be $245 million. The State should require disinfection systems with backup power at priority facilities across the state based on such criteria as plant size, proximity to drinking water supplies, and the scale of human contact with the receiving waters. The state would be within its legal authority to require such disinfection as a condition of receiving state revolving fund financing. PAGE 59 This approach would help to avert potential major health emergencies without imposing statewide unfunded mandates. X: ,i We We; lines to as at it ii131% at Many systems and treatment plants are currently located in coastal flood plains, areas subject to sea level rise or inland flood plains.. The State should set a goal of building or upgrading vulnerable wastewater treatment plants and collection systems to continue functioning in 500- year flood events, including anticipated of sea level rise. in the alternative, the State should develop criteria for when plants undergoing reconstruction should simply be relocated from untenable locations. The State should implement protective criteria directly and work with those municipalities and other stakeholders to modify design standards to ensure that they provide an adequate level of protection from storm events and rising waters. Additionally, the PAGE 60 State should require each plant to develop an engineered asset management plan to undertake the necessary upgrades within a reasonable period of time. The plans could provide for the rebuilding of some components as they wear out or after they suffer significant damage. The State should prioritize upgrades at vulnerable plants. The State should assist municipalities with the development of engineered facility asset--management plans to address extreme storm vulnerabilities and system resiliency. Asset management planning at wastewater treatment plants and other heavy industrial facilities has gained recognition all across the world for its effectiveness in maximizing the value of capital as well as operations and maintenance expenditures. Through an asset--rnanagement plan, critical assets that are necessary to maintain proper operation of a treatment facility during a severe storm can be better maintained and protected to increase the resiliency of the system. The asset--management plans would provide a blueprint for specific structural resilience measures to protect enormously e>;pensive infrastructure and a incchanisin to manage this infrastructure using facility revenues. Plans would address all elements of wastewater and drinking water treatment systems, including energy and water efficiency and standard maintenance practices. A plan would provide a complete inventory of a community's hard assets, such as miles of sewer pipes and number of pumps, as well as human and financial assets for operation and maintenance of the facility. The plan would identify the criticality of each asset to the treatment system performance, along with its vulnerability to damage by storm events. By encouraging the use of asset management at wastewater and drinking water facilities, the State can help encourage the long term resiliency of these critical systems. Wise decisions about how to increase the resilience of New York neighborhoods, cities, small towns, harbors, coasts, and ecosystems depend fundamentally on ready access to accurate and understandable information threats and risks and the options New Yorkers have to reduce their vulnerability. When it comes to enhancing resilience, to one extent or another, all New Yorkers are decision makers and we depend on each other to have a realistic understanding of threats and vulnerabilities and to take action to prevent harm, protect the most vulnerable, and cooperate to produce the greatest degree of social resilience. The Cornmission recommends that the New York State Office of Cyber Security, currently responsible for the Critical infrastructure Resources Information System (CIRIS), coordinate development of a New York Flood Threat Digital Commons with guidance from the New York State ors Coordinating Body. The Digital Commons should be based on the best sustained efforts of all relevant agencies to access, host, curate, maintain and continuously upgrade an open~access "public good", patterned on successful federal efforts, such as NOAA's Digital Coast project coastf). The New York Flood Threat Digital Commons can have a significant pimp start by leveraging the CIRIS application, currently a secure password protected application, into a public facing version. The Digital Commons should become the platform to provide ready access to the best avaiiabie scientific understanding of storm hazards and risks, models, maps, tools, training courses and other resources for the public sector, businesses, academics, and citizens alike. New York should coordinate with adjacent states and the federal agencies for seamless regional coverage of coastlines and other shared boundaries and ecosystems. The array or tools used to uraiersranti,. pian, regain 3, eornrnunicare and snake decisions fiend risks need to be updated and modernized. Some of this work is underway, as described, below, especially the coastal preliminary risk assessment map updating collaboration presently underway with DOS and NOAA and FEMA. As a general proposition, however, New York's most important mapping products need to be upgraded and modernized and tools need to be provided to enable their effective utilization. lvlultidayered Geographic Information System ((318 tools), sophisticated data analytics, statistical packages, easily-used visualization tools, and other scientific capabilities can be deployed in ways that increase understanding of both experts and the broader audience of citizens and policy makers. The mapping products should be made available together with such tools for appropriate and use, including options for education and training. High spatial resolution maps based on scenarios likely, less likely, and more likely should be made available on demand, or through library search, as a decision aid, based on well documented numerical model projections of anticipated extreme events as a function of time, climate change, and sea level rise. All models, maps and analytical tools within the digital commons should have documentation in the form of metadata, enabling for appropriate citation(s) and allowing for specific study reproducibility should results be challenged. Metadata is information about now geospatial information was created and its appropriate uses. Acceptable metadata for information delivered by the portal shouid follow the Federal Geospatial Data (FGDC) protocol for rnetaciata development. As scientific progress occurs, the data. maps and models should be regularly updated to ensure the best possible evidence- and scientific basis for decision making. The future iies in tire use of rnappisng proriners {rising nurriericai rncdei products, for eaarnpie, that iook ahead to estimates of sea ievei rise, potential storm surge heights, and other elements that comprise future hazard levels. These techniques will help users assess the likelihood of specific damage outcomes over the lifetime of the decision they are rnaking.25 Many New York State flood plain maps are dated and inaccurate, providing a misleading prediction of current inland and coastal flood hazards and risks. For example, the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps for New York City and Westchester County when Tropical Storm Sandy hit used data that was over 30 years old and technically deficient. Updated flood plain maps are scheciulcd to be released in 2013 with a pre--rclcase draft due out in Middbecemher 2012. The new flood plain maps for New York City have been developed using accurate topographic and bathymetric data. Upstate New York has had some flood plain mapping updated. (Schoharie Creek, Mohawk River Susquehanna River and Selawarc "River basins) but still requires updating mapping in other areas. Even updated flood maps, which exist for about half of New York State, do not contain updated flood data. New York shou.ld consider incorporating both surge and wave action along the coast in addition to using accurate topographic and bathymetric data in its flood maps?" Flood maps also do not incorporate trend analyses, and do not include projections of increased flooding due to sea level rise or climate induced changes in precipitation patterns. The Eiggertfwaters Flood Insurance and Reform Act of 2012 establishes a Technical Mapping Advisory Council which, among other tasks, is charged with developing recommenciations for ensuring that FEiviA's Flood insurance Rate Maps incorporate the best avaiiable ciirnate and consider the irnpaet of iirrure fiooding one to rise and tire impact deveioprnent on iioori risk. 3? Flood insurance Rate Maps are the primary tool for flood resistant building standards. Up to date maps. utilizing the recommendations sited above, will help New York build and rebuild in ways that are resistant to flood damages. Other maps that have been identified in need of updating include: at Freshwater wetlands maps. As noted above in section XX, most State wetland maps are seriously outdated and inaccurate, leaving hundreds of thousand.s of acres of unmapped wetlands vulnerable to destruction. Under current New York law, if a freshwater wetland is not formally mapped it is not protected or otherwise regulated by the State. Tidal wetlands maps. Wetlands move based on shifting tides, sediments and vegetation. The current tidal wetland maps are often 40 years old and are almost completely outdated in most locations. Updating the maps to include all existing tidal wetland areas would improve their effectiveness. The lack of accurate mapping information limits the flow of important information to landowners, towns, planners, and permit writers. Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) maps, which define areas at risk from erosion were last mapped in the l980s and are badly outdated. These maps should be incorporated into the coastal risk management zone maps for planning purposes. CEHA maps are currently being updated and will be in a GIS format within the next 12 months, In the rncantimer communities must use paper maps in their planning processes. CEHA niust not be overlooked in this effort. PAGE 52 The first step is producing the rnaps. The second and equally as important a step is ensuring that the maps hazards and risks are thoroughly analyzed. The Comrnission recoinrnends that the state and its local and federal partners develop a rnediurn term (l-5 years) and long term (S-iv years) marine probabilistic hazard mapping effort to ensure that planning decisions are being made based on the best available risk projections. Continue and adequately maintain a groundwater, rainfall monitoring network Sound engineering and planning decisions depend on the availability of comprehensive and accurate information. in the near term, decision makers in New York should have the accurate information they need, including. Updated floodplain maps that reflect current and projected future flooding frequency and recognizing the role of fioodways and floodplain fringes as buffers. 'vi An enhanced USGS gauge and groundwater monitoring network, which is critical to the management of water resources. Stream--fiow, rainfall, tidalwlevel and monitoring well information are critical to operate flood control projects, determine releases from drinking water reservoirs for the protection of water supplies, predict droughts and provide warnings of flood intensity. Many New York State flood plain maps are dated and inaccurate, providing a misleading prediction of current inland and coastal flood hazards and risks. The maps that have been identified by the Commission in need of updating, if not already underway include: FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Mags Freshwater wetlands maps Tidal Wetlands maps Coastal Erosion Hazard Area (CEHA) maps National Hydrologic Dataset In addition to accurate information on the location and extent of the maps listed above, there is a range of other critical field information concerning water resources that are fundamental to science-based resiliency decisions. The Commission recommends that the existing USGS streamdiowirain gauge and groundwater monitoring network is adequately funded and supported. The Commission recommends the use of probabilistic mapping products, using ensemble numerical model products, for example, that look ahead to estimates of sea level rise, potential storm surge heights, and other elements that comprise future hazard levels. These tech.n'iqu.es wili help users assess the likelihood of specific damage outcomes over the lifetime of the decision they are making. As scientific progress occurs, the data, maps and models should be regularly updated to ensure the best possible evidence and scientific basis for decision making. stare: Qaroiirra Fioodo?airi Program to steer; Caroi?oai maps oecetooed os?og Eider data were aea?laote for nears; roe entire state, eorooarisoo of trariitiooal arid new data and teeirraooes, 'Fire aerate determined the were aod of more aoeorate raaorj?og, examining the eosts oer} of different flood seedy methods statewide. this study ioeoserf or: titres regions wit": saryirzg Earroseagoesg the mountainous site of the tails of Meox?ertourg County and the fiat eoastai oiairi oi and l-iertford counties, Too reooireo gaosoatiai data for the assessment was asailaoie, ?oeoroorat?ng ooiirliogi oopo?ation and iosoraooe "titre seloeied three types of benefits for anaiysis: - arzrsoai irood losses avoided to oiri?oirigs and infrastroetore triroogri aeeoraie ideotifioat?ori of e?evat?ons are for areal extort: or the f?oodgoialo, - Exoeeted aonoa? iosorartoe oremioros to foe oo?ieoted ray the for rsrooerties eowrg designated worse the SSHA on more aceorate mass. - Exoeerett anooa? iioori insurance premium savings to notice holders woo, as a resist of more accurate mans; are o?aeed in towerwrate zones or removed from too mandatory irtsorarzee requirements oi the Netti: 'ma new to-soraoee fiate ssaes using' oeta?teo studs; limited stodgy and methods, These oigitai maps, ?rielooeci: iderztii?oatioo of new Sgfifige or more accurate portrays? of existing SFHAS 0 Deterrn?riatioo oi existiogg ease flood otevatioos if'B?5Es} where none existed - ifiodates or existing using revised hydroiog?e aoofor anaiyses fit: eorrsoartsoo or areas diftereriees 'oetereert existing: area sea; was earr?eo out using {3t;Sc Eftfitrzio each gorse, resioeotiai were to oeterra?ne tire orzaogeo irazaro designation as a resort oi and to oeterroioo tosses avoided. Ejs?og reraa assert; noes for ggsotaot?ai eroeerty oarrtagei tee tosses avoided for aaerr eo?io?og were Tea arranges as seed zones ?rrzoaet or: ?esorarree orerrsores, trait": oaostits os?eg the ooaot?tiori o?ftererioe to aonoai ?osorarsee ereonoros for east: orooertgz eased on as ?ooatiee. PAGE 63 hi 2? i) 'faxes see itazard sites this aties research and institetiess to aside and rztarzage gressth aiesg the mast sf "iexas. this is as ?stereet<< based spade? aiseisierz system eiiewis3;; es-era ta identify ass 'e?stzei?ze critics? issaes, ?ssiedisg eaterei hazard rises? cheeses in iaed see see eetzirshreestai degradaties, sites is? fiesisiee see' Lesa? Qesideats: A seastai p?arze?eg atias fie assist Essa: gdrisefietiees the imeiiestishs er' their deeisiehs. and pies sestairiairiiy fer the fstere. The etias assess as-ere is identify and areas at high risk sf erwireereestei degredatieh, haters? hazard? and significant ehaeges is: Eerie; use patterns. Adsahs?sg the st Ceastai Lesaiities; fietseiepiegt iateiemestieg see the use at Ceastai ihdisaters: Lise sf the atias te deveisp a se?te at fiilemmsaitg Residence ihdieaters she a cempreheesixze strategy tar gaming eemmaieity sspgeert and meet and srieerte?dng future traihisg is the use sf iifiis is eehaese seastai community aiceg the Gui? 'Seesaw States and 'Renee ea' Geastai "-Jsieeraei?ity ts e?atsrai S-assessment eat the cf sedes arid' iaed use piann?stg is"; mitigating impacts st ceastai haiturai hazards, Ederztifyieg east practices arid emerg?hg teerzeeiegiesi How does this recommendation make New York more resilient? Integrated - The decision to accurately update risk maps using advanced technology requires additional time, finances and knowledge sharing from other agencies. Coordinated 2 Difierent national and state agencies need to coordinate and share their mapping information to accurately update flood maps. - Robust The recommendation to improve the acceracy of fiood hazard and risk mapping is aimed at improving New York's resourcefulness. it wiil enhance our to visaaiize, set priorities, and act in order to reduce vulnerability. - When natural disaster effects are reduced because of more accerate mapping, state agencies perform stronger since the natural disaster is not as financially draining and response time is faster because there are fewer claims. - This recommendation also enhances the states capacity to use experience to learn Cost-effective - Using updated hazard maps allows insurers to more accerateiy fiag high risk areas and adjust their premiums accordingiy. 0 The change in flood hazard zones using new digitai flood rate maps prevents homeowners from being underinsured in the case of a natural disaster which wiil reduce the number and expense of insurance claims. PAGE New York. State should consider amending the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) to add requirements for mitigation impacts in areas threatened by climate risk that may have not been understood at the time of its writing. This would include provisions for coastal infrastructure projects, and development in flood~prone or other vulnerable areas. Amendments should not add to the time or significant expenses associated with the SEQRA process. SEQRA requires an environmental impact assessment for most proposed state agency or municipal projects or activities, and all permitting approvals from state or local units of government. The State Environmental Quality Review requires the sponsoring or approving body to identify and mitigate the significant environmental impacts of the activity it is proposing or perinitting." Arnendments to SEQRA could add requirements for mitigation impacts in areas threatened by climate risk that may have not been understood at the time of its writing. This would include provisions for coastal infrastructure projects, and development in fiood--prone or other vulnerable areas. New York State can pursue a number of climate resilient objectives on a state lcvei, use existing programs to incentivize resilient behavior by establishing funding criteria and providing guidance for multi- jurisdictional proiects. New York should use its Open Space Program to protect and conserve existing natural systems that provide important protection against severe aseiitner events. Before dcvcioprne'rrt is pereiitteci in areas idenritied in its {linen Space the State couid ensure that natural systems are not adversely impacted, any unavoidable impacts should be mitigated, and all construction should be to codes that provide for resilience from climate impacts. The State's selection criteria and contract conditions for economic developrnent project funding can be updated to incorporate resiliency against climate change. Similarly, infrastructure funding can be targeted to encourage infrastructure project construction in developed areas or areas specifically designated for growth. Controls can be established that serve to discourage state>>-funded infrastructure development that enable sprawl or eliminates valuable green space that has been identified for climate resiliency. iv The State should promote the use of transfer of development rights (TDR) options to provides incentives for developers to preserve natural areas while still achieving economic return." oiiriratra ?;rri.ari: r:iiari.riirag New York's 2010 Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act should be used to align project investment with State policy regarding climate change resilience. The act requires publiclyfunded infrastructure projects, which are financed or supported by a designated "State infrastructure Agency" to be consistent with smart growth criteria specified in the statute. This inciudes elements directly relevant to climate resilience, including the promotion of sustainable planning in new and existing corninunities and the prioritization of projects that maintain or improve existing infrastructure. To align agency--based selection criteria with the states overail ciirnate adaptation and mitigation policy goais. statewide criteria or for infrastructure rnirigation via vxugfi gs it i so issue a 1% .. esfiffvg order or regulation for individual agencies to implement in addition to the New York Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Act and the State Quality Review Act, State agencies can be directed to include priority for resilicnccubuitding practices in scoring projects for funding. The New York State Energy Research selection processes for grant monies under its Cleaner, Greener Communities Regional Sustainability Planning program" can incorporate resilience criteria into their grant selection process. Using a similar approach to New Ierseyls current Blue Acre Program", the State can acquire and protect land that may be prone to damage from climate etiects, and land that may buffer or protect other lands from these risks. This reserve could complement FEMA's reimbursement and hazard mitigation program, and provide insurance monies to protect landowners from risk. Additionally, program funding could be derived from a small additional surcharge on real estate transfer fees in flood prone areas. This additional charge would help property values in flood--prone areas reflect better reflect the true cost of development, and provide additional incentives to preserve such zones. New York is a home--rule state where, through enabling legislation, local governments are free to pass laws and ordinances as they see fit within the bounds of state and federai laws. Municipal land use controls, primarily zoning regulations, are established and policed oy the local legislative body. Because of this, municipal governments hold individual powers to determine the mechanisms by which iand development and rnanagernent are addressed. municipalities oven and controi iritirastructure tviririrr their arid may to criteria in aiiocaiing tending resources: tor PAGE 65 new projects, maintenance, and repairs. However, climate change affects larger, regional area and to be effective, individual municipaldevel actions rnust coordinate with a larger scale approach. New York State can influence municipal policy to plan for climate change through direct involvement and through incentives or conditions for existing and fixture funding. Local Level Resilience Planning Local governments are ecguipped with the legislative authority to prepare their communities for the impacts of climate change, however they may lack the necessary tools to identify and plan for future challenges. The State should ensure that local governments are aware of and have the capacity to effectively planning for climate change impacts. Local decision-makers should be made aware of and provided assistance in developing measures to address planning, protection, mitigation, and recovery. Capacity building can he facilitated by providing municipal governments with model codes to address climate impacts and reduce and model standards that address the engineering of new infrastructure. Part of this information may be derived from a series of workshops or publications guided by a panel of experienced professionals. This initiative would help in establishing a statewide resource for problem~<