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wetlands watch

grant award: $61,894; year awarded: 2021

Virginia’s tidal wetlands provide a number of ecosystem services such as habitat for wildlife, carbon sequestration, and erosion stabilization, yet are threatened by climate-driven sea level rise. Development along the shoreline has blocked the landward transgression of these important ecosystems, resulting in a “coastal squeeze.” This project will mainstream the transfer of government-owned shoreline parcels to land trusts using a rolling easement, which will allow for climate-adaptive ecosystem restoration on these parcels. This dynamic approach to shoreline parcel acquisition and protection will serve as a model for other localities, with the aim of producing a number of “retreat zones” for coastal ecosystems threatened by climate change and sea level rise.