Latest news with #WetlandsWatch
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
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Environmental groups slam federal plan to ship wetlands mitigation out of Hampton Roads
Natural wetlands along the Elizabeth River. (Photo courtesy of Coastal Virginia Conservancy). 2025 05 16 Upper Brandon-NOAA ResponseHampton Roads environmental groups are alarmed over a proposed federal decision that they say could undermine decades of local tidal wetlands restoration and protection. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality are moving toward approval of a new wetland mitigation bank in Prince George County — 50 miles upstream from Hampton Roads — that would allow developers to purchase mitigation credits from outside the region. Wetland mitigation banks are designed to compensate for environmental damage caused by permitted development projects. Developers buy credits from these banks to offset the impacts, typically by funding the creation or restoration of similar wetlands nearby. The plan to outsource part of the process has prompted fierce opposition from conservationists, who warn that exporting these credits could lead to the continued loss of local saltwater tidal wetlands without restoring equivalent benefits in the region. 'This allows damages to local wetlands to still occur, but Hampton Roads will lose out on the extensive services and ecological benefits these wetland mitigation sites are designed to offset,' Coastal Virginia Conservancy, a Hampton Roads-based environmental group, said in a statement. Helen Kuhns, the organization's executive director, said in a phone interview that the proposed bank represents a dramatic break from long-established practices. 'In the past, the Army Corps has been very specific about the need for that mitigation to be done in the waterway, or at least in the life ecosystem that the damage is being done,' she said. 'But the new bank that is proposed is in Prince George County, it's 50 miles up the river. And the ecosystem there is not the same as it is here in Hampton Roads.' Kuhns warned that credits purchased there would not deliver ecological benefits to impacted waterways like the Elizabeth River. 'We would lose those ecosystem services,' she said. A spokesman for the Army Corps did not provide a comment Monday. For over 20 years, banks in Hampton Roads have generated more than 75 acres of restored tidal wetlands, supporting local infrastructure projects while preserving critical ecological services. The proposed shift to an 'out-of-kind' mitigation site — replacing saltwater tidal wetlands with freshwater tidal systems — represents a stark departure from that approach. 'The benefits of our local saltwater tidal wetlands are numerous and include coastal protection, erosion control, water quality improvement, aquatic species habitat and nurseries, carbon sequestration, and environmental contaminant remediation,' Coastal Virginia Conservancy stated. Mary-Carson Stiff, executive director of Wetlands Watch in Norfolk, called the shift deeply troubling. 'Wetlands Watch is opposed to the expansion of the bank's reach into the Hampton Roads HUC, because the wetlands losses that we will expect to experience in Hampton Roads cannot be replaced through the creation of wetlands outside of our region,' she said. Stiff noted that under the Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) system — a national watershed classification system — trading mitigation credits across these distinct watershed boundaries compromises the integrity of local restoration. 'In coastal Virginia, our wetlands loss rates are staggering with the impacts of sea level rise,' Stiff added. 'Wetlands growth rates can't keep up with sea level rise rates, so our wetlands are drowning in place. And if we don't do something about it, we're projected to lose as much as 89% of tidal wetlands by 2080.' Opponents also argue that freshwater wetlands in Prince George County cannot replicate those benefits. Coastal advocates further point to historical damage in areas like Norfolk — where the loss of wetlands has contributed to severe flooding — as evidence of why keeping restoration local is critical. 'Just considering exporting the flood storage capacity alone, Norfolk's flood wall has a price tag of $2.7 billion,' Coastal Virginia Conservancy said. Stiff emphasized the economic stakes as well. 'Wetlands provide countless ecosystem services, they are the most productive ecosystems in the world,' she said. From filtering pollutants and absorbing floodwaters to supporting fisheries and tourism, she noted, 'without them, our fishing economy will tank, which provides a really important economic benefit to everyone in Virginia, not just in our region.' The Corps has issued a notice of intent to approve the bank, despite objections from federal environmental agencies, local wetland experts, and grassroots groups across the region. In response to the growing criticism, Irina Calos, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, clarified that the notice of intent came from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, not DEQ. She noted that the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Interagency Review Team (IRT) jointly oversee tidal wetland mitigation banks, with the Army Corps serving as the lead federal agency. 'The response from the Army Corps to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concludes that the bank complies with applicable laws and would provide the functions and services of tidal wetlands that would provide similar structure and function to the impacted tidal wetland,' Calos said. 'As such, we would defer to VMRC and the Army Corps on tidal waters.' Kuhns stressed that the state agency still plays a role in those decisions. 'The DEQ's role in this is that they are part of the Interagency Review Team, and that is the committee that oversees restoration,' she said. 'But I will say that the Army Corps does hold the highest influence there.' According to Kuhns, the Corps originally helped establish the idea of local mitigation to ensure companies damaging tidal environments restored what they took away. 'We started understanding the important role that wetlands were playing, and why we needed to hold on to those,' she said. 'The Army Corps had set up a program that when a company damages wetlands or river bottoms or oyster reefs in a construction capacity, then they have to mitigate for that damage within the watershed ecosystem that they are impacting.' Stiff argued that the current plan violates that spirit. 'Everybody understands that in-kind replacement is the preferred option. And so breaking that trend is highly irregular,' she said. 'The wetlands benefits that we're deriving in our region are important to our region. And they're more critically important to the property owners at the site where the damage is occurring.' Coastal Virginia Conservancy warned that the precedent could set back progress made over the last two decades in restoring and protecting Hampton Roads' unique coastal ecosystem. 'In the past, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has worked tirelessly to restore and make sure that damages were mitigated locally,' the group said in its statement. 'The pending decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers leaves Hampton Roads-based environmental groups greatly confused and concerned about the future of restoration in our local waters.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Aberdeen Gardens' $20 million EPA grant officially terminated
The Trump administration has officially cancelled a $20 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency meant to address flooding in Hampton's historic Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood. Hampton accepted the EPA's grant in December with the intention of funding infrastructure improvements to assist in climate adaptation and flood resilience to create a more sustainable community, according to Wetlands Watch, a nonprofit leading the project in the neighborhood Wetlands Watch Executive Director Mary-Carson Stiff said in a statement the Trump administration justified the nixed funding by claiming the project was no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities under an undefined policy of merit and fairness. Stiff said in a statement there is no reasonable justification for the project's funding being stripped and that the organization an Hampton city government are exploring all options to appeal the surprise termination. 'For 25 years, Wetlands Watch has aligned itself with the EPA's statutory mission,' Stiff said. 'This reversal betrays these widely-held values and threatens environmental progress nationwide.' The group was put on notice the funding might be cancelled in April, when the administration froze funds that were supposed to have been made available on April 1. The EPA and Department of Government Efficiency sought to to scale back spending and terminate 400 congressionally-approved grants totaling $1.7 billion, including the Aberdeen Gardens project. Stiff said in a statement a historic community that was promised help from the government will be unnecessary danger of flooding and other environmental risks. Aberdeen Gardens was designed and built by African Americans for African Americans. It was among 55 New Deal housing programs. One of the neighborhood's most prominent issues is an undersized stormwater system, with pipes too small to accommodate the area's rainfall. The grant money was supposed to improve the neighborhood's stormwater system capacity. 'The action is unjust, unlawful and needlessly places hundreds of residents at increased risk,' Stiff said. 'Aberdeen Gardens was depending on these improvements. The loss of this funding jeopardizes community health, safety and violates the federal government's promise to support neighborhood-level infrastructure projects across Virginia.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flood insurance costs expected to rise in Virginia
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — With the 2025 hurricane season just a few weeks out, it is critical for coastal areas such as Hampton Roads to get prepared. A fairly active hurricane season awaits, with a returning threat aimed at the East Coast, yet only of Virginians have flood insurance, all while parts of the Commonwealth have a high flood risk. In the Southeast region, have flooded at least twice in the last decade, with 75% of those properties located in Hampton Roads. People should buy flood insurance ASAP in advance of Hurricane season, said Mary-Carson Stiff, Wetlands Watch executive director. 'It takes 30 days for your flood insurance policy to become effective.' But Virginians can expect a rate increase. So what's to blame? 'The National Flood Insurance Program is in extreme debt,' Stiff said, 'so about $20 billion in debt.' That debt is linked to climate change and a surge in damage to people's properties. 'So the more storm events that we experience, and the more people that live in areas of high risk, which are our coastal communities, our highest growing population in the whole country, the more claims are going to be filed,' she said. The growing demand in payouts forced Congress to reform the flood insurance program, increasing policies and premiums. 'You aren't supposed to pay more than 18% of an increase each year for your primary residence, or 25% each year for a secondary home or a business property,' she said. 'So Congress made these congressional caps to help kind of increase cost, but try not to create so much stress on the average policyholder.' As for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it remodeled how they rate their flood insurance policies, also affecting premiums. 'If it's a primary residence, or 25% if it's an investment property or second home, that annual capped increase is congressionally mandated,' she said. 'So what we're seeing is small gradual increases over time.' Flood insurance rates are now determined from specific characteristics of an individual property or a group of properties, like square footage and distance. 'Flood insurance is not covered by your homeowner's insurance,' she said, 'so you really need to get a separate policy. And if you're not sure if you have flood insurance, call your homeowner's insurance company and ask them.' According to Stiff, the National Flood Insurance Program cannot deny anyone coverage, while FEMA can, depending upon the circumstance. For those considering private insurance, make sure a company is insured and you're protected against larger scale disaster events. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$20M to fight flooding in historic Hampton neighborhood may be terminated by Trump admin
HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — A $20 million EPA grant that the city of Hampton was relying on carry out flood mitigation projects in a historic Black neighborhood, may be one of 400 cut by the Trump administration. In December, former Mayor Donnie Tuck announced that the city had been awarded the money to carry out the 'Aberdeen Gardens Community Resilience Implementation Strategy' as part of former President Joe Biden's Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grant Program. Extreme heat, flooding and pollution historically disproportionately burden low-income communities and communities of color. The funding, included in the Inflation Reduction Act, would be sent to the Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood to 'create a sustainable, resilient future by addressing immediate flooding challenges and fostering economic growth through targeted green infrastructure, community engagement and workforce development initiatives.' Tuck said at the time. However, in a release from Democrats on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works last month, the grant was listed as one eyed for termination by Lee Zeldin, President Trump's EPA administrator. In a March 10 release, Zeldin stated he canceled grants and contracts related to 'DEI and environmental justice' as part of 'working hand-in-hand with DOGE to rein in wasteful federal spending.' Both the city of Hampton and their nonprofit partner on the Aberdeen Gardens project, Wetlands Watch, said they are currently in a waiting pattern. Aberdeen Gardens descendants preserve community charm 'We have not received any official notification that we're not getting the grant yet,' Mayor Jimmy Gray said Wednesday. 'We just understand that it's on a possible list that could be cut.' Mary-Carson Stiff, executive director of Wetlands Watch, said seeing the project on the Senate Democrats' published list was 'a surprise.' 'Nobody wants to see the name of this project on a list like that,' Stiff said. 'But we don't know any other details.' Aberdeen Gardens is a historic neighborhood, established in 1934 as part of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal initiative to develop planned communities. It was the only New Deal-planned community that was created by Black architects and workers, according to the city. The 440-acre community made up of 158 single family homes sits in what FEMA considers a high risk flood zone plain. Gary Johnson, 71, was born and raised on the corner of Langston Boulevard and East Russell Road in Aberdeen Gardens. He is now the second generation to own his home. For as long as he can remember, a hard rain meant he had to work hard to make sure everything inside his garage is protected. 'The drainage systems do work, but it doesn't work fast enough because there's so much rain coming down at one time and it's coming down from different areas,' Johnson said. 'When it rains, it floods and go right into my garage and it goes right up to the house.' Stiff said the grant included 'so many different things' in its effort to reduce risks. 'City is working on stormwater improvements,' Stiff said. 'The pipes are too small. Aberdeen creek, it is essentially now a ditch, this project would help restore the creek to give it more carrying capacity during tidal events.' In City Manager Mary Buntings FY 2026 Capital Improvement Plan proposal, $2.9 million in city money is set aside to address the drainage system. Gray said that isn't nearly enough. He said he plans to plead the city's case for the money with the city's federal delegation. 'Taking the grant away doesn't cause the need to go away,' Gray said. 'We're dealing with, you know, real issues, real risks that affect real neighborhoods where real people live … we rely on federal funding or federal assistance to try to address some of our flooding projects in this area, because their place is a big burden on the local taxpayers to try to do that with local tax dollars.' Nobody from the EPA was immediately able to comment for this story. Rep. Bobby Scott, (D-Newport News) weighed in on X. 'Congress provided funds to address the threats of climate change when we enacted the Inflation Reduction Act,' Scott said. 'The Trump Administration's plan to terminate (the city of Hampton's) grant to alleviate flooding in the Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood is both irresponsible and illegal.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
$20 million EPA grant to address flooding in historic Hampton neighborhood likely terminated
A $20 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed at addressing flooding in Hampton's Aberdeen Gardens is one of 400 grants targeted for elimination by the Trump administration. The EPA awarded Hampton the grant in December to improve Aberdeen Gardens' stormwater system, plant trees, reduce urban heat and create rain barrels over a three-year period to help the neighborhood's flooding. Aberdeen Gardens is a historic Black community that experiences routine flooding during heavy rainfall and tidal flooding due to its low elevation and nearby creek that is prone to overflowing. However, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced to a congressional committee on March 10 the agency had partnered with the Department of Government Efficiency to terminate more than 400 congressionally-approved grants totaling $1.7 billion. Democrats on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works later published a list of the targeted grants, deeming the termination illegal. The list includes the Aberdeen Gardens project. Hampton's access to the money has already been suspended, according to Wetlands Watch Executive Director Mary-Carson Stiff. Hampton had awarded Wetlands Watch $2 million as part of the project to help with flooding resiliency. Stiff said Hampton realized it could not draw funds from their account on April 1, and reached out to the EPA for an explanation. 'As with any change in administration, the agency is reviewing its awarded grants to ensure it is appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and to understand how those programs align with administration priorities,' the EPA wrote in response, according to Stiff. Hampton has already begun community engagement initiatives on the project in anticipation the funding will come, according to city spokesperson Mike Holtzclaw. Devlin Epding,
