The New Shoreline

The great estuaries and bays of the New York-New Jersey Connecticut region are home to hundreds of acres of tidal wetlands, from the salt marsh of Long Island’s Great South Bay to the freshwater tidal wetlands of the Hudson River. These wetlands play a critical role in mitigating the effects of flooding, filtering stormwater runoff before it reaches rivers and bays, providing habitat for wildlife, and nurturing seafood that helps our economy and is part of our regional heritage. Fifty years ago, after many decades of development and destruction, all three states in the region—New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut—passed legislation to protect wetlands. This legislation has helped slow damage from development. But now, a new threat has emerged: climate change.

Climate change threatens tidal wetlands and local communities alike. Historically, wetlands do not stay static. They migrate over time as rivers meander. Now, with tidal wetlands pushed up against development in this very urbanized region, sea level rise has the potential to drown wetlands. Under current conditions, they simply have nowhere to go.

At the same time these wetlands are a vital part of coastal resilience. With climate change and sea level rise threatening communities adjacent to tidal marshes, the areas become more important than ever. Walls, bulkheads, and other hard infrastructure may protect some areas from storm-surge flooding, but they also limit the ability for wetlands to migrate upland as the sea level rises. Natural features have been proven to protect at a fraction of the cost of building new infrastructure. With support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Regional Plan Association (RPA) undertook The New Shoreline to integrate the research around adapting tidal wetlands and adapting coastal communities. Building on previous RPA projects and recent work by organizations like Scenic Hudson, NYSERDA, NEIWPCC, The Nature Conservancy, and Rutgers, this project brought together research on ecological modeling, wetlands restoration, and community resilience across the New York metropolitan region. It is hoped the findings of the report may help inform the implementation of the New York Community Risk and Resiliency Act (CRRA), as well as inform future policies throughout the tri-state region. The project sought to answer the questions: What effect will sea level rise have on the New York region’s tidal wetlands, and where will wetlands have the potential to migrate upland in response to rising seas? What and where are the potential conflicts between communities and the built environment and potential wetlands pathways? How can communities accommodate migrating wetlands while also benefiting from them? What planning and policy changes will be necessary to preserve and adapt wetlands and communities facing sea level rise over the next century?

RPA convened several working group meetings to discuss the science of wetlands modeling, the role of the community in wetlands restoration, and the planning and policy toolbox for adapting wetlands. The project also involved a spatial analysis of potential wetlands pathways and their social, urban, and physical contexts.