The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Coastal Program has kicked off four new grant projects, mobilizing more than $317,000 to enhance New Hampshire’s coastal resilience to current and future flood hazards, including sea-level rise. Selected for funding as part of the NHDES Coastal Program 2018 Resilience Grant Funding Opportunity, the projects will reach several coastal communities to build local capacity and implement on-the-ground construction and restoration efforts.
The University of New Hampshire (UNH) Cooperative Extension and New Hampshire Sea Grant will continue dune restoration efforts in Hampton and Seabrook and implement a new coastal landowner technical assistance program to advise individuals seeking to minimize current and future flooding and erosion on their properties. The Town of Newmarket will pair the coastal resilience funds with NHDES Aquatic Resource Mitigation funds and a local match to replace a culvert that will restore fish passage and reduce the risk of road flooding as sea levels rise. The Great Bay Stewards and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will work with coastal stakeholders to develop a comprehensive approach to manage salt marshes. The NHDES Coastal Program provided $223,071 in funding for the coastal resilience projects, which was supplemented with $94,701 in matching resources by the funded organizations. Projects began in spring 2019 and will be completed in 2020.
For more information about New Hampshire’s future coastal flood hazard projections, visit the New Hampshire Coastal Risk and Hazards Commission website.
