Senior Research Specialists Matt Campo and Stacy Krause participated as conference moderator/presenter on panels focused on climate resilience at the annual conference held at the Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick, NJ.

EAC’s Matt Campo moderated a panel titled “Moving Toward Resiliency: A Look at the Past and Directions for the Future in New Jersey”.  The panel included Kelly Pflicke (Senior Planner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Coastal and Land Use Planning), Linda Brennen, AICP (Supervising Planner, Monmouth County Division of Planning), Julie Krause (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality), Chris Testa (Supervising Administrative Analyst, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management), and Tim Dillingham (Executive Director, American Littoral Society).  Panelists discussed prior experiences in incorporating climate into existing planning efforts, how the practice can continue to change to enable New Jersey to become resilient, and how governmental and non-governmental partners can help practitioners prepare plans that affirmatively and effectively address risks. The panel covered topics including: integrating hazard mitigation planning and master planning efforts; integrating planning efforts across municipalities and regions; changes that could be made to the municipal land use law to address resiliency; design responses to planning efforts; and the changing nature of how the flood insurance program and finance industry acknowledge of climate risk with regard to municipal finance.

EAC’s Stacy Krause, PP/AICP, CFM presented as part of a panel titled: “Practical Resiliency Planning at the Municipal Level”.  Other panelists were Craig A. Wenger, P.E., AICP, CFM, LEED GA (Senior Associate, Technical Manager, Water Resources, Michael Baker International) and Erika F. Stahl, PP, AICP, (Assistant Township Planner, Township of Toms River).  The panelists discussed community vulnerability assessments, Hazard Mitigation Plans, and various planning tools that can help communities adapt to natural disasters and sea level rise now and in the future. Michael spoke on the update to the State Hazard Mitigation Plan and Erika presented on how Toms River Township is adapting to natural disasters and sea level rise by incorporating resiliency into redevelopment plans, zoning, and other measures.  Included in the Toms River work is a sustainable and resilient guidance report for municipalities, identifying all current planning tools, when and how to best utilize them, state policy recommendations to improve the existing tools, and questions and concerns that must be addressed at the state and regional level.  Stacy presented a Coastal Vulnerability Assessment she completed for Long Beach Island in Ocean County NJ.  The assessment pinpointed areas and assets vulnerable to future sea level rise and storm surge, past mitigation efforts, and recommended future areas of focus.

Photo credit:  APANJ