Join us 2/27 to learn and talk about floodplains and how to minimize risks to people and property.  Photo credit: Cliff Sinnott.

By attending this free workshop, you will:

• Learn what floodplains are and how they're changing
• Learn what communities can do to minimize risks to people and property within floodplains
• See a model demonstration of flooding and erosion effects
• Gain comfort with legal aspects of floodplain management
• Learn about the benefits of proactively managing floodplains

Who should attend: Local boards and committees, municipal staff, community organizations, businesses, homeowners, and concerned citizens. 

When and where: February 27, 5:00-8:30 pm at the Great Bay Discovery Center, 89 Depot Road, Greenland, NH.

To RSVP: Please send your name & phone number by February 24 to Steve.Miller@wildlife.nh.gov or call Steve at (603) 778-0015.  

For more info: See the workshop flyer at NH StormSmart Coasts.

Next/Last Hearing: 03/06/2013 at 9:15 AM  LOB 101

A Climate Adaptation Plan for Exeter

Photo credit: Steve Miller.

The town of Exeter and a team of researchers at the University of New Hampshire, in partnership with the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, have started a two-year project to develop a climate adaptation plan for Exeter (the "CAPE" project). The project team met with Exeter town staff in December to talk about the design of the project and how it can support ongoing efforts in Exeter, such as the Exeter Dam Removal Study.

Community input is central to developing a locally-relevant adaptation plan, and will begin with a series of small group conversations with residents in February and March organized by New Hampshire Listens. A town-wide "community conversation" will take place on April 10 from 6-9 pm at Exeter High School. Residents are invited to come hear what their neighbors have said about what makes Exeter special and how to protect those features in a changing climate. Community members will also receive an open invitation to participate in the "Citizen Working Group" to help guide the development of the adaptation plan.

To learn more, send an email to the project leader at Paul.Kirshen@unh.edu or call Paul at 603-862-4637. This project is funded by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's "Science Collaborative."

Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Coastal Communities

Green Infrastructure includes a range of approaches to stormwater management available to homeowners, businesses, and municipalities. Photo credit: UNH Stormwater Center.

The Green Infrastructure project is underway! Through this project, towns and cities of NH's coastal watershed are eligible to participate in a no-cost assistance program to implement Green Infrastructure projects and obtain training about a variety of stormwater topics. 

The project team had its first meeting with the stakeholder-based Advisory Board on January 31, 2013. Municipal planners, staff and officials from around the Coastal Watershed provided essential guidance on the project, and will meet again on February 28, 2013. 

Over the next two years, the UNH Stormwater Center and its partners will help communities to implement Green Infrastructure projects and initiatives, ranging from rain gardens and porous pavement to ordinance changes, outreach, and training programs. To express interest for your community to participate, submit the Project Interest & Participation form available at the project website. 

To learn more, send an email to Julie LaBranche at jlabranche@rpc-nh.org or call Julie at (603) 778-0885. This project is funded by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System's "Science Collaborative."

CAW has developed a resource room to serve writers and journalists who find themselves reporting on "weird weather" and the impacts resulting from severe storms. Everything's free to use and downloadable on The Journalists Room including factoids on climate and impacts in New Hampshire's coastal region, contacts for local experts, real stories from local people confronting the impacts from a changing climate, and photos, maps and video. Go to: The Journalists Room.