Regional Map-Hampton Roads

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) includes 17 local governments, with 15 falling within the Coastal Zone.  These 17 localities hold a population of 1.7 million people and several of the fastest-growing cities in the Commonwealth. 

Federal Department of Defense spending, tourism, and maritime commerce are major, longtime drivers of the area’s economic and population growth and stability. 

The gradual rise of sea levels as well as land subsidence make the region the second-most vulnerable region in the nation to flooding and storm surge, only after New Orleans.

Virginia CZM has partnered with HRPDC and funded many projects over the past decade to help the region become a leader in resilience planning.

What Role Has Virginia CZM Played in the Region?

Virginia CZM works with HRPDC and localities to identify and measure the coastal hazards facing the region. 

Beginning with FY2008-2010 “focal area” grants, Virginia CZM has funded HRPDC to work on climate change adaptation.  These projects focused on research into the impacts of climate change on the region, including adaptation options and identifying research and data needs.  These projects laid the groundwork for other Virginia CZM funded adaptation efforts in the region, and helped generate greater interest in coastal resiliency in the region. 

In more recent years, Virginia CZM funds have continued to support climate resilience work in HRPDC, such as a study to develop and test a method to identify the first floor elevations of buildings in order to better understand the potential impacts of coastal flooding. 

 In 2020, another three-year resilience focal area began, providing additional funding for resilience planning. 

In addition to supporting coastal resilience efforts, Virginia CZM continues to help increase the capacity and reach of HRPDC to its member localities and citizenry by funding the hosting of environmental information on the HRPDC website, training events by HRPDC staff for member localities, monthly meetings of environmental committees, and review of state and federal environmental impact documents.  HRPDC also continues to conduct regional technical studies and special projects related to coastal resilience, floodplain management, and water quality.  Finally, benefits accrued from past CZM grants are identified via annual final reports. 

HRPDC has leveraged funding from past annual CZM Technical Assistance grants to construct and update a comprehensive website, Fish, Swim, Play, but a few public access sites have received more targeted CZM funds as separate projects.  A listing of these projects can be found on the Virginia CZM’s Public Access webpage (Virginia to provide link then edit to reflect this title).

HRPDC Projects Funded by Virginia CZM

The table below lists HRPDC projects funded by Virginia CZM since fiscal year 2008. This list does not include annual Coastal Technical Assistance grants from Virginia CZM to HRPDC. Virginia CZM funds are typically matched 50/50, but the table below only includes federal funds provided by Virginia CZM. Any Project Names that are linked in the table below will take you to the Project List for that fiscal year where you can open the Task Number at the bottom of the page to find more information on the corresponding project.

Fiscal Year, Task #

Project Name

CZM Funding

Description

2019, Task 84

Hazard Vulnerability

$31,624

 During this final phase, the HRPDC expanded the pilot analyses for First Floor Elevation estimation and vulnerability assessments from the first two phases to the regional level.

2018, Task 84

Elevation Data

$31,624

 During this second phase, the HRPDC continued to develop a statistical approach to estimating First Floor Elevations using elevation certificates from York County. The HRPDC also explored alternative methods for gathering first floor elevations based on imagery evaluation and analysis.

2017, Task 84

Elevation Data

$31,624

 The first phase of this project was to pilot a methodology for estimating First Floor Elevations based on a sample of observations, mainly from elevation certificates filed with a local government.

2016, Task 51

Public Access Plan

$19,994

 This report describes the Regional Strategic Plan for Public Access to Waterways in Hampton Roads.

2015, Task 51

Carrollton Nike Park Canoe/Kayak Launch

$20,000

Canoe/Kayak Launch installed

2015, Task 52

Lavalette Kayak Launch

$19,400

Kayak Launch installed

2015, Task 94.01

Coastal Hazards Policies

$40,000

 HRPDC identified and developed recommendations for local governments to promote coastal resilience in local plans, policies and ordinances. 

2014, Task 51  canceled

Development & Implementation of Public Outreach & Adaptation Responses to Sea Level Rise

$12,000

Implementation of a community outreach strategy developed by the 2013 CZM funded project (see below), including development of outreach materials & holding several public meetings.

2013, Task 54

Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Planning & Technical Assistance

$19,834

Creation of new SLR mapping, SLR technical working group, assistance for localities, case study analyses, & continued public outreach

2013, Task 55

Developing a Native Plants Promotion Strategy for Hampton Roads

$12,877

Establishment of Plant HR Natives Campaign

2013, Task 94.01

Land & Water Quality Protection in Hampton Roads

$84,600

Adoption of recommendations from 2012 project report (see below)

2012, Task 94.01

Land & Water Quality Protection in Hampton Roads

$90,000

Modeling of development impacts on water quality, implementation of a Plan Evaluation Tool from 2011 project, & identification of coastal plain stormwater BMPs.

2011, Task 57 - canceled

Developing a Local Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan for Virginia Beach

 $15,927 Canceled

2011, Task 94.01

Coastal Resiliency: Adapting to Climate Change in Hampton Roads

 $90,000 Expected regulatory impacts on the Chesapeake Bay TMDLs on Hampton Roads local governments, Assess and develop local government tools to identify changes to ordinances and plans, and assessment of tools that can be used to model water quality impacts from development or regulatory changes on those impacts.

2010, Task 12.04

Sustainable Communities Focal Area: Climate Change in Hampton Roads (Year 3)

 $40,000 Developed a geographic information systems-based tool that is used to estimate the exposure of Hampton Roads localities to future sea level rise across population, the built environment, the natural environment, and the economy. The analysis found Hampton Roads is significantly vulnerable to sea level rise. 

2009, Task 12.04

Sustainable Communities Focal Area: Climate Change in Hampton Roads (Year 2)

 $40,000 During this year, the analysis provided an estimate of the current exposure and vulnerability of the Hampton Roads region to storm surges during hurricanes and flooding and future exposure and vulnerability to sea level rise.

2008, Task 12.03

Sustainable Communities Focal Area: Hampton Roads Climate Change Adaptation (Year 1)

 $40,000 During this year, the focus was documenting general impacts of climate change and coordinating with local government staffs. Part of this project was the development of a regional framework for responding to climate change.

2008, Task 97.02

Hampton Roads Conservation Corridor Update and Implementation

 $36,000 Develop a regional green infrastructure network for the Hampton Roads region. The goal was to identify and prioritize a network of valuable conservation lands in order to achieve multiple benefits for both humans and the environment.