In the News
2023
January 20 - The American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) featured a blog post by Professor Elizabeth Andrews titled "The Conundrum of Managed Retreat." Read the post.
2022
July 11 - The RAFT is featured by the UVA Alumni magazine, highlighting the Northern Neck community of Colonial Beach
June 15 - VCPC alumna Grace Molino, a PhD student at VIMS, is featured by Earth.com talking about research on how rural communities will be seriously affected by loss of coastal marshes due to climate change.
June 15 - Reporting from local news station WHRO about the RAFT and positive impacts on Virginia communities
April 18 - Additional reporting on VCPC's Abandoned and Derelict Vessels project, with (4/29 update!) real progress in the General Assembly to address the issue.
April 4- VCPC's work on Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADV) is featured by local news outlets discussing Virginia's new program asking the public to report ADV for a statewide registry that will inform recovery, cleanup, and remediation efforts.
2021
September 23- Director Andrews is quoted by the Virginian-Pilot in an article about the new Master of Science program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science: "“We need scientists now more than ever,” Andrews said. “There’s so much skepticism driven in the social media realm by folks who may not have a scientific background at all. We need scientists to come in and explain to us, in English, ‘this is what’s happening in the world.’”
September 1- The National Academies Press releases a report entitled Motivating Local Climate Adaptation and Strengthening Resilience: Making Local Data Trusted, Useful, and Used lauding the RAFT project as an "integrated approach of expert insights and guidance with local deliberation and action [which] has been well received by communities and planning commissions in coastal Virginia." (p 24)
February 24 - WHRO Public Media, Virginia, quoted Professor Elizabeth Andrews, director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, in a story titled "Virginians Could See Big Jumps in Flood Insurance Rates Soon." Read the story.
2020
August 12 - The Virginia Coastal Policy Center announced it is undertaking a project with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership to increase engagement among tribal communities, government agencies, and universities. Read the announcement.
2019
November 25 - Seventh annual conference hosted by VCPC examined the "three Ps" of resilience: "planning, partnerships and paying for it all." Read more.
July 29 - An article in the Bay Journal regarding an expected increase in the number of septic system failures in coastal Virginia due to storms and rising sea levels. The article quotes a recent VCPC report, Onsite Sewage Systems: Background, Framework, and Solutions.
June 13 - A generous grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment will support VCPC's seventh annual conference on November 15, 2019, as well as four complementary initiatives that include research regarding implementation of the Virginia Governor’s Executive Order No. 24, and the need for coordination between environmental protection and flooding resilience efforts. Read more.
February 16 - An article on Fredericksburg.com and on Virginia Public Radio about a new flood predicting tool, the Tidewatch MapView, noted the tool's availability on the ADAPTVA website. The website is made possible by a project team including VCPC Director Elizabeth Andrews and is a "gateway to information for individuals, local programs, and agencies engaged in climate adaptation."
January 31 - VCPC Director Elizabeth Andrews was a featured speaker on sea level rise and coastal resources during the St. Augustine: Community Resilience and Cultural Resources workshop, hosted by the City of St. Augustine, Florida, and Flagler College.
2018
November 14 - The Revelator, a publication of the Center for Biological Diversity, quoted Professor Elizabeth Andrews in its story, "Why Virginia could be a leader in sea-level rise solutions." Professor Andrews is director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center. Read the story.
November 8 - Read about the Center's sixth annual conference on November 2 in a Law School story titled "Coastal Policy Center Highlights Collaboration and Governor's Executive Order to Address Resilience to Sea-Level Rise." Read the story.
November 2 - The Virginia Mercury quoted Professor Elizabeth Andrews, director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, about the debate concerning a ballot question that would give local governments the authority to provide partial real estate tax exemptions to people who make flooding resiliency improvements like raising buildings or fortifying shorelines. Read the story.
November 2 - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed an executive order at the close of VCCS' annual conference to increase Virginia's ability to withstand extreme weather and sea level rise. Read the stories in the Virginian-Pilot and August Free Press.
October 10 - A story in the Delmarva Daily Times titled "Eastern Shore joins Virginia coastal resilience partnership," took note of The RAFT project created by an academic interdisciplinary collaborative Core Team led by the University of Virginia Institute for Environmental Negotiation, the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, Old Dominion University, and Virginia Sea Grant. Read the story.
September 16 - The Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency—a partnership of Old Dominion University, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Coastal Policy Center—was referenced in a column titled "Building Resilient Communities Amid Costly Storms" in the Virginian-Pilot. Read the column.
August 1 - Professor Elizabeth Andrews was a guest on Hearsay with Cathy Lewis on WHRV (89.5FM). Professor Andrews was part of a panel discussing the economic impact of flooding in Hampton Roads and possible solutions. Listen.
July 20 - Delmarvanow.com featured a video in which Professor Elizabeth Andrews of our Coastal Policy Center talked about efforts of students at the Law School and at UVa to assess Accomack County's ability to bounce back from flooding using the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool, or RAFT. A regional community workshop will be held Aug. 14 at 9 a.m. at Eastern Shore Community College to present the information to the community to help inform the community's future decision-making. Go to the video and the story. You can read related coverage on ShoreDailyNews.com.
July 12 - On July 9, the Center and other co-sponsors hosted a forum on “Preparing for a Climate Changed Future: Navigating the Impacts on our Military and Coastal Communities.” Read the Daily Press story. Listen to the story that aired on WVTF radio titled "Experts say what happens in the Arctic affects Norfolk flooding."
July 9 - Professor Elizabeth Andrews, Madeleine Terry, and Heather Messera blogged about a July 9 conference on the Small Wars blog. Read their post: "The Time for “What’s Next?” is Now: Preparing for a Climate Changed Future Within our Military and Coastal Communities."
June 22 - Governor Ralph Northam visited the Law School to sign two bills, House Bill 345 and Senate Bill 265, establishing a new cabinet position for Virginia: Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection. Read the story.
May 30 - A PBS News Hour segment ("In this flood prone community, youth learn climate change resilience") referenced a VCPC report, The Cost of Doing Nothing, and its estimate that annual coastal flood damage in Virginia is expected to triple by 2016. Watch the segment.
May 10 - The Center received a $30,000 grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment for a project titled “Integrating Resilience into State and Local Plans." Read the story.
2017
October 27 - The Virginian-Pilot coverage of the October 27 conference, "Defending Our Coasts: Ensuring Military Readiness and Economic Viability as Waters Rise." Read the story.
October 27 - The Daily Press coverage of the October 27 conference, "Defending Our Coasts: Ensuring Military Readiness and Economic Viability as Waters Rise." Read the story.
October 26 - The Daily Press talked to VCPC Director Elizabeth Andrews about the October 27 conference to be held at the School of Education, “Defending Our Coasts: Ensuring Military Readiness and Economic Viability as Waters Rise." Read the story.
October 5 - A year of special activities celebrating the Virginia Environmental Endowment's 40th anniversary culminated at the Virginia Historical Society on October 5th with the recognition of VEE's 22 Partners in Excellence in the morning, followed by a Banner Lecture on the history and legacy of the Kepone disaster that led to VEE's creation. VCPC is proud to be recognized as a Partner in Excellence and thanks VEE for its continued support!
September 17 - The Virginia Institute of Marine Science posted a story about the "King Tide" mapping project. Read the story.
August 8 - Inside Business posted a story about a recent study by the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency, Old Dominion University and the VCPC titled "Study Looks at Virginia Beach Tourism Industry's Resilience." Read the story.
July 19 - The Virginia Gazette reported that NOAA will provide VIMS with $835K to fund a "nature based" flood resilience project. VIMS will partner on the project with several state agencies, the VCPC, The Wetlands Watch, and Albemarle-Pamlico National Partnership. Read the story.
June 27 - On News Channel 3 and 13 News Now: VCPC Director Elizabeth Andrews was quoted in stories and featured in news video about a recent gathering of national experts from 16 colleges and universities at Old Dominion University to discuss strategies to address sea level rise and recurrent flooding.
June - The Virginia Coastal Policy Center, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Virginia Sea Grant have each received funding for projects during the latest round of grants from the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE), the VEE announced on May 9. Read the story.
April - Read The Virginia Sea Grant Story, a recent blog post from our partner, Virginia Sea Grant.
February 12 - The Daily Press mentioned the Virginia Coastal Policy Center and the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency in a story about a project being proposed in the Virginia General Assembly. Read the story, "Stormwater Banks Pitched to Address Pollution, Flooding and Development on Middle Peninsula."
January 24 - The Richmond Times-Dispatch noted a VCPC study, "Costs of Doing Nothing," in an article titled "Legislation to Create Virginia Coastal Office Gaining Ground." Read the story.
January 7 - "Costs of Doing Nothing," a study released by the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, was cited in a Daily Press story about flooding and sea-level rise in Newport News. Read the story.
2016
December 26 - The Virginian-Pilot featured a quote taken during the Law School's Virginia Coastal Policy Center's "Living with the Water" Conference in the article "Proposal Would Do a Lot to Clean the Chesapeake Bay, But Could It Let Other Polluters Off the Hook?" Read the story.
December 26 - A column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch by Old Dominion University Professor Emily Steinhiber described the work of the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency, a partnership between Old Dominion University, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Law School's Virginia Coastal Policy Center. Read the column.
December 20 - An editorial in the Virginian-Pilot cited the recent VCPC report that found that the economic toll of sea-level rise could be profound in Hampton Roads. Read the editorial, "In Want of Cooperation on Climate Change."
December 9 - The Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star took note of the “Virginia Working Waterfront Master Plan,” which was presented to the Virginia General Assembly at the December 2016 "Living with the Water" conference sponsored by the Virginia Coastal Policy Center. Read the story, "Virginia Trying to Preserve Its Working Waterfronts."
November 27 - The Free-Lance Star of Fredricksburg cited the VCPC report (more information below) in an editorial titled "Bay, Sea-Level Rise Top Va. Environmental List." Read the editorial.
November 24- U.S. News and World Report carried a story by Associated Press reporter Ben Finley which cited the VCPC report (more information below) in a story titled "On Virginia's Vulnerable Coast, Fear of Flooding on the Rise." Read the story.
November 17 - The clinic released the report, "Costs of Doing Nothing: Economic Consequences of Not Adapting to Sea-Level Rise in the Hampton Roads Region." Read the press release. Read the report summary and full report.
Media coverage of the release of the report included the Associated Press. Newspapers carrying the AP story include the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Daily Progress, The Free Lance-Star, and Bristol Herald Courier. Additional stories were written by reporters for the Richmond Times-Dispatch (requires login), the Daily Press (requires login), the Virginia Gazette and the Virginian-Pilot. Television coverage included WVEC 13 News; radio coverage included WVTF Public Radio.
May 16 - The Virginia Coastal Policy Center and William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science each received funding for projects during the latest round of grants from the Virginia Environmental Endowment. Read the story.
April 23 - On April 23, Arbor Day, students from the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, Student Environmental and Animal Law Society, and Black Law Students Association joined the Southeast CARE Coalition for a second year to “Plant the Change” in the Southeast Community of Newport News, Va. Read the story.
April 22 - The Law School and William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) are collaborating on a new website that will provide key information to support local, regional, and state efforts to adapt to sea-level rise, thanks to a $1.2 million grant from blue moon fund. Portal development and operation will also be closely tied to the research, training, data integration, and outreach activities of the new state-funded Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency. The Center, funded through legislation enacted during the 2016 session by the General Assembly and announced at an Earth Day event by Governor Terry McAuliffe, is a collaborative partnership among VIMS, VCPC, and Old Dominion University. Read the story.
2015
September 14 - On November 13th the Virginia Coastal Policy Center hosted its third annual climate change conference, entitled “Show Me the Money--The Economic Realities of Responding to Coastal Change and Adaptation in Virginia.” The conference focused on the ways in which coastal changes adaptation actions pose fiscal challenges and the available, implementable solutions we must consider to address those challenges.
May 22 - The Law School announced that the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic was renamed the Virginia Coastal Policy Center. Read the story.
2014
December 9 - Professor Roy Hoagland, director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic, was among the guests on Hearsay with Cathy Lewis (NPR 89.5 FM, Norfolk). Professor Hoagland spoke about the clinic's recent conference on flooding and coastal change in Virginia (interview begins 16:45); the broadcast began with an interview with Senator Tim Kaine, former Virginia governor, about sea level rise. Senator Kaine gave the conference keynote. Listen to the podcast.
December 5 - The Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic (VCPC) and the Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science hosted a conference in Williamsburg on December 5. The conference titled, "Adaptive Planning for Flooding and Coastal Change in Virginia: Next Steps for the Commonwealth," included the second meeting of Governor McAuliffe's Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia gave the keynote. Read the story.
October 17 - Professor Roy Hoagland was quoted by the Suffolk News-Herald in the story "Three Ps Threaten the Bay."
July 16 - Roy Hoagland is named Director of William & Mary Law School’s Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic. Read the story.
June 9 - The Virginia Environmental Endowment announced grants to two William & Mary initiatives -- the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic and the W.M. Keck Environmental Field Lab. Read the story.
2013
December 18 - VCCS' friends and colleagues were featured in USA Today's extensive article and video on Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding in Norfolk.
November 25 - VCPC students Erica Penn and Chris Olcott presented their work, "Adaptive Planning for Flooding and Coastal Change in Virginia: Legal and Policy Issues for Local Government", to the Secure Commonwealth Panel's Sub-Panel on Recurrent Flooding. Click here for pictures.
October 7 - The new subcommittee on recurring coastal flooding, co-chaired by Senator John Watkins and Jim Redick, for the Secure Commonwealth Panel recently met in Richmond to begin supporting increased flood mitigation efforts in the Commonwealth. The minutes from the meeting can be found here.
October 6 - An editorial in the Virginian-Pilot by Skip Stiles, executive director of Wetlands Watch, referenced the clinic. Click here to read (opens .pdf).
September 24 - The clinic's work and Sept. 13 conference is highlighted in an article in Inside Business titled "Sea level rise will have wide-ranging impact."
September 17 - The World Resources Institute posted a blog about the clinic's Sept. 13 conference titled "Coastal Communities in Virginia Lead the Way on Local Climate Action."
September 17 - Following the clinic's Sept. 13 conference, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science posted a story titled "VIMS Flooding Report Makes a Splash: Workshop Participants Cite Document as Blueprint for Action."
September 16- Scientific American featured an article on its website by The Daily Climate about the clinic's Sept. 13 conference titled "Virginia Mayors Plead for Help with Climate Change."
June 25 - The Virginian-Pilot published an op-ed by alumna Anna Killius '13, a former clinic student, titled "Rising Waters - and Insurance Rates." The opinion expressed in the op-ed is that of the author and does not necessarily reflect a policy or position of the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic.
May 7 - An article published by the Law School titled "The Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic" described how law students learn from scientists while they research the implications of rising sea levels.
March 28 - An article by the W&M Office of University Relations announced that the clinic's Managing Attorney Shana Jones will lead a W&M Workgroup Project on coastal flooding, sea level rise, and environmental justice.
February 11 - Virginia Sea Grant: "Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic Partners with Virginia Sea Grant."