The Nature Conservancy: nature-based solutions

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THE NATURE CONSERVANCY //1 
N AT U R A L & N AT U R E - B A S E D 
S O LU T I O N S FO R V U L B E R A B I L I T Y 
R E D U C T I O N & R E S I L I E N C E Sara Burns 
Sara.burns@tnc.org

What We’ve Learned Today 
• We are all here to be 
proactive and find solutions! 
• Climate change is already 
affecting how we experience 
storms. 
• Winthrop is a great place 
with many strengths and 
coming challenges.

Suffolk County Projected Changes 
(2040 - 2069) 
4.9 ° F 
Annual Average 
Temperature 
2.4 feet Sea Level Rise 
44% 
Days with >2” 
Precipitation 
Source: Northeast Climate Science Center, MassClimateChange.org, Values shown for the Blackstone River Watershed. 
19 Days Days Above 90 ° F 
Key Observed Climate Changes in 
Suffolk County

What’s the problem? 
Source: EPA 
Impervious 
surface Runoff 
Large lawns Fertilizer

impervious 
surfaces increased 
precipitation 
stormwater & 
WQ issues 
flooding & 
infrastructure 
damage 
increased 
temperature 
heat - related 
illnesses 
Climate change Development 
more cooling 
shelters

Impacts : dry rivers, flooding, algae blooms, 
erosion, beach closures

There are real solutions. 
One of the best adaptation 
practices is preserving natural 
areas.

Nature - Based Solutions 
Nature - Based Solutions use natural systems, mimic natural processes, or 
work in tandem with traditional approaches to address natural hazards like flooding , 
erosion , drought , and heat islands . 
Green 
Infrastructure 
Low Impact 
Development (LID)

Solutions for Every Place 
Conserve the natural green infrastructure already providing free ecosystem 
services 
Integrate LID and green infrastructure design into development 
Restore the resiliency of landscapes through LID

Conserve 
Pingry Hill, Ayer, 
MA 
Conserve the natural green infrastructure already providing free 
ecosystem services 
Integrate LID and green infrastructure design into development 
Restore the resiliency of landscapes through LID

Integrate 
Conserve the natural green infrastructure already providing free ecosystem services 
Integrate LID and green infrastructure design into development 
Restore the resiliency of landscapes through LID

Restore 
North Street, Pittsfield, MA 
Conserve the natural green infrastructure already providing free ecosystem services 
Integrate LID and green infrastructure design into development 
Restore resiliency of landscapes through nature based solutions

Avoided Costs 
Heat island 
effects 
Stormwater 
flooding 
Riverine 
flooding 
Coastal 
flooding 
Coastal 
erosion 
Nature - based 
solutions 
Hazards Municipal benefits 
Environmental 
Services 
Ecosystem restoration 
Open space preservation 
Low Impact Development 
<div>Icons made by <a href ="http://www.freepik.com" title=" Freepik "> Freepik </a> from <a href ="https://www.flaticon.com/" title=" Flaticon ">www.flaticon.com</a> is licensed by <a 
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Enhanced Safety 
Integrate 
Conserve 
Restore

Source: Center for Neighborhood Technology’s The Value of Green Infrastructure 
Co - benefits

Land Protection as 
Water Protection 
• Quabbin & Wachusett Reservoirs 
serve 2.5 million 
• Over 20 years, Massachusetts Water 
Resources Authority spent $130M to 
protect 22,000 acres of watershed 
lands 
• Avoided ratepayer cost of $250M on 
a filtration plant and $4M/ yr in 
operations 
MassLive 
Avoided Costs 
Avoided costs

Enhance Safety: Charles River Natural Valley 
Storage Area. US Army Corps of Engineers 
● 8,095 Acres Conserved 
● From 1977 - 2016, the 
project has provided 
$11,932,000 in flood 
protective services 
● Co - benefits include 
recreation and natural 
resource benefits 
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil - Works/Flood - 
Risk - Management/Massachusetts/Charles - River - NVS/ 
Enhanced Safety

Massachusetts Forests 
Mitigate Climate Change 
• MA forests sequester 14% of 
the state’s gross annual carbon 
emissions 
• Average acre stores 85 tons 
carbon 
• Capacity increases over time as 
forests mature 
Environmental 
Services 
Environmental 
Services

Return on Investment 
Studies in MA 
Trust for Public Land 
• Outdoor recreation generates: 
• $10 billion in consumer spending 
• $739 million in state and local tax 
revenue 
• 90,000 jobs 
• $3.5 billion in annual wages and salaries 
• Agriculture, forestry, commercial fishing, and 
related activities generate: 
• $13 billion in output 
• 147,000 MA Jobs 
• Conservation Projects Return $4 : $1 spent Environmental 
Services Avoided Costs

Restoration results in 
• 12.5 jobs and 
• $1.75 Million economic output 
• “Restoration economy” in 
Massachusetts 
Return on Investment 
Studies in MA 
Div. of Ecological Restoration 
Avoided Costs 
Environmental 
Services Enhanced Safety

• Wetlands saved $625,000,000 in 
direct flooding damages in New 
Jersey 
• In New England, wetlands reduce 
storm damage by approximately 
16% 
Return on Investment 
Studies Northeast US 
Scientific Reports 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598 - 017 - 09269 - z 
Avoided 
Costs 
Environmental 
Services Enhanced 
Safety

Resources for Nature - Based Solutions 
Bylaws/Ordinances 
• EEA’s Smart Growth Toolkit access to information on planning, zoning, subdivision, site design, and building construction 
techniques 
• Guide for Supporting LID in Local Land Use Regulations provides a framework for communities to review their zoning, rules, 
and regulations for a number of factors. 
Guidance/Case Studies 
• Naturally Resilient Communities successful project case studies from across the country to help communities learn and 
identify nature - based solutions 
• EPA’s Soak Up the Rain stormwater outreach tools, how - to guides and resources 
• EPA’s RAINE database of vulnerability, resilience and adaptation reports, plans and webpages at the state, regional and 
community level. 
• Climate Action Tool explore adaptation strategies and actions to help maintain healthy, resilient wildlife communities in the 
face of climate change. 
Cost/Benefit 
• EPA’s Green Infrastructure cost/cost - benefit/tools Database of tools for comparing solution costs 
• Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration’s economic benefits of aquatic restoration based on MA case studies 
Mapping/Planning 
• Mapping and Prioritizing Parcels for Resilience (MAPPR) ID priority parcels for protection and climate change resilience 
• Living Shorelines in New England: State of the Practice and Profile Pages for Solutions are case studies, siting criteria, and 
regulatory challenges for coastal resilience in New England. 
• Low Impact Development Fact Sheets cover valuing green infrastructure, conservation design, development techniques, 
regulations, urban waters, and cost calculations.

> Naturally RESILIENT Communities

HELP ME CHOOSE

Hazard Types
C Coastal Erosion

I Tidal Flooding
Coastal Flooding

fl Riverine Erosion

ll Riverine Flooding
CO) Stormwater Flooding

Region

O Coastal West

O Great Lakes
Gut of Mexico
0 Mid-Atiantic

O Midwest

1 Northeast

O Pacific Northwest
(1 Rocky Mountain West
O Southeast

O Southwest

Community Type

OD Rural
OO Suburban
@ Urban

Scale

1 Community
Neighborhood
@ Site

Cost

™@s
Oss
sss
O ssss

CLEAR ALL

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SOLUTIONS

14 Results

CASE STUDIES

0 Results

Coastal Marshes

| Const Erston |
| Coastal Flooding

Coastal wetlands occur along marine, estuarine, and

freshwater coastlines and may be

Restoring Coastal Features

Natural coastlines have evolved to absorb wave

energy and provide a buffer

fe yer
rin

Waterfront Parks

Peveene roo]

Waterfront parks are communal recreational spaces
that are intentionally designed to be

Beaches and Dunes

Beaches and dunes occur in a variety of shapes,
sizes, compositions, and

Open Space Preservation through
Land Acquisition

— -] a4 '
Restoring Offshore Features

Restoration is the process of establishing or
reestablishing a habitat that closely.

Moving People Out of Harm's Way:
Property Buyouts

ee Gn)
This strategy focuses on the public acquisition of
undeveloped land to lessen.

Breakwaters are offshore structures designed to limit
wave energy by creating a

Property buyouts are a means by which communities
can remove development from

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens are planted basins which have several
key purposes including, increasing

http://nrcsolutions.org/

Living Shorelines Green Roofs

| Stonmuater Flooding
Living shorelines are a suite of shoreline erosion A green roof is a contained vegetated space that is
control techniques that combine built on top.

Bioswales

Daylighting Rivers and Streams
| stormaater Flooding |

Daylighting rivers or streams is the process of
removing obstructions (such as

Bioswales are an aesthetically-pleasing alternative to
concrete gutters and storm sewers, employing

Green Parking Lots

Green parking lots incorporate permeable or semi-
permeable paving and porous design techniques.

Dune - Natural

Dune building projects involve the placement of compatible sediment on an existing dune, or creation of an artificial dune by building up a mound of sediment at
the back of the beach. This may be a component of a beach nourishment effort or a stand alone project.

Objectives: erosion control; shoreline protection; dissipate wave energy; enhanced wildlife and shorebird habitat.

Design Schematics

Added Sedimant to Back Dune Area for Dune Restaration

Added Sediment for Dune Restoration

NOT TO SCALE
Case Study Project Ferry Beach Park Association (FBPA)
Proponent
Ferry Beach, Saco, Maine ; ; == Completed 2009
Relatively high beach and dune erosion (approximately 3 feet
per year) prompted the FPA to undertake a dune restoration | Permitting Permit-by-Rule needed from Maine DEP
project to help protect roads and homes from flooding and | Insights
erosion. Given the relatively high erosion rate, it was decided - ‘An 800 foot long dune was built to 4
‘that placing sediment for restoration seaward of the existing os secondary
dur - - Notes foot above the effective FEMA 100-year BFE. A
ne would be short-lived. A secondary frontal dune ridge : =
es secondary dune was built because erosion of the
landward of the existing dune crest was constructed . =
instead, allowing native vegetation to establish. TS SE SIS SS
a year) to have a successful project. 1,800 cy of
truck from a local gravel pit. Construction and
“ a « planting occurred in early spring. Volunteers
Maintenance Sand fencing was used to help trap sediment in
Issues the constructed dune, and to help maintain the
seaward edge of the original dune. However,
shoreline erosion has continued; as of May 2017
the restored dune has started to erode.
Final Cost $29,000 and volunteer hours
Challenges Trucking $0 dump-truck loads of sediment

Ferry Beach, Saco, ME
Photo courtesy of Peter Slovinsky

through the community. Construction and
planting timing windows associated with piping
plover nesting. Continued erosion.

Overview of Technique

Materials

Habitat Components

Durability and Maintenance

Design Life

Ecological Services Provided

Unique Adaptations to NE
Challenges (e.g. ice, winter
storms, cold temps)

Sediment is brought in from an offsite source, such as a sand and gravel pit or coastal
dredging project.+ Planting the dune with native, salt-tolerant, erosion-control

vegetation (e.g., beach grass Ammophilia breviliguiata) with extensive root systems is
highly recommended to help hold the sediments in place.+*+ Sand fencing can also be
installed to trap windblown sand to help maintain and build the volume of a dune.+**

Dunes planted with native beach grass can provide significant wildlife habitat.$

The height, length, and width of a dune relative to the size of the predicted storm waves
and storm surge determines the level of protection the dune can provide.* To maintain
an effective dune, sediment may need to be added regularly to keep dune's height,
width, and volume at appropriate levels.* The seaward slope of the dune should
typically be less steep than 3:1 (base:height).+° Dunes with vegetation perform more
effidently, ensuring stability, greater energy dissipation, and resistance to erosion.*° If
plantings were included, plants should be replaced if they are removed by storm or die.*

Dunes typically erode during storm events. In areas with no beach at high tide, dune
projects will be short lived as sediments are rapidly eroded and redistributed to the
nearshore.* Designs should consider techniques that enhance or maintain the dune
(e.g. sand fencing and/or vegetation to trap wind blown sand).

The added sediment from dune projects supports the protective capacity of the entire
beach system (i.e., dune, beach, and nearshore area). Any sand eroded from the dune
during a storm, supplies a reservoir of sand to the fronting beach and nearshore area.+?
Dunes dissipate rather than reflect wave energy, as is the case with hard structures.*
Dunes also act as a barrier to storm surges and flooding, protecting landward coastal
resources, and reducing overwash events.*° Sand dunes provide a unique wildlife
habitat?

Shorter planting and construction window due to shorter growing season. Utilization of
irrigation to establish plants quickly. Presence of sensitive species may require design
(e.g. slope, plant density) and timing adjustments.

Beach Nourishment

Beach nourishment is the placement of sediment along the shoreline of an eroding beach from outside source. It widens and/or elevates the beach and usually
moves the shoreline seaward, increasing the natural protection that a beach can provide against wave energy and storms. This may be a component of a dune
restoration/creation effort or a stand alone project.

Objectives: erosion control; shoreline protection; enhance recreation; increased access; dissipate wave energy; enhanced wildlife and shorebird habitat.

Design Schematics

Case Study

Winthrop, MA Beach Nourishment

Applied Coastal Research & Engineering, inc. designed the
Winthrop Beach Nourishment Program to provide storm
protection to an upland urban area fronted by a seawall
originally constructed in 1899. The project utilized 460,000 cy
of compatible sediment to nourish approximately 4,200 linear
feet and to create the equilibrated designed berm width of
100 feet. Once the beach nourishment was completed in late
2014, the high tide shoreline was pushed more than 150 feet
from the seawall, with a gradual slope extending
approximately 350 feet offshore.

Massachusetts Division of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR)

Phase 1: 2013; Phase 2: 2014

Offshore sediment source was denied by Army
Corps after 2 12-year permitting process.
Conservation Permit required from NHESP to
address potential impacts to Piping Plovers.

Upland derived mix of sand, gravel and cobble to
match the existing beach sediments was

from two sources: sand borrow (80%) and
naturally rounded cobble & gravel (205).

| i ui

Cobble berms have begun forming along the
beach, which conflicts with community recreation
goals, requiring additional sand for aestheitcs.

Permitting: $2,000,000 {including attempt to
permit offshore borrow site.

Construction: $22,000,000 (included work on
coastal engineering structures).

community with two roads in and out, as well as
roadway damage and air quality impacts
associated with 16,000+ truck trips. Public
perception of compatible sediment.

Materials
Habitat Components

Durability and Maintenance

Design Life

Ecological Services Provided

Unique Adaptations to NE
Challenges (e.g. ice, winter
storms, cold temps)

Sediment is brought in from an offsite source, such as a sand and gravel pit or coastal
dredging project.*

Beaches nourished with compatible sediments can provide significant wildlife
habitat.+*

A coarser sand may erode more slowly than a finer sand.* To maintain an effective
beach berm, sediment may need to be added regularly maintain the desired beach
profile.£4+ The need to replenish the beach depends upon the rate of erosion at the
particular site, but is typically once every 1-5 years.©

To increase erosion and flooding protection, nourished beaches are frequently built
higher and wider than would occur naturally.** Grain size (e.g. sand, gravel, cobble)
drives appropriate design slopes; gentler slopes generally perform better than steep
areas. However, coarser grain sizes allow for steeper project slopes.

A nourishment beach can provide additional beach habitat area. Added sediment used
for the nourishment can also provide a sand source for surrounding areas. The
increased width and height of the beach berm can help attenuate wave energy.*°

Beach nourishment sites subject to ice impacts are generally most successfully
stabilized with gentler slopes (e.g., 6:1-10:1).* Presence of sensitive species may
require design (e.g. slope, plant density) and timing adjustments.

Coastal Bank — Coastal bank protection, including slope grading, terracing, and toe protection and vegetation planting will reduce the steepness and protect the toe of the bank

from further erosion. Engineered cores, of sand filled tubes, provide added protection from future bank erosion.

Engineered Core

Objectives: erosion control; shoreline protection; dissipate wave energy; enhanced wildlife habitat.

Design Schematics Design Overview
Max diheerathal eau teciytseatid cas Siseictnand Materials An engineered core could be constructed using coir envelopes, which are coir fabric
filled with sand. Cutback/excavated material should be used to fill the coir envelopes
a ae BE ERY but supplemental offsite material may be required. Anchors are necessary to secure
Pranted Sa-Tolerent, Netive Vegetation the envelopes. Native vegetation with extensive root systems are often used in
conjunction with coir envelopes to help stabilize the site. Also, natural fiber blankets
can also be used to stabilize the ground surface while plants become established.
Regrade stone 1 i
g Ae as ibesa ign wae (Blankets should be run up and down the slope rather than horizontally across it.)
Fee a * = _ Habitat Components Because they are made with natural fibers and planted with vegetation, natural fiber
Aroa to be Excavatod Tubes for Added Existing Geach Topograp! blankets also help preserve the natural character and habitat value of the coastal

fo lostall Sand FiNed Tubes: Too Protection environment.

NOT TO SCALE Durability and Maintenance Aveneer of sand/sediment should be maintained over the sand filled tubes to prolong
their lifetime. Regular maintenance, such as resetting, anchoring, replacement, or
recovering, can increase the effectiveness of the project.* Invasive species management

Case Study Project City of Cranston, Ri, Edgewood Waterfront should be incorporated into the project. Runoff management and groundwater will also
Proponent Preservation Association (EWPA), Save The Bay, be crucial to project success.
i Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
a Cove, Garston o 4 ai vest Design Life As the sand tube material and natural fiber blankets disintegrate, typically over 5-10
Stillhouse Cove is the site of a public park and a previous | status ‘Completed in 2013. Maintained in 2014 {added a - eae
salt marsh restoration project that was completed in 2007. coir logs and plantings). years, the plants take over the job of site stabilization.
Restoration of the coastal bank was initiated after = = — . . .
Superstorm Sandy caused extensive erosion which over- | Permitting The project had several iterations but was finally Ecological Services Provided Upland plantings stabilize bluffs and reduce rainwater runoff*+
steepened the bank and washed fill and soil into the Insights permitted =e Sandy Emergency Assent. An
adjacent marsh. Save The Bay and EWA, working closely Sap PR TERE SEAL Unique Adaptations to NE Shorter planting and construction window due to shorter growing season. Utilization of
with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, seaming fonding within the permit time frame: . a irrigati fi i i
: s g 7 — Challenges (e.g. ice, winter irrigation to establish plants quickly. Freeze and thaw processes can damage this
developed a design to reinforce and protect the eroding | Construction A key component of this project was regrading design. Consideration should be given to the slope aspect and the implications on
bank by reconfiguring the slope and using natural materials | Notes the bank from a vertical cut to create a more storms, cold temps) ESERIES ARSE SSS ate
and vegetation. gradual slope. Once the slope was regraded, PI gro ng ee .
sand filled coir envelopes were installed, covered
. with soil and planted with salt tolerant
Construction at Stilihouse Cove, Ri vegetation.
Photos courtesy of Janet Freedman
3 coir logs were installed at the southern end of
project and planted with warm season grasses as
part of the Dept. of interior Hurricane Sandy
Relief Grant Program. The base of the bank will
be more frequently inundated as sea levels rise_
Construction: $59,006 plus volunteer labor.
Funding and coordination with partners and
volunteers.

HELP ME CHOOSE

Hazard Types

SOLUTIONS

10 Results

CASE STUDIES

O Results

@ Coastal Erosion
1 Tidal Flooding
@@ Coastal Flooding
@ Riverine Erosion - :
Regulatory and Policy Approaches Enhanced Floodplain Mapping Bioswales
to Address Hazards Natural Hazards [Coarin Erocion | Riverina Fiooaing | Foverina Econ
[ Cosetat Erocion | Riverine Ficoding | Feveries Erocoe [coastal Erosion | overt Ficocina | [ceaciat Fooaing | or Flooding | Tidal Fooaing |  tormatar Fading |
. | Casctat Flooding jf 8 ter Flooding | Thdat Flocains | | Comctal Flooding | Btormusier Floeding fj Tidal Flooding | Flooding is a natural process that, in the absence of Bioswales are an aesthetically-pleasing alternative to
Region Flooding is a natural process that, in the absence of Flooding is 3 natural process that, in the absence of Sasser Concenin Guitars sacl shoroy saurets, employee
oO Coastal West human settiements. human settlements,
C0 Great Lakes
CO Gulf of Mexico
0 Mid-Atlantic
0 Midwest
If Northeast
CO Pacific Northwest
(© Rocky Mountain West
OO Southeast i |
1 Southwest sy a
_ Ee oe “3
Community Type Open Space Preservation through Urban Trees * Forests Rain Gardens
0 Rural Land Acquisition
[eosctat eset | rowan ooana | = == ==
a a) ee) Urban foresty is the planned instaliston and Rain gardens are planted basins which have several
: This strategy focuses on the public acquisition of management of trees within an key purposes including, increasing
undeveloped land to lessen
Scale
1 Community
IB Neighborhood
I Site
Cost
$
Oss
O sss
0 ssss ‘ aa =
Green Roofs Green Parking Lots Daylighting Rivers and Streams
lo
CLEAR ALL [tsrirerte Feo a [ iormentar Foostna]
Aggreen roof is a contained vegetated space that is Green parking lots incorporate permeable or semi- Daylighting rivers or streams is the process of
built on top. permeable paving and porous design techniques. removing obstructions (such as.
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MVP Example: 
identified intersection that floods? 
Bioretention bump outs & street trees can 
help to… 
• capture & filter excess water – alleviate 
pressure on MS4 
• improved pedestrian safety – better 
visibility, shorter walkway 
• enhance aesthetics to encourage visitors & 
walking 
without altering existing parking or bus stops 
Enhanced Safety Environmental Services

• MA Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program (CWSRF) 
• MA Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) 
• MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) 
• MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) 
• MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) 
• Mass Environmental Trust (MET) 
Certified MVP Communities 
Receive Priority Ranking Funding

1. Divert your 
downspouts 
2. Plant a rain garden 
3. Replace impervious 
surfaces 
4. Adopt a drain – and 
encourage others to 
5. Don’t wash your car 
in the driveway 
6. Pick up pet waste 
7. Reduce fertilizer and 
pesticide use 
8. Replace lawn with native 
plants 
9. Reduce lawn watering and 
mowing 
10. Pick up leaf litter 
(compost/dispose of properly) 
Ten things local homeowners & 
citizens can do

Thank you! 
Questions! 
Sara Burns 
Sara.burns@tnc.org