Palm Coast Times

Residents strongly encouraged to attend meeting
On Wednesday, February 22, from 6:00 – 8:00pm in The Alcazar Room of City Hall, located at 75 King Street, residents and interested individuals are invited to attend and provide input at a public meeting to begin addressing coastal storm damages and risks in the City of St. Augustine.

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District (Corps) is preparing an integrated Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document which requires residents’ scoping comments, views, and information about environmental and cultural resources, study objectives, and important features. A copy of the scoping document is available online at www.CityStAug.com/BackBay.

 

The objectives of the study include (1) reduce flooding caused by coastal storms, extreme high tides, and future projected sea level rise in the study area; (2) explore opportunities to increase community resiliency from future coastal storms.  Issues that are anticipated include concern for aesthetics, cultural resources, recreation, socioeconomics, environmental justice, wetlands, fish and wildlife resources, threatened and endangered species, and water quality.  CSRM measures to be evaluated may include a combination of structural (i.e., tidal gates, seawalls, revetments, levees, drainage improvements, building elevation, etc.), non-structural (i.e., relocation, buyouts, etc.), and natural and nature-based features (i.e., living shorelines, vegetated features, oyster reefs, and maritime forests).

 

The meeting will be live-streamed online at www.CityStAugTV.com, and will be available for on-demand viewing the next day. In addition, The Corps will accept written scoping comments until March 10, 2023. Residents may submit their remarks via email to CESAJ-St.AugBackBayCSRM@usace.army.mil (recommended subject line: “St. Augustine Back Bay CSRM NEPA Scoping Comments”) or by U.S. Mail to 701 San Marco Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207.

 

Please visit the Jacksonville District (Corps) website for more information: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Shore-Protection/St-Johns-County/City-of-St-Augustine-Florida-Back-Bay-Feasibility-Study/)/

 

For more information, visit www.CityStAug.com/BackBay. For questions about the study, contact Jessica Beach, City of St. Augustine Chief Resilience Officer, via email at BackBay@CityStAug.com.

Original source can be found here.