Washington, DC Yesterday, Mikie Sherrill, Chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Environment Subcommittee (NJ-11), held a hearing entitled “From Gray to Green: Advancing Science of Nature-Based Infrastructure” that focused on the economic, social, and environmental benefits of green infrastructure. This is a way to increase resilience in our communities. Green infrastructure is essential for reducing inland river flooding, such as the flooding in NJ-11 districts, and improving water quality.
Click hereWatch Rep. Sherrills’ opening remarks. Below is a complete transcript of her remarks:
Good afternoon and welcome today to the Environment Subcommittee hearing regarding nature-based infrastructure.
We are now more at risk from natural disasters due to climate change. There is a growing appreciation of the short- and long-term benefits that green infrastructure, which is based on nature, can offer.
My North Jersey district has seen the devastating effects of a changing climate, and more severe weather conditions. We are all too familiarized with floods, including the historic flooding from Hurricane Irene or Hurricane Ida, as well as the more frequent flood events that cause high costs for our communities.
New Jerseyans, like many Americans, are increasingly turning to nature-based infrastructure solutions due to their wide range and co-benefits and their resilience in a changing environment.
My district’s banks of the Whippany River (and Peckman River) have suffered severe damage, resulting in frequent flooding during storms. We learned from Irene and Ida how vegetation planted in the right places can be more effective than concrete and rocks at absorbing floodwaters.
Recent visits to constituents affected by flooding in Montclair and Verona and Morristown revealed how soil erosion has allowed trees to fall into rivers and trap silt downstream. This reduces the river’s depth and causes flooding in nearby areas.
Based on these and other flood dynamics, the community is looking at ways to use the benefits of nature to protect against flooding. For example, we could use vegetation to strengthen riverbanks or stop riverbank erosion.
I would like to hear more from witnesses today about how green infrastructure solutions can benefit my constituents and those in other communities that are facing a variety of natural hazards. Many of these are becoming more frequent as we feel the effects of climate change.
It is not always simple to decide whether to use nature-based infrastructure. New Jersey decision makers, as well as those across the country, need to weigh the costs and benefits of traditional engineered infrastructure, natural infrastructure, and a combination thereof.
Engineers and decision-makers often don’t have the right information to conduct a thorough analysis. Further research, standardization and monitoring are required to better understand the benefits and costs of gray and green infrastructure. This will allow for a clear comparison between different options.
We must improve our ability quantify the benefits of natural infrastructure such as the reduction in flood risk and erosion. We must also work to improve our ability to quantify the cobenefits of infrastructure based on nature, which is not always easy to monetize.
These include the public benefits of increased greenery and support for wildlife and natural habitats as well as the sequestration or storage of large amounts of carbon.
For example, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in my District can be preserved from future flooding. It can also preserve natural flood storage from development. It can provide natural habitats and improved water quality.
I have worked to expand similar forward thinking efforts, such as the Army Corps Natural Storage Preservation Program that would improve flood mitigation through acquisition of 5,200 acres of wetlands. These wetlands could be used to preserve flood waters from the Passaic River.
I would like to hear from witnesses today about how communities can determine the costs and benefits of green infrastructure improvements and holistic planning that preserves and uses existing natural resources.
This research is being done by many federal agencies and external stakeholders. They are also helping communities determine how nature based solutions can most effectively be used in their local circumstances and local needs.
Today’s panel includes representatives from NOAA, USDA, and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
I would love to hear from the witnesses about their work in natural and nature-based Infrastructure in rural, urban, and suburban communities across the country. Also, I would like to know what the federal government can do to help with the implementation of nature based infrastructure.
As the climate changes, so does our approach to infrastructure and resilience. As we move forward, nature-based infrastructures will be more important.
I hope that through our discussions today, we can better identify the specific areas where the federal government should prioritize research and share this information with our communities.
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