Photo courtesy VisitNorfolk
Fairfax-based engineering and planning firm Dewberry has been awarded a contract by the state to develop Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.
Dewberry, joined by Louisiana-based The Water Institute of the Gulf and Virginia subcontractors GKY & Associates, Vision Planning and Consulting, and The Miles Agency, will work with officials at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the master plan’s technical advisory committee to address sea-level rise and coastal flooding in Eastern Virginia, the governor’s office said in a news release. A plan based on the state’s coastal master planning framework is due in November.
In recent years, Dewberry was lead consultant on Virginia Beach’s Sea Level Wise project, and the company also worked on developing Louisiana’s coastal protection and restoration plans. According to the state, about 250,000 acres and property valued at $17.4 billion are less than five feet above the high tide line in Virginia, affecting such economic drivers as Department of Defense-funded shipbuilding and ship repair projects, as well as impacting historical and cultural landmarks, fisheries and wildlife.
