News

The seas may be rising, but Fla. keeps building

June 20, 2016

Read the full story here: http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060039032

Most action in South Florida has been led by a four-county Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact formed in 2009 to address climate issues on a regional scale. Among the changes the compact embraced was a 2011 law signed into law by then-Gov. Charlie Crist (D) allowing for “adaptation action areas.” Those are special planning tools Florida communities can use under the Community Planning Act of 2011.

The law gives communities a way to prioritize funding for infrastructure and adaptation planning in areas that not only experience coastal flooding but are vulnerable to the impacts of rising sea levels. Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Miami-Dade County and several towns in the region have already identified such areas or are considering them.

“Everybody gets it in South Florida,” said Seiler, the Democratic mayor of Fort Lauderdale. “From the Florida Keys to Palm Beach, we’re all working together. I think we all get it.”