NORFOLK — The City of Norfolk, Virginia, submitted an appropriations request to U.S. Senator Tim Kaine for a scheduled beach renourishment project. This action is part of the city's broader efforts to address erosion and the impacts of climate change, including advancing living shoreline initiatives in conjunction with hard shoreline initiatives and flood walls. City leaders currently plan to rehabilitate shorelines every seven years, although the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management program has suggested changing this schedule to every five years due to observed erosion trends. Living shorelines are a method of stabilizing shorelines by using natural materials such as plants, sand, and oyster shells to protect against erosion.

Senator Kaine commented on the region's vulnerabilities, stating, "Hampton Roads is home to roughly two million Virginians, over a dozen shipyards, the world's largest naval base, and one of the largest ports on the East Coast—and it's on the frontlines of rising sea level challenges caused by climate change." He added, "Virginians' safety and prosperity and America's national security depend on leaders and stakeholders on the local, state, and federal levels working together on large-scale resilience projects to protect this critical area."

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, living shorelines are capable of storing floodwater, attracting wildlife, filtering runoff, and acting as carbon sinks. Donna Bilkovic, Assistant Director of the Center for Coastal Resources Management at the College of William & Mary and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, stated, "Living shorelines can at least store some of that stormwater, coastal flooding water, coming in and slow some of the waves coming in." Bilkovic also indicated that her data suggests these natural structures can protect shorelines similarly to artificial structures like seawalls and bulkheads.

Hurricane Matthew directly affected the Hampton Roads region in 2016. The hurricane caused approximately $60.2 million in damages to Virginia and impacted at least 2,000 homes in the state. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science has been involved in designing living shoreline projects in Virginia for nearly four decades. The Supporting Inclusive Community Adaptation Act aims to reduce upfront costs for shoreline projects.