Nature-Based Solutions at the Federal Level: Protecting People and Infrastructure
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Online
Free
Open to the Public
Climate change poses a great threat to the Department of Defense’s missions, installations, and built and natural infrastructure.
Nature-Based Solutions at the Federal Level: Protecting People and Infrastructure
Speaker: Emma Ross, Nature-Based Solutions Lead for the Climate Preparedness and Resilience Community of Practice at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
6:00pm to 7:00pm Pacific Time
Online via Zoom (details below)
About the Topic
Climate change poses a great threat to the Department of Defense’s missions, installations, and built and natural infrastructure. The current administration sees the potential of nature-based solutions as a climate adaptation action that could provide multiple benefits to both on- and off-installation environments, while providing protection from ever increasing climate risks.
About the Speaker
Ms. Emma Ross is the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Lead for the Climate Preparedness and Resilience Community of Practice (CPR CoP) at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). She began her career at the Corps in September 2018 as a Regulatory Project Manager in Regulatory Division in the Los Angeles District.
As a Regulatory Project Manager, Emma is responsible for reviewing and processing Department of the Army permits pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, and Section 103 of the Marine Sanctuaries Protection Act. After a temporary position with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, she was recommended to join the CPR CoP as the NBS Lead in February 2022. In this current role, Emma is involved in many projects not only within the Corps, but throughout the Department of Defense and other external Federal agencies. She is currently leading guidance preparation for the Office of Secretary of Defense, and contributing to other NBS endeavors with the Navy, FEMA, Council on Environmental Quality/White House, and others.
Her commitment for NBS grew out of her studies at MIIS, where she graduated with a Master of Arts in International Environmental Policy with a Concentration in Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in May 2018. It all began while completing her Center for Blue Economy Fellowship, where she worked with the city of San Diego and the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative focusing on “Living Shorelines” (as they were called) in Southern California. Emma’s commitment to NBS as a climate resilience action is ever growing and is excited to see it become more of a Federal priority.
Recommended Reading
- DoD Climate Adaptation Plan, September 2021: https://www.sustainability.gov/pdfs/dod-2021-cap.pdf
- Flood Risk Reduction from Natural and Nature-Based Features: Army Corps of Engineers Authorities: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46328
- Compendium of Federal Nature-Based Resources for Coastal Communities, States, Tribes, and Territories: https://www.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Nature-based-Solutions-Compendium.pdf
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Questions
The Center for the Blue Economy is a research organization at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Our mission is to promote a sustainable ocean and coastal economy (the “Blue Economy”) through leadership in research, analysis, and education. For questions contact: Rachel C. at cbe@middlebury.edu or visit centerfortheblueeconomy.org or call 831-647-4183 (must leave message and receive call back).