Climate change is driving more severe coastal storms and steadily rising seas. By 2100, sea levels are projected to rise 4 to 6 feet, permanently flooding low-lying communities, damaging critical infrastructure, and displacing ecosystems.

The costs will be measured in lives and trillions of dollars, and low-income and minority communities will bear a disproportionate share of the burden.

The policies and programs we have today weren't built for this future. CFRP works to change that, bringing together nonprofit organizations to push for stronger federal, state, and local action on coastal flood resilience.

Organization Partners

CFRP’s partners support our mission to work for stronger federal, state, and local programs to prepare for coastal storm flooding and rising sea levels along the coast of the United States.

Logo of Environmental Law Institute with a stylized column and green leaves
Logo of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute with a globe and Capitol building
The Union of Concerned Scientists logo
Rising Seas Institute logo with blue stylized waves and the slogan 'Smart Solutions for Future Flooding'.
Logo for Wetlands Watch featuring stylized marsh grasses and a heron, with the text 'Wetlands Watch' in green on a light green background.
Logo for Anthropocene Alliance featuring the text 'A2O' and a stylized eye within a circle.
Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey logo
Logo of Ocean Defense Initiative featuring a stylized blue wave over the organization's name.
Logo of Surfrider Foundation with a stylized wave design and bold black text
Logo featuring stylized waves and the text 'Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, Western Carolina University'.
Logo for Urban Ocean Lab with white text on a blue background.

Co-Facilitators

A middle-aged man with white hair and a beard, wearing a white shirt, standing outdoors.

Jeff Peterson

Jeff Peterson has over four decades of experience in environmental policy development and program management including work for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is a Visiting Scholar at the Environmental Law Institute and the author of A New Coast: Strategies for Responding to Devastating Storms and Rising Seas.

Jeff has an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Washington.

A woman with blonde hair smiling at the camera, wearing a black top and a necklace.

Shana Udvardy

Shana Udvardy is a senior climate resilience policy analyst with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She conducts research and policy analysis to help inform and build support to increase resilience to climate change impacts. In her role, she advocates for actions at the federal and state levels to advance just and equitable adaptation measures to help safeguard communities from climate change-related risks and impacts.

 Shana is a Certified Floodplain Manager and holds a M.S. in conservation ecology and sustainable development from the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and a B.A. from Syracuse University's Maxwell School.