Near-Term National Policy Priorities to Strengthen U.S. Coastal Flood Resilience
October 2025
Introduction
In 2025, CFRP published an agenda of near-term, national policy actions to strengthen U.S. coastal flood resilience. The goals and priorities of the agenda are informed by the latest science concerning coastal flood risks, analysis of changes to national policies and programs that are most needed to strengthen coastal flood resilience, and recent actions by the Trump administration.
The near-term policy agenda updates CFRP’s Priorities for Coastal Flood Resilience adopted in January of 2024 focusing on priorities for the last year of the 118th Congress and the last year of the Biden presidential term.
CFRP also developed a more comprehensive long-term Policy Agenda, published in April 2021.
All of the priorities and the actions identified in the near-term agenda and other agenda documents are addressed in greater detail in over twenty white papers and letters.
Executive Summary
The Coastal Flood Resilience Project is a network of nonprofit organizations working for stronger national programs to prepare of more severe storm flooding and rising sea levels along the U.S. coast.
Over the past several years, CFRP has developed a policy agenda and over two dozen white papers and comment letters. Although some of the actions CFRP has recommended have been fully or partially implemented, much more needs to be done to prepare the U.S. coast for more severe storms and rising seas.
New scientific research points to increasing frequency and intensity of coastal storms and accelerated rates of sea level rise. Increased storm flooding and permanent inundation by rising seas continue to pose a risk to hundreds of communities, critical infrastructure assets, and ecosystems including beaches, marshes, and wetlands.
The first several months of the second Trump administration demonstrate that resources to implement existing programs to support coastal flood resilience or develop new programs are being dramatically reduced. In addition, Congress may rollback existing statutory authority for coastal flood protection and is unlikely to enact constructive new legislation.
Given the challenges that coastal flood resilience programs face, CFRP will work to:
Sustain resources for existing coastal flood resilience programs;
Support amendments to existing laws to better address coastal flood resilience;
Adopt constructive new coastal flood resilience policies and programs; and
Develop national scale data and information for stronger coastal flood resilience
programs and policies.
Sustain Resources and Authority for Existing Coastal Flood Resilience Programs
1. Protect and Defend Existing National Programs for Coastal Flood Resilience: Existing programs that are vital to building resilience to flooding along the U.S. coast have been targeted for staffing and funding reductions by the Trump administration. CFRP will defend existing coastal flood resilience programs, investments, and staff.
2. Oppose Rollback of Existing Regulations for Coastal Flood Resilience: It is likely that the Trump administration will propose to roll back or eliminate several coastal flood resilience related regulations. CFRP will oppose any proposed regulatory rollbacks to coastal flood resilience regulations.
Support Amendments to Existing Laws to Strengthen Coastal Flood Resilience
3. Strengthen the National Flood Insurance Program: As Congress considers reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program, CFRP will recommend changes to strengthen coastal flood resilience.
4. Adopt Measures to Improve New Water Resources Development Bills: Congress commonly updates water resources management authority in each Congress. CFRP will promote measures to strengthen coastal flood resilience water resources bills.
Adopt Constructive New Coastal Flood Resilience Policies and Programs
5. Improve Recognition of Community Relocation as a Sound Coastal Resilience Strategy: Coastal communities facing losses due to more severe storms and rising seas benefit from response strategies that focus on relocation of people and assets to higher ground. CFRP will promote national policies that encourage and support relocation strategies for coastal resilience.
6. Promote Nature-Based Solutions and Living Shorelines: Nature-based practices to reduce coastal flooding can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than structural alternatives (e.g., seawalls or bulkheads). CFRP will promote adoption of nature-based solutions and living shorelines for coastal protection.
7. Encourage Adoption of New ASCE Flood Standards: The American Society of Civil Engineers has updated is recommended flood standard (ASCE-24) to include important new elements to improve the resilience of buildings to flooding. CFRP will encourage state and local governments to adopt the new ASCE flood standards.
Develop National Scale Data and Information for Stronger Coastal Flood Resilience Programs and Policies
8. Strengthen Coastal Flood Data and Risk Communication: Sound data and effective communication of coastal flood risk information provides a foundation for public understanding of risks as well as property owner and governmental decision-making for flood risk reduction. CFRP will promote policies and investments that improve data and information related to coastal flood resilience.
9. Promote Mapping of Coastal Ecosystem Migration Pathways: As sea levels rise, coastal ecosystems – wetlands, salt marshes, and beaches – will be inundated unless they can migrate landward. CFRP will encourage governments and property owners to identify and protect coastal ecosystem migration pathways.
10. Support Federal Agency Assessment of Flood Risk to Coastal Infrastructure: Coastal flooding poses risks to the reliable operation of major, critical infrastructure including transportation, energy, and water treatment assets. CFRP will encourage Federal agencies to develop strategies to reduce flood risks to critical infrastructure along the coast.
Supporting information for each of these 10 priority actions can be found below.
1. Protect and Defend Existing National Programs for Coastal Flood Resilience
Existing programs that are vital to building resilience to flooding along the U.S. coast have been targeted for staffing and funding reductions by the Trump administration.
Some of these critical programs and investments include:
Scientific research at the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Environmental Protection Agency;
Coastal management programs under the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA);
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program;
The National Climate Assessment report; and
The Coastal Resilience Fund managed by NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
CFRP will defend existing coastal flood resilience programs, investments, and staff.
2. Oppose Rollback of Existing Regulations for Coastal Flood Resilience
Although it is early in the Trump administration, it is likely that the administration will propose to roll back or eliminated a number of coastal flood resilience related regulations including:
The Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS);
Army Corps of Engineers regulations governing the Corps’ implementation of Water Resources Principles and Requirements; and
Securities and Exchange Commission regulations governing corporate reporting of climate related risks, including physical risks such as rising sea level.
CFRP will oppose any proposed regulatory rollbacks to coastal flood resilience regulations.
More information describing CFRP support for corporate reporting of financial risk disclosures can be found in this white paper.
3. Strengthen the National Flood Insurance Program
As Congress considers reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), there will be opportunities to strengthen coastal flood resilience, including:
Continue funding for updating floodplain maps;
Expand authorities for local governments to adopt stronger floodplain management laws;
Discourage new development in risky places by declining to issue flood insurance for new construction in these places;
Strengthen the Community Rating System to provide increased incentives for local communities to adopt voluntary measures to better manage flooding; and
Make flood insurance more affordable.
CFRP will recommend changes to the NFIP to strengthen coastal flood resilience.
More information about CFRP recommendations to strengthen the National Flood Insurance Program can be found in this white paper. More information about CFRP recommendations to strengthen the Community Rating System can be found in this white paper.
4. Adopt Measures to Strengthen Coastal Flood Resilience in New Water Resources Development Legislation
Congress commonly updates water resources management authority in a water resources development act in each session of Congress. The 2026 Water Resources Development Act should include several critical measures to strengthen coastal flood resilience including:
A new requirement, not just the option, for Army Corps studies of coastal flood projects to specifically assess and address the potential for both more severe storms in the future and the impacts of projected increases in sea level;
Clear authority for the Army Corps to support relocation of homes and businesses as a key strategy to build coastal resilience;
Improvements to the use of benefit/cost analysis to better recognize the needs of disadvantaged communities; and
A reduction in local government cost-share for projects that implement nature- based solutions, including living shorelines.
CFRP will promote measures to strengthen coastal flood resilience water resources bills.
More information about CFRP recommendations to strengthen water resources development legislation can be found in this white paper. More information about CFRP recommendations to strengthen Army Corps of Engineers flood resilience projects can be found in this white paper.
5. Improve Recognition of Community Relocation as a Sound Coastal Resilience Strategy
Coastal communities facing losses due to more severe storms and rising seas generally consider three response strategies:
Structural protection (e.g., sea walls)
Accommodation (e.g., building elevation); and
Relocation to higher ground.
Today, most coastal communities that are addressing flood risks opt for structural protection or accommodation, which often offer only temporary solutions. Only a few communities are planning for gradual relocation of homes and other assets to higher ground. Relocation, however, has multiple benefits in terms of lower long-term costs, lower environmental impacts, and avoidance of damages and losses.
Although the current administration is unlikely to provide funding support for coastal relocation, important work can be done in the near-term to strengthen recognition of the benefits of a relocation strategy, including promoting policies that:
Discourage new construction in places at risk of storm surge and rising seas (i.e., to reduce the extent of relocation needed at a later date);
Encourage state and local government to evaluate relocation as a first-tier coastal flood resilience strategy rather than only as a last resort;
Identify “best practices” for property buyout programs funded at the state or local level; and
Build public appreciation of the acceleration of the rate of sea level rise and the continuing, unstoppable rise in sea level over coming decades and centuries.
CFRP will promote national policies that encourage and support relocation strategies.
More information about policies to strengthen recognition of relocation as a primary coastal flood resilience strategy can be found in this white paper.
6. Promote Nature-Based Solutions and Living Shorelines
Nature-based practices to reduce coastal flooding, especially storm driven surges and precipitation, can be more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than structural alternatives (e.g., seawalls or bulkheads). Some key steps to promote the wider use of nature-based solutions include:
Amend water resources authorities to increase local cost-share for nature-based projects;
Revise benefit-cost analysis methods to better recognize non-monetized benefits associated with nature based solutions;
Amend permit regulations to give priority to nature-based project designs and reduce use of general permits for structural projects; and
Develop design standards for living shorelines that promote consistent and effective implementation of these projects.
CFRP will promote adoption of nature-based solutions and living shorelines.
7. Encourage Adoption of New ASCE Flood Standards
The American Society of Civil Engineers has updated is recommended flood standard (ASCE-24) to include important new elements including:
Recognition of future sea level rise in determining the base elevation of structures; and
Expansion of the area where flood standards should apply from the 100-year floodplain to the 500-year floodplain as mapped by FEMA.
These and other new elements of the flood standard will be considered by the International Code Council in the 2027 Code update but states and local communities can and should adopt ASCE-24 at any time.
CFRP will encourage state and local governments to adopt the new ASCE flood standards.
8. Strengthen Coastal Flood Data and Risk Communication
Sound data and effective communication of coastal flood risk information provides a foundation for public understanding of risks as well as property owner and governmental decision-making for flood risk reduction. Several near-term steps would improve data and information related to coastal flood resilience including:
Support stronger state laws requiring disclosure of flood risk at time of sale, including disclosure of projected rise in sea levels;
Provide for direct notification of flood risks to homeowners in high flood risk areas;
Invest in needed improvements to projections of future sea level rise;
Reauthorize the Digital Coast Act, authorizing NOAA to continue and expand public information and decision-making tools related to coastal flood risk;
Develop improved models for projecting population growth in coastal areas, with special attention to Low Elevation Coastal Zones (i.e., places below 30 feet of elevation); and
Improve communication of hurricane risks, including integration of projected future hurricane storm surge risks with future sea level rise projections.
CFRP will promote policies and investments that improve data and information related to coastal flood resilience.
More information about CFRP recommendations to strengthen coastal flood risk communication can be found in this white paper. More information about CFRP recommendations for investments to improvement to projections of future sea level rise can be found in this letter to Congress. More information about needed improvements to projections of flooding from hurricanes can be found in this white paper.
9. Promote Mapping of Coastal Ecosystem Migration Pathways
As sea levels rise, coastal ecosystems—wetlands, salt marshes, and beaches—will be inundated unless they can migrate landward. Successful landward migration is most likely if governments and property owners take steps to identify and protect migration pathways, including:
Mapping of both existing coastal ecosystems and upland areas with potential to serve as migration pathways;
Protecting migration pathways through buyouts, easements, or regulations;
Revising wetland compensatory mitigation requirements to incentive protection of migration pathways; and
Investing in projects to physically landscape migration pathways and remove natural and man-made obstacles.
CFRP will encourage governments and property owners to identify and protect coastal ecosystem migration pathways.
More information about CFRP recommendations to support coastal ecosystem migration pathways can be found in this white paper.
10. Support Federal Agency Assessment of Flood Risk to Major, Critical Coastal Infrastructure
Coastal flooding poses risks to the reliable operation of major, critical infrastructure including transportation, energy, and water treatment assets. Interruption of service from critical infrastructure can delay disaster recovery and inundation by rising seas can degrade the normal operation of society. There are no national assessments of potential loss of major, critical infrastructure assets to coastal storms and rising seas.
Given the critical importance of these coastal infrastructure assets, Federal agencies should undertake assessment of the expected impacts and timing of infrastructure service interruptions due to more severe storms and rising seas that is sufficient to use as a foundation for more detailed response plans in future years.
CFRP will encourage Federal agencies to develop strategies to reduce flood risks to critical coastal infrastructure. More information about CFRP recommendations to support federal agency assessment of flood risk to critical coastal infrastructure can be found in this white paper.
