Staff from the Pennsylvania Coastal Resources Management Program have actively participated in the U.S. Army Corps-led Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency study since 2022. This six-year, $14.4 million cost-shared study between the USACE and the eight Great Lakes states aims, among other goals, to identify assets in each state that are vulnerable to storms, flooding, extreme water levels, and related coastal hazards. In order to meet study goals, efforts to identify vulnerable assets in Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie Coastal Zone have accelerated in the past year. PA Coastal Resources Management staff worked to select 10 assets representing a variety of “blue economy” sectored resources that are both vulnerable and unique in the Great Lakes region. Strong relationships were developed with local asset managers to draft a comprehensive list of assets for anticipated USACE modeling. The collaboration was strengthened through in-depth meetings between USACE staff, asset managers, and CRMP staff. The final list presented to the USACE for modeling includes natural resources, historic assets, unique maritime shipbuilding and cargo management facilities, as well as regional water source and wastewater treatment plants. The poster will show how these assets are connected and, how, when viewed from a regional and international perspective, provide a comprehensive overview of a thriving, yet vulnerable, blue economy.
