Governor Cooper Proclaims Resiliency Week in North Carolina
EDF statement from Will McDow, Director, Sustainable Landscapes
North Carolina Resiliency Week also champions natural strategies, such as restored floodplains, marshes and wetlands, to minimize future flood risk. Importantly, public and private sector expertise already exist in North Carolina to restore ecosystems and keep floodwaters away from communities, farms and infrastructure.
“We applaud Gov. Cooper for recognizing the use of nature-based strategies to slow and retain floodwaters. These solutions can be readily implemented in ways that keep farms productive and infrastructure protected,” said Will McDow, director of sustainable landscapes for Environmental Defense Fund. “These approaches have the added benefit of improving water quality, recharging groundwater, and providing habitat for wildlife.
“As North Carolina continues to recover, Gov. Cooper’s announcement demonstrates the importance of keeping resilience at the forefront of rebuilding efforts. We look forward to working with the Governor, agency staff, farmers, residents and the private sector to ensure that resilience, including the role of nature-based strategies, is embedded as a defining trait of North Carolina going forward.”
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