Lots eyed for state buyback
The proposal -- tacked onto a climate change bill that cleared a key committee on
The bill is sponsored by Sen.
Environmentalists, who helped craft the plan, say rising sea levels and the increased likelihood of devastating storms are creating urgency for the state to help homeowners leave the coast. In 2013, six homes on
"This plan would convert vulnerable and dangerous flood-prone properties from liabilities to valuable community assets while sparing lives, protecting the environment, and saving tax dollars," said
Clarke said other alternatives for battling coastal erosion -- such as man-made barriers like the stone jetties at the mouth of the
The buyback plan is one of several measures recommended by the state's
Details of the buyback, including how many properties are eligible, haven't been worked out, Pacheco said. The bill would require a fair market assessment of at-risk properties, and participation would be voluntary.
Funds couldn't be used for eminent domain, where the state seizes private property for parkland and other projects.
Sen.
"We've had a number of homeowners who wanted to participate in the federal buyback program but couldn't because they didn't qualify," said Tarr, whose district includes most of
Tarr said he also wants the state to ease environmental regulations that have kept property owners along the coast from fortifying their homes against winter storm surges and waterfront erosion.
"Long before their homes were threatened by storms, people on
Pacheco said that rebuilding coastal properties that are repeatedly damaged by storms is driving up costs for the state and the national flood insurance program, which is more than
"Every time these properties in coastal high-hazard zones get damaged and fixed up, that comes at a cost to everybody else who pays flood insurance," he said. "We know that the intensity of the storms is getting worse, and sea levels are rising, and so we need to take steps to protect the coastline."
Pacheco said the larger climate change bill also requires the state to assess the vulnerability of property and assets to determine the long-term cost of coastal erosion. In addition, it requires the
The
Nearly 85 percent of the state's 6.7 million residents live within 50 miles of the coast, according to the
In the past year, the state has lost 30 feet of coastline to erosion overall, the state agency said.
Meanwhile, cities and towns along the coast have spent millions of dollars to scoop up sand from offshore locations to replenish their beaches.
Pacheco's bill could be taken up by the
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