Protect Miami-Dade. Invest in natural buffers to protect Florida's people!
Rain or shine, we need to protect Miami-Dade!
Miami-Dade is in danger. NOAA is predicting six to ten hurricanes this summer — and when that danger is combined with escalating COVID cases across the state, Floridians could be thrust into a challenge unlike any other in living memory.
As the climate crisis escalates, these storms have only been getting more intense — a dangerous trend that will continue until we take action to build our clean energy economy.
While we wait for climate action, Miami-Dade desperately needs safeguards against the storm surges putting your home and loved ones at risk. Take action to protect Miami-Dade, and call for investment in the natural buffers that have the power to protect Florida's people.
I'm writing today to strongly request that the Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study be reworked to prioritize natural and nature-based features (NNBFs).
Protecting our coastline makes economic sense. Not only does Biscayne Bay fuel a booming tourism-based economy (supporting over 137,000 jobs and generating $600 million in tax revenue to Miami-Dade every year), but NNBFs have been proven to provide benefits at significantly lower costs. It is crucial that the Army Corps of Engineers develop a methodology to assess benefits of these features before dismissing them and accepting the environmental damage that will result from the current tentatively selected plan.
I also have severe equity concerns about this plan, as it creates "winners" and "losers" based on which side of a flood wall homes are located. It would create a mandatory evacuation zone on the "wrong" side of the wall, and I have grave concerns about how this would disrupt communities.
Please ensure that any final plan addresses these crucial issues.
