Storms have become more severe in recent years. Communities face heavier, more frequent rainfall, increasing flood risk, alongside stronger winds that threaten vital infrastructure. To address these growing challenges, states are increasingly adopting nature-based solutions (NBS) into their legislation. These approaches provide adaptive, self-sustaining designs that enhance resilience, reduce environmental risks, and deliver cost-effective, multifunctional protection for communities.
NBS incorporates ecological functions into planning and design, often to complement conventional infrastructure while reducing environmental risk. Depending on site-specific conditions and project goals and objectives, NBS leverage natural processes that provide various resilience benefits, including but not limited to coastal shoreline protection, flood risk reduction, heat mitigation, improved stormwater management, and water quality enhancement.
Integrating Ecology Into Infrastructure
NBS use native materials, such as native trees and urban greenery, and existing or enhanced ecological features to slow, absorb, and filter the impacts of severe weather through targeted strategies, including:
- Living shoreline systems that reduce coastal erosion through wave reflection and habitat support
- Healthy urban forests to mitigate heat, increase rainfall capture, and improve microclimate
- Nature-based stormwater systems that improve runoff management and water quality
Designed to be self-sustaining, these designs evolve and strengthen over time with proper maintenance, offering cost-effective, multifunctional solutions to proactively reduce the risk of storm damage, flooding, and erosion while advancing community sustainability goals.
Legislative Momentum: The Shift from Grey to Green
A growing number of states have enacted resilience legislation that prioritizes NBS over traditional grey infrastructure.
- Florida – Senate Bill 302 was recently passed to support the use of NBS for coastal resiliency projects, including the preservation and restoration of wetlands, floodplains, seagrasses, mangroves, and other natural systems along the coastline.
- Virginia – House Bill 70 improves the Resilient Virginia Revolving Loan Fund, a financing option municipalities can access for flood resilience and mitigation. The bill prioritizes projects that incorporate NBS.
- New York – Senate Bill 2023-S5186A encourages the use of NBS as the preferred alternative to grey infrastructure for stabilizing tidal shorelines in the state.
Facing Resiliency Head-On with the Right Partner
There is a growing need for resilient nature-based solutions to adapt to and live with disruptive events while protecting community assets. Having the right partner to implement effective solutions is increasingly more important. Davey Resource Group (DRG) can assist in identifying whether NBS are appropriate either as stand-alone alternatives or to complement conventional hard (i.e. grey) infrastructure.
DRG addresses the complex ecosystems, resource challenges, and regulatory concerns that impact the success of any environmental project with expertise. DRG’s team of engineers, landscape architects, ecologists, arborists, scientists, and project managers can provide their extensive knowledge at every stage of a project, from design to permitting to post-construction maintenance. Contact your local office to learn more about our tailored green infrastructure solutions.
Article Contributors:
Christian Preziosi, Regional Operations Manager, Southeast, Davey Resource Group
Joshua Mills, Senior Associate Consultant, Davey Resource Group
