Virginia Business
Fairfax-based engineering and planning firm Dewberry has been awarded a $2.6 million contract by the state to develop Virginia’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.
Dewberry, joined by Louisiana-based The Water Institute of the Gulf and Virginia subcontractors GKY & Associates, Vision Planning and Consulting, and The Miles Agency, will work with officials at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the master plan’s technical advisory committee to address sea-level rise and coastal flooding in Eastern Virginia, the governor’s office said in a news release. A plan based on the state’s coastal master planning framework is due in November.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the state and Dewberry, the plan must include a prioritized list of critical infrastructure for national security, public health and safety, and the economy, as well as a list of natural resources that are necessary to protect the area from flooding. The firm also must produce a detailed funding needs assessment and a list of recommended funding sources to implement the plan. The agreed timeline would include a final coastal flood hazard framework due April 30, a prioritized project list by Aug. 20, a funding analysis due Sept. 8 and completion of the master plan document by Nov. 30. Read the full story here.