E&E News: “Reagan-Era Coastal Law is a Model for Climate-Friendly Development”
This story profiles new research on coastal resilience and quotes coauthors and RFF scholars Penny Liao and Hannah Druckenmiller.
The federal government has for decades subsidized development in places that frequently get pummeled by storms, wildfires and flooding... New research shows cutting off that type of support in the most climate-exposed areas could reduce development significantly — and save taxpayer dollars — by increasing costs to rebuild.
“As sea levels rise, tidal flooding worsens, and coastal storms become more frequent and severe, limiting the number of people and properties in harm’s way will be key to managing climate damages,” says the study, published Monday in Nature Climate Change...
Researchers also concluded that the law didn't simply reduce development — it shifted growth from the protected areas to nearby unprotected communities. The finding indicates the policy redirected development instead of eliminating it and did not shrink property-tax bases.
“The overall effect on the tax base is positive for a lot of these counties,” said co-author Penny Liao, an economist and fellow at think tank Resources for the Future.
