Regional Resilience Project Resilient Florida
Resilient Florida Regional Resilience Project
The St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program (SASJBEP) is working with local governments, community partners, and stakeholders throughout the watershed to strengthen resilience to flooding, storm impacts, and changing environmental conditions. Through funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient Florida Program, SASJBEP is advancing regional resilience by providing technical assistance, supporting grant readiness, and improving coordination among communities.
This initiative helps local governments identify and develop projects that reduce flood risks, improve water management, and incorporate nature-based solutions that benefit both communities and ecosystems.
Why It Matters
Communities throughout the St. Andrew Bay watershed are experiencing increasing challenges from flooding, heavy rainfall events, and changing hydrologic conditions. While many local governments recognize the need for resilience projects, limited staff capacity, funding constraints, and the complexity of grant programs can make project development difficult.
SASJBEP serves as a partner and adds capacity to local governments, assisting in moving projects from ideas to implementation through technical expertise, identifying funding opportunities, facilitating partnerships, and supporting long-term planning efforts.
Advancing the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan
The St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program’s Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) serves as the long-term blueprint for protecting and restoring the watershed’s natural resources while enhancing the resilience of our communities.
Many of the resilience challenges facing the watershed—including flooding, stormwater management, habitat loss, and changing precipitation patterns—are identified within the CCMP as priority issues requiring collaborative action. The Resilient Florida Program provides critical support to move these priorities from planning into implementation.
Project Goals
Adaptation Planning and Technical Assistance
SASJBEP works directly with local governments to identify and prioritize resilience projects that provide regional benefits and improve flood preparedness.
Grant Readiness and Funding Support
Many resilience projects depend on external funding to become a reality. SASJBEP helps communities identify funding opportunities and develop competitive grant applications.
Regional Coordination and Collaboration
Flooding and resilience challenges extend across jurisdictional boundaries. SASJBEP brings together local governments, nonprofits, businesses, agencies, and residents to coordinate resilience efforts across the watershed.
Nature-Based Solutions Grant Funding Table
This project is supported through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient Florida Program.
