One of the partners in the CCRFR is the Virginia Coastal Policy Center (VCPC) at the William & Mary Law School. The VCPC provides science-based legal and policy analysis of ecological issues affecting the state's coastal resources, providing education and advice to a host of Virginia’s decision-makers, from government officials and legal scholars to non-profit and business leaders.
With two nationally prominent science partners – the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, one of the largest marine research and education centers in the United States, and Virginia Sea Grant, a nationally recognized broker of scientific information – VCPC works with scientists, local and state political figures, community leaders, the military, and others to integrate the latest science with legal and policy analysis to solve coastal resource management issues. VCPC activities are inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on scientific, economic, public policy, sociological, and other expertise from within the College of William & Mary and Old Dominion University and across the country. With access to internationally recognized scientists at VIMS, to Sea Grant’s national network of legal and science scholars, and to elected and appointed officials across the nation, VCPC engages in a host of information exchanges and collaborative partnerships.
The VCPC publishes on its website a number of reports each year analyzing law and policy issues related to sea level rise and recurrent flooding. In addition, the VCPC hosts an annual fall conference to highlight and address a variety of coastal policy issues.
In 2017 the General Assembly passed HB 1774 charging CCRFR with examining opportunities to improve stormwater management in rural localities located in Tidewater Virginia while meeting or exceeding water quality requirements. VCPC convened a stakeholder working group and VIMS and ODU experts provided scientific and engineering support.
As a result of the working groups consensus findings, Delegate Hodges proposed legislation during the 2018 General Assembly session.
For more information, contact the VCPC at P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187 | (757) 221-3783.