U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Bipartisan Digital Coast Act Unanimously Passes the Senate
Legislation aids Great Lakes communities by delivering next generation coastal data
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s bipartisan Digital Coast Act has unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. The legislation will help shoreline communities along the Great Lakes better prepare for storms, cope with varying water levels and strengthen economic development planning efforts continues to move forward and now heads to the House for consideration.
The bipartisan Digital Coast Act was introduced by Senator Baldwin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) last year. The Digital Coast Act is also cosponsored by Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently assembles and hosts the Digital Coast Project, a collaborative online database of the most up-to-date coastal information, and makes it available to both the public and private sectors. Digital Coast also provides tools for coastal communities to decipher and use the high-tech mapping data to make accurate decisions and smart investments in coastal communities.
The Digital Coast Act authorizes the next phase in coastal mapping at NOAA by ensuring that communities will continue to have the data to make smart choices for economic development, shoreline management and coastal restoration. The Act supports further development of the current project, including increasing access to uniform, up-to-date data, to help communities get the coastal data they need to respond to emergencies, plan for long-term coastal resilience, and manage their water resources.
“Senator Baldwin and Senator Murkowski’s leadership on coastal issues supports the work local communities do to manage risk and protect people and property from extreme weather and changing conditions. This legislation will directly improve local disaster response and hazard mitigation planning. This bill will help local communities minimize potential loss of life and damage to infrastructure, private property, and conservation areas. The Digital Coast Act is an important step for effective coastal management,” said American Planning Association President Carol Rhea, FAICP.
“Communities in Wisconsin need tools like Digital Coast to make better decisions about the safety and resilience of our coastal regions. Digital Coast empowers communities to better adapt to changing coastal conditions and identify cost effective tools to address those changes. Thank you, Senator Baldwin for your leadership,” said 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Executive Director Steve Hiniker.
The Digital Coast Act is supported by: American Planning Association, Ayres Associates, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Coastal States Organization, Continental Mapping Consultants, Inc., The National Association of Counties, The Nature Conservancy, Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS), National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), National States Geographic Information Council, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, and Ozaukee County Planning and Parks Department.
Read what supporters have said about the Digital Coast Act here.
More information on the Digital Coast Act is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Senator Baldwin Delivers Over $6 Million for Wisconsin Airports to Improve Safety and Efficiency
Aug 12th, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinMilwaukee, Green Bay, Marathon County, and La Crosse airports receive Baldwin-backed federal investment
Senator Baldwin Delivers Over $8 Million to Grow Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Workforce
Aug 9th, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinInfrastructure funding will train workers for family-supporting careers in clean energy sector
Baldwin Introduces Legislation to Combat Wildlife and Livestock Disease Outbreaks
Aug 8th, 2024 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinLegislation comes as Wisconsin farmers confront avian flu outbreak in dairy cattle
The digital coast act could be an important tool to preserve our state’s Lake Michigan coast – especially in an era when our DNR’s devotion to protecting our natural resources seems tepid.