Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL), the lead-Democrat on H.R. 5787, the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act, issued the following statement after the bill’s passage. This legislation adjusts boundary maps under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) across the country and includes a Blunt Rochester bill that updates Delaware’s North Bethany Beach map unit – helping coastal homeowners qualify for disaster aid and setting aside thousands of acres for wildlife conservation.

“Delaware’s pristine shoreline is a critical economic driver and a source of pride for First State residents. Unfortunately for some coastal homeowners, their properties are written out of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s existing coastal barrier maps – preventing Delawareans from taking advantage of the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA aid,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester. “This bill emanates from the thoughts and concerns of everyday citizens in my home state of Delaware, and I am proud to have led the effort in the House to pass the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act. This a common-sense solution to our beach map unit that allows us to set aside more land for wildlife conservation, while ensuring that all Delawareans can take advantage of critical federal resources in the event of a disaster, and I look forward to seeing this legislation signed into law.”

This adjustment would allow homeowners to qualify for federal disaster relief after a recent digital mapping pilot project of the North Bethany Beach unit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). They discovered that an area, which incorporates the South Shore Marina development, was mistakenly included in the original 1990 map. Through the use of newer technologies and technical fixes, the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act rights the wrong and implements the FWS recommendation to update the map unit, which can only be done through Congressional action.

The results of the FWS Delaware mapping project and the North Bethany Beach change were first sent to Congress in 2016, as required by the 2006 CBRA. Congress first established the CBRA in 1982 to address problems caused by coastal barrier development in high-risk areas, reduce wasteful federal government expenditures, and protect natural resources.

Congresswoman Blunt Rochester’s stand-alone bill that was included in the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act is the House companion to Senator Tom Carper and Senator Chris Coons’ legislation, S.1395, which also updates the North Bethany Beach map unit and passed the Senate on January 24, 2018.

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