Trio of Alumni Lead Effort on WA Coastal Resilience
The Washington Coast Resilience Action Demonstration Project (RAD) was a two-year (2019-2021) partnership between the Washington State Department of Ecology and Washington Sea Grant that provided multi-organizational hazards assistance to communities on the Pacific Coast of Washington and laid the groundwork for future coastal resilience efforts. Bobbak Talebi ’15, Tressa Arbow ’19, and Henry Bell ’20 from the Washington State Department of Ecology, and Jackson Blalock with Washington Sea Grant spearheaded the development of this joint project.
Funded by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, the RAD was a direct response to urgent needs voiced by coastal communities and Tribes to help them build local capacity to address coastal hazards issues while strengthening the long-term social, economic, and ecological resilience of the Pacific Coast. The RAD also played a key role in informing the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council (WCMAC) coastal resilience recommendations to the Governor in July 2021.