Business Development and Support Division

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

MIKE MCCARTNEY
DIRECTOR, DBEDT

MARY ALICE EVANS
OFFICE OF PLANNING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2021

HAWAIʻI JOINS SILVER JACKETS PROGRAM

HONOLULU – The State of Hawaiʻi has partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a Hawaiʻi Silver Jackets Interagency Collaboration Team under the State’s Hawaiʻi Ocean Resources Management Plan (ORMP). The State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development’s Coastal Zone Management Program will serve as the lead coordinating agency for the State. The Silver Jackets is a nation-wide program focused on reducing coastal flood risks. Now that the state team is formally recognized, Hawaiʻi is now eligible for support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via technical advisory and annual funding opportunities.

“From a national perspective, this marks a major milestone for the Silver Jackets vision, with Hawaiʻi becoming the 50th state to form a Silver Jackets team,” says Ellen Berggren, National Silver Jackets program manager. “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers affirms our commitment to support Hawaiʻi, bringing our expertise and resources and a collaborative spirit to work together to identify and implement solutions to address flood and coastal hazards in the Pacific.”

The Hawaiʻi Silver Jackets Team will operate within the State’s Hawaiʻi Ocean Resources Management Plan and its already existing multi-agency framework. “We welcome this partnership that further solidifies the Army Corps’ commitment to support local approaches to address our state’s significant risks from coastal flooding. Coastal hazards, including flooding from sea level rise, is listed as one of the ORMP’s three main focus areas and the Silver Jackets Team will play a key role in providing technical support and leveraging resources to best address this issue,” said Justine Nihipali, Coastal Zone Management program manager and state lead.

As a partnership-based program, the Hawaiʻi Silver Jackets team will create and facilitate inter-agency coordination on strategies to reduce coastal flood risks. Other participating agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Program. The Silver Jackets is a nation-wide program, and with the establishment of the Hawai‘i team, there are now Silver Jackets Teams in all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.

The quarterly ORMP Working Group meeting held on Aug 5^th, 2021, marked the first official meeting of the HawaiʻiSilver Jackets Team. 

To learn more about the Silver Jackets Program, visit https://silverjackets.nfrmp.us/State-Teams/Hawaii

To learn more about The Hawaiʻi Ocean Resource Management Plan, visit https://arcg.is/1rmiae0 or download the plan at http://planning.hawaii.gov/czm/ormp/

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About the State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development
The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development is a state agency, attached to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), that gathers, analyzes and provides information to the governor to assist in the overall analysis and formulation of state policies and strategies. Its purpose is to: (1) provide central direction and cohesion in the allocation of resources and effectuation of state activities and programs; and (2) effectively address current or emerging issues and opportunities. The office works closely with local, state and federal government agencies; the University of Hawaiʻi; and various community stakeholders to achieve these objectives.

About the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program:
The CZM Program is a Program within the Hawaiʻi Office of Planning and Sustainable Development. The CZM Program was established to “provide for the effective management, beneficial use, protection, and development of the coastal zone.”  See L. 1977, c 188, § 1. For more information, visit http://planning.hawaii.gov/czm/

Media Contact:

Justine Nihipali
Planning Program Manager, Coastal Zone Management
Office of Planning and Sustainable Development
(808) 587-2875
planning.hawaii.gov/czm

Charlene Chan
Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism   
m: (808) 824-0134 
charlene.L.chan@hawaii.gov