South Carolina Coastal Resilience Implementation Plan (CRIPs)

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in partnership with the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR), is developing three regional Coastal Resilience Implementation Plans (CRIPs) for South Carolina. These regional plans will serve as a pipeline of projects that are designed to improve the health of the South Carolina coast, protect people and infrastructure, and incorporate the next generation of nature-based solutions to help address coastal hazards.

Explore Project Overview
Icon Complement ongoing coastal resilience efforts

Complement ongoing coastal resilience efforts

White icon on a green background showing a house on an elevated platform with water below and wind symbols beside it, representing flood protection and storm resilience for homes.

Develop approaches and techniques that can adapt to changing coastal flooding conditions

White icon on a green background showing a house with five stylized human figures inside, symbolizing community, household, or group living.

Provide multiple benefits to coastal communities and habitats

White icon on a green background featuring a circular arrangement of symbols including a cloud with rain, sun, mountains, tree, fish, and gear, representing the interconnectedness of nature, environment, and technology.

Enhance coastal ecosystems while protecting people and infrastructure

Coastal Hazards

South Carolina’s coastline is dynamic and faces multiple hazards, including:

  • Coastal and riverine flooding
  • Erosion and sea level rise
  • Community infrastructure impacts
  • Habitat loss
  • Water quality degradation
Cosatal_hazards

Our Approach to Adaptation

Science and data-driven process to identify large scale nature-based interventions that help to address South Carolina's evolving coastal changes.

A person stands in shallow water wearing waterproof boots and a hat, holding a measuring stick and papers. Aquatic plants surround the area, with dense green vegetation in the background under a cloudy sky. The scene depicts environmental fieldwork, possibly related to wetland or water quality research.
What efforts are currently ongoing in coastal resilience and how does the CRIP complement those efforts?

Across South Carolina, many site- and community-scale projects are underway. These efforts focus on localized resilience strategies, including habitat restoration, flood mitigation, and community engagement. The CRIPs are intended to:

  • Seek out complementary, nature-based approaches that support these ongoing efforts.
  • Focus on gaps in current planning efforts
How is this TNC Nature-Based CRIP approach different from other efforts?

These CRIPs will identify large, landscape-scale nature-based solutions (typically over 10 acres), acting as connectors between individual projects. Projects may emphasize landscape transition in some locations as a result of future change scenarios and projections. Other locations may include more traditional defense measures in response to forces of change.

A group of people work together on a sandy beach near the water, placing gray structural units as part of an environmental or conservation project. Trees and greenery line the background under a clear sky, illustrating community involvement in coastal restoration efforts.
An image showing a South Carolina coastal waterway with muddy banks, vegetation, docks, and boats on the left.
How do we frame adaptation for South Carolina’s coastline with this approach?

We will evaluate nature-based project opportunities across a range of adaptation approaches and in coordination with other ongoing resilience planning efforts. Adaptation approaches may include:

  • Managing change and transition of the landscape in strategic locations to support broader resilience goals
  • Protecting, defending, and/or restoring existing conditions where change is less desired
What are the steps in putting together this pipeline of interventions?

Our process includes:

1. Defining goals and objectives
2. Reviewing existing resilience planning efforts
3. Defining criteria for selecting project locations and project types
4. Defining criteria for prioritizing projects
5. Ranking and selecting final projects

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Project Details

The project will use a 2-year timeframe and engage local and state partners.

Project status and timeline

Summer
2025

Establish goals and objectives for coastal resilience interventions.

Winter
2025–2026

Develop criteria for selecting project locations and types.

Summer
2026

Draft a preliminary list of projects and begin prioritization based on developed criteria.

Winter
Winter 2026–2027

Finalize project prioritization and prepare for implementation planning.

Summer
2027

Publish final reports and recommendations for CRIP implementation.

Progress

Project partners

This initiative is supported by a diverse coalition of partners who bring expertise, resources, and local insight to guide the planning and implementation of CRIPs.

Stakeholders

Glossary of Project Terms

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Testimonials

Amelia Guerry Image

I’m excited for a resilient future of sustainable South Carolina!

Amelia Guerry

Kim Jones

This project is a wonderful opportunity to think collaboratively and strategically about how we can adapt and plan for coastal resiliency for our communities through a nature-based solution lens.

Kim Jones

Jessica Kinsella

It is encouraging to see regional efforts that can begin to address root causes of larger issues like SLR instead of just the symptoms. (Proactive instead of reactive!)

Jessica Kinsella

Weston Beck

This is my first time learning about the project, but overall I appreciate the level of involvement of all the organizations. The benefits for local communities require a high level of interactions and involving many diverse groups aids with that.

Weston Beck

Marcella Domka

Understanding how SCOR is directly connected with coastal resiliency efforts is enlightening as a new watershed coordinator. Building on existing projects with current stakeholders\ can help us better serve our communities.

Marcella Domka

Courtney Kimmel

The effects of climate change are real and its important that we prepare for what that means for coastal South Carolina. This project is an ambitious attempt to look at long-term and large-scale efforts to build resilience for our environment and communities.

Courtney Kimmel

Stephani Rossi

LCOG is excited to be participating in the Southern Regional CRIP- an effort coordinating resilience across the Lowcountry.

Stephanie Rossi

Lucas Hernandez

It has been truly inspiring to learn about the excellent work taking place along the SC coast. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work on such an important project with the best minds in SC to create a more resilient coast.

Lucas Hernandez

Lisa Wagner

This is an exciting project! With development pressures facing Jasper County, identifying projects that address resiliency along our coastline and estuaries will be very beneficial to our community.

Lisa Wagner

Sophia Truempi

I feel hopeful and confident that this project will increase our communities’ resilience to coastal and climate challenges and foster acceptance and understanding of resilience strategies among community members.

Sophia Truempi

Britt Hartley

I am excited for this project to begin educating and involving the communities for nature-based solutions.

Britt Hartley

Resources_image

Resources

  1. The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina
  2. The Nature Conservancy: South Carolina Resilience and Adaptation Hub
  3. Nature Based Exchange
  4. SC Office of Resilience Atlas
  5. TNC Living Shorelines Community Assistance Program
  6. South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative
Project Partners

This project was made possible by NOAA, led by The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina, and supported by the South Carolina Office of Resilience, Jacobs, and Weston & Sampson to form the “Project Team”

Contact us

Susanna Hopkins
TNC-SC Resilience Program Manager
susanna.hopkins@TNC.org