History, Vision, and Mission of The Coastal Trust
History
The Coastal Trust, Inc. (TCT) is dedicated to America's Coasts and Coastal Plains. The mission TCT is coastal conservation, coastal resilience and quality of life, and fish and wildlife habitat protection. Many communities do not have the staff capacity needed to access needed funds to maintain critical infrastructure. With strained state and local budgets, many communities cannot cover the capital costs of maintaining drinking water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. A significant amount of time and resources have gone into developing infrastructure capital improvement plans, watershed management plans, coastal resilience plans, and fish and wildlife habitat protection plans. Too often these plans sit on the shelf. An organization was needed for implementation, to address issues facing rural and coastal communities and protect fish and wildlife habitat, and improve water quality.
Vision
In 2014, the US Congress created the Regional Conservation Partnership Program through USDA and also authorized development and implementation of watershed finance partnerships through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, an EPA revolving loan fund managed by EPA in partnership with state finance authorities. This signaled a new era in partnership, where traditional silos within government agencies were broken down so that funds could be leveraged and resources effectively allocated for water quality. This process is ongoing. TCT is working to help make the connections between agencies and at times within agencies, with a vision of integrating water quality and fish habitat funding where the beneficiary of each program pays. This follows previous successful efforts by TCT staff to integrate water quality programs for conservation and infrastructure.
Mission
TCT offers equitable and affordable access to conservation and infrastructure program management and support services, including technical and financial assistance for governments and non-profits within the following disciplines:
Coastal Conservation - Aquifer, Forest, Wetland, Shoreline, and Watershed Restoration and Preservation. Capacity building for local land trusts, Expansion of the National Wildlife Refuge System, Creation of City Parks
Water Resources - Flood Mitigation, Coastal Resilience, Governance, Source Water Quality, Shoreline Management, Wetland Restoration and Protection
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Infrastructure - Drinking Water Infrastructure Asset Management, Source Water Protection, Sewer and Wastewater Treatment Asset Management, Stormwater and Watershed Asset Management, Septic to Sewer Conversions
Fish and Wildlife Habitat - Forest, Wetland, and Grassland Restoration and Preservation with focus on the expansion of USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System and protection of shorelines, wetlands, and coastal plains.
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Fisheries Management - Program Management and project implementation, Habitat protection plan development and implementation. Coordination of integrated habitat protection programs for fish and wildlife migratory routes.
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Integrated Watershed Management - Coordination between jurisdictions and disciplines to form and implement watershed partnerships for water quality management and watershed restoration and protection on a watershed scale.
​Management Services - Stormwater Utility Development, Management of Watershed Partnerships, Budget Management, and Grant Coordination.