Shaver led the way in addressing sea level rise – Upchurch follows

Nineteen mayors from across Florida are in the nation’s capital for a summit that focuses on sea-level rise.  Coastal St Johns County is now on the front lines of the rising sea level problem.  Even on a rainy day like Monday, it’s not hard to find flooding in St. Augustine.

Mayor Tracy Upchurch and former Mayor Nancy Shaver are in the nation’s capital this week attending the American Flood Coalition’s first Florida Mayors Summit. 

Shaver was the first mayor in Northeast Florida to take a lead role in addressing sea level rise, for her it’s not about politics it’s about making sure the nation’s oldest city is around for future generations.

Upchurch and Shaver are visiting with Congressman John Rutherford today in Washington D.C. to discuss funding for an Army Corps of Engineers study that will help profile the water dynamic in the bay and inlet, which Upchurch said will be a “crucial piece of planning information.”