The Association for the Betterment of Bucksport, in partnership with a broader collaboration including Coastal Carolina University, American Rivers, Coastal Conservation League, and others, was awarded a grant from Thriving Earth Exchange for a community flood assessment and development of mitigation strategies. Professional environmental assessments and mitigation recommendations will come at no cost to the community.

While flood mitigation and resilience are at the forefront of the groups’ goals, the Bucksport community partnership recognizes a holistic approach is necessary to achieve environmental justice, says Jaime McCauley, an associate professor of sociology at CCU.

“A number of CCU faculty and staff play active roles in the collaboration, including Alli Crandell, Till Hanebuth, Zenobia Harper, Pam Martin, and Jennifer Mokos,” said McCauley. “As part of the Bucksport community partnership, Coastal faculty, staff, and students have produced sustainability and hydrology reports, conducted housing assessments, organized cultural events, and engaged in historical preservation efforts. The Thriving Earth grant builds on this work and extends our ability to amplify ongoing efforts for flood mitigation and resilience in Bucksport via community-science partnerships.”

The Thriving Earth Exchange, a division of the American Geophysical Union, connects communities with scientists and supports them as they work together to address local challenges related to natural hazards, natural resources, and climate change.

“Our region has experienced flooding issues time and time again, most recently as we took the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s second U.S. landfall a few weeks ago,” said Kevin Mishoe, chair of the Association for the Betterment of Bucksport. “We know that county agencies are working very hard to address issues related to flooding and sea level rise across the region, and we appreciate all the county is doing for our community. With this new funding, we are eager to continue our collaborative work to mitigate flooding and strengthen resilience in Bucksport.”

The Association for the Betterment of Bucksport and the Bucksport community remain committed to building resilience and protecting the community from repetitive flooding. The partnership with Thriving Earth Exchange will yield meaningful insights into how Bucksport can continue working alongside Horry County officials, complimenting their work with additional tools and resources to advance the shared goals of addressing flooding issues in order to protect the people of Bucksport. The association will have a scientist or researcher assigned to the community and hopes to share preliminary results of the partnership early in 2023.

The association works to increase safety and justice for those with a limited voice in public life; promote social equality through discourse that reflects a range of values and social identities; engage communities and stakeholders in participatory decision making; and advance the right of every person to live in a socially, economically, and environmentally health community.

For more information, contact Mishoe at 843-424-7597.