Abstract
Coastal ecosystem integrity is focused primarily on the ecological aspects of natural coastlines: the biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of coastal features. Coastal ecosystem resiliency focuses on the capacity of that system to maintain its biological, chemical, and physical integrity in the face of stressors. One of the major stressors of coastal ecosystems in the United States is the influence and effects of climate change combined with national policy that incentivizes coastal development. The purpose of this chapter is to explain how the United States is responding, through national disaster relief policy changes, to the threats posed by climate change on coastal ecosystem integrity and resiliency.