Difference between revisions of "State of the Beach/State Reports/GA/Erosion Response"

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=General Reference Documents=
 
=General Reference Documents=
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A good general reference site for coastal hazards is a [http://www.wcu.edu/1039.asp Coastal Hazards] website maintained by Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. This site has a substantial amount of coastal hazards information, including maps, photos, and an extensive reference list.
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A recent (2007) informative publication is [http://www.uli.org/ResearchAndPublications/Reports/~/media/Documents/ResearchAndPublications/Reports/TenPrinciples/TP_Coastal%20Development.ashx Ten Principles for Coastal Development] by the Urban Land Institute.
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The Coastal States Organization (CSO) has published two reports relating to climate change adaptation. The first is [http://coastalstates.org.seedevelopmentprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/final_resilience-white-paper_25july08.pdf Coastal Community Resilience: An Evaluation of Resilience as a Potential Performance Measure of the Coastal Zone Management Act] (July 2008)(PDF, 265 KB). Developed by CSO staff and CSO’s Coastal Resilience Steering Committee, the document demonstrates the value of resilience to coastal management and offers concrete recommendations for enhancing resilience at the state and local level. For more information on coastal community resilience, contact [mailto:kcollini@coastalstates.org Kim Collini]. The second document is [http://coastalstates.org.seedevelopmentprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/CSO-2008-Climate-Change-Report1.pdf The Role of Coastal Zone Management Programs in Adaptation to Climate Change] (September 2008)(PDF, 732KB). The report includes detailed results of a 2008 adaptation survey designed to obtain up to date information on the status of adaptation planning, priority information needs, and the anticipated resource needs of the coastal states, commonwealths, and territories.
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In April 2009, the [http://www.heinzctr.org/ Heinz Center] and [http://www.ceres.org/ Ceres] [http://www.heinzctr.org/Press_Releases/resilient_coasts_blueprint.shtml announced the release] of their [http://www.heinzctr.org/publications/PDF/Resilient_Coasts_Blueprint_Final.pdf Resilient Coasts Blueprint], to outline steps to reduce risks and losses in the face of growing threats. The Heinz Center and Ceres produced the blueprint with a coalition of leading insurers, public officials, risk experts, builders, and conservation groups. The blueprint is endorsed by many groups, including The Travelers Institute, The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Wharton School, and the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. The blueprint includes policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic losses from future storms and rising sea levels by as much as half along U.S. coastlines. The blueprint outlines specific recommendations, including: enabling planning for climate impacts by providing the necessary science and decision-making tools; requiring risk-based land use planning; designing adaptable infrastructure and building code standards to meet future risk; strengthening ecosystems as part of a risk mitigation strategy; developing flexible adaptation plans; maintaining a viable private property and casualty insurance market; and integrating climate change impacts into due diligence for investment and lending. The coalition urges the Obama administration, Congress, local leaders and the private sector to see that blueprint actions are implemented through regulation, investment, education, and other means.
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In January 2010 the National Association of Counties released [http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/inundation/_pdf/Issue_brief.pdf Building Resilient Coastal Communities: Counties and the Digital Coast] which highlights many of the [http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/ Digital Coast] resources that counties use to address coastal flooding, habitat conservation and land use. More resources, tools and data are available through the NOAA Coastal Services Center [http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/ Digital Coast] website.
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Finally, EPA has a website devoted to preparing for rising sea level and other consequences of changing climate. The premise of the [http://papers.risingsea.net/index.html Sea Level Rise Adaptation] Web site is that society should take measures to make our coastal development and ecosystems less vulnerable to a rise in sea level. The papers on this site demonstrate that numerous low-cost measures, if implemented, would make the United States less vulnerable to rising sea level. This site includes (or links to) the material available on the agency’s [http://epa.gov/climatechange/effects/coastal/index.html Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise] website and key reports from other government agencies.

Revision as of 13:36, 24 November 2010

Home Beach Indicators Methodology Findings Beach Manifesto State Reports Chapters Perspectives Model Programs Bad and Rad Conclusion

Introduction

Erosion response is a measure of how well a state's policies and procedures limit the extent of shoreline armoring, unsafe coastal development, and costly beach nourishment projects. Evaluation of this indicator brings attention to the states that are taking proactive roles in natural beach preservation and natural hazard avoidance. Through the formulation (if not already in place), implementation, and strict adherence of the specific criteria within the indicator, states can overcome two fundamental obstacles to alternative erosion response practices outlined by the Oceans Studies Board (2007):

  1. A lack of knowledge and experience among decision-makers regarding alternative options for shoreline erosion response, the relative level of erosion mitigation afforded by the alternative approaches and their expected life time, and the nature of the associated impacts and benefits.
  2. The current legal and regulatory framework itself, which discriminates against innovative solutions because of the complex and lengthy permitting process that almost always considers these options on a case-by-case basis.


For example, are statewide oceanfront construction setbacks used to site new development and are these based on the latest erosion rates? When existing development is damaged during a storm does a state prohibit reconstruction or provide incentives for relocation? Before permitting shoreline stabilization does a state require: that there is demonstrated need via geo-technical reports with content standards; that alternatives to armoring including managed retreat/relocation are fully explored; and that potential adverse impacts and cumulative effects are taken into account? If a state can answer 'yes' to most of these questions then its rank is high and if the answers are mostly 'no' then its rank is low.

Also see the “Policies” discussion in the Shoreline Structures section for more information on Georgia’s erosion response.

Possible quantitative measures for this indicator include the number of new structures located within setback areas, number of damaged structures reconstructed in identified erosion zones, number of instances where alternatives to "hard" shore protection were employed, the number of shoreline structures permitted under "emergency" provisions, and the number of permits for shoreline structures reviewed, approved or denied. We have found that such information is rarely available.

Policies and Guidance

Climate Change Adaptation

Introduction

Climate Change

Adaptation

Contact

General Reference Documents

A good general reference site for coastal hazards is a Coastal Hazards website maintained by Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC. This site has a substantial amount of coastal hazards information, including maps, photos, and an extensive reference list.

A recent (2007) informative publication is Ten Principles for Coastal Development by the Urban Land Institute.

The Coastal States Organization (CSO) has published two reports relating to climate change adaptation. The first is Coastal Community Resilience: An Evaluation of Resilience as a Potential Performance Measure of the Coastal Zone Management Act (July 2008)(PDF, 265 KB). Developed by CSO staff and CSO’s Coastal Resilience Steering Committee, the document demonstrates the value of resilience to coastal management and offers concrete recommendations for enhancing resilience at the state and local level. For more information on coastal community resilience, contact Kim Collini. The second document is The Role of Coastal Zone Management Programs in Adaptation to Climate Change (September 2008)(PDF, 732KB). The report includes detailed results of a 2008 adaptation survey designed to obtain up to date information on the status of adaptation planning, priority information needs, and the anticipated resource needs of the coastal states, commonwealths, and territories.

In April 2009, the Heinz Center and Ceres announced the release of their Resilient Coasts Blueprint, to outline steps to reduce risks and losses in the face of growing threats. The Heinz Center and Ceres produced the blueprint with a coalition of leading insurers, public officials, risk experts, builders, and conservation groups. The blueprint is endorsed by many groups, including The Travelers Institute, The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Wharton School, and the Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina. The blueprint includes policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic losses from future storms and rising sea levels by as much as half along U.S. coastlines. The blueprint outlines specific recommendations, including: enabling planning for climate impacts by providing the necessary science and decision-making tools; requiring risk-based land use planning; designing adaptable infrastructure and building code standards to meet future risk; strengthening ecosystems as part of a risk mitigation strategy; developing flexible adaptation plans; maintaining a viable private property and casualty insurance market; and integrating climate change impacts into due diligence for investment and lending. The coalition urges the Obama administration, Congress, local leaders and the private sector to see that blueprint actions are implemented through regulation, investment, education, and other means.

In January 2010 the National Association of Counties released Building Resilient Coastal Communities: Counties and the Digital Coast which highlights many of the Digital Coast resources that counties use to address coastal flooding, habitat conservation and land use. More resources, tools and data are available through the NOAA Coastal Services Center Digital Coast website.

Finally, EPA has a website devoted to preparing for rising sea level and other consequences of changing climate. The premise of the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Web site is that society should take measures to make our coastal development and ecosystems less vulnerable to a rise in sea level. The papers on this site demonstrate that numerous low-cost measures, if implemented, would make the United States less vulnerable to rising sea level. This site includes (or links to) the material available on the agency’s Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise website and key reports from other government agencies.