Managing a community’s coastline is more than a walk on the beach. It can mean maintaining vital wetland habitats, preparing for sea level impacts by developing innovative coastal buffers, or even reducing storm and flood impacts by recreating lost ecosystem services. Such coastal projects are vital to America’s shoreline communities and deserve recognition for the…
As Congress grapples with how to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic and the economic challenges it has created, they have largely ignored the unique difficulties facing coastal communities who rely on beach- and coastal-based tourism. See our previous article on how coastal communities are hurting. See our Covid Advocacy Toolkit for how you and your…
Call them what you want — living shorelines, natural infrastructure, green infrastructure, natural and nature-based features — interest is growing in looking at alternatives to traditional shoreline armoring and ways to more naturally mitigate shoreline erosion. More and more communities see that they derive multiple benefits from restoring natural infrastructure. Healthy coastal habitats reduce the…
The full range of coastal concerns will be up for discussion at the upcoming National Coastal Conference, with more than 180 speakers addressing an array of issues during the three-day event. The conference, presented by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA), is titled “Beaches, Bays and Beyond” to reflect the breadth of issues…
Want some effective and affordable protection for your coast? If you’re in the right clime, consider planting some mangroves. Recent research published in Hydrobiologica looked at the coastal protection attributes for the east central Florida coast – specifically the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, which also houses the Kennedy Space Center (NASA helped fund the study, appropriately). The two…
Communities with coastal management programs in place may feel they are ready for whatever sea level change may throw at them (within reason). Should the level rise, they can adapt by increasing the height of the beach and dunes to compensate for both higher tides and stronger storms. But for those communities who are on…
On Monday August 1st, American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in support of the proposed new nationwide permit for “Living Shorelines.” The intent of the new permit is to make it easier for property owners to install natural bank stabilization. This should reduce traditional coastal…