State and local governments plan for development of most land vulnerable to rising sea level along the US Atlantic Coast
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Material Information

Title:
State and local governments plan for development of most land vulnerable to rising sea level along the US Atlantic Coast
Series Title:
Environmental Research Letters
Creator:
Titus, J.G.
Hudgens, D.E.
Trescott, D.L.
Craghan,M.
Nuckols, W.H.
Hershner, C.H.
Kassakian, J.M.
Linn, C.J.
Merritt, P.G.
McCue, T.M.
O'Connell, J.F.
Tanski, J.
Wang, J.
Affiliation:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Industrial Economics, Incorporated
Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council
Middle Atlantic Center for Geography and Environmental Studies
W.H. Nuckols Consulting
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Industrial Economics, Incorporated
Delware Valley Regional Planning Commission
Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution -- Sea Grant Program
New York Sea Grant Program
Pyramid Systems, Incorporated
Publisher:
Institute of Physics Publishing
Publication Date:
Language:
English

Notes

Abstract:
Rising sea level threatens existing coastal wetlands. Overall ecosystems could often survive by migrating inland, if adjacent lands remained vacant. On the basis of 131 state and local land use plans, we estimate that almost 60% of the land below 1 m along the US Atlantic coast is expected to be developed and thus unavailable for the inland migration of wetlands. Less than 10% of the land below 1 m has been set aside for conservation. Environmental regulators routinely grant permits for shore protection structures (which block wetland migration) on the basis of a federal finding that these structures have no cumulative environmental impact. Our results suggest that shore protection does have a cumulative impact. If sea level rise is taken into account, wetland policies that previously seemed to comply with federal law probably violate the Clean Water Act.

Record Information

Source Institution:
Florida International University
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Sea Level Rise