Smart Growth Resource Library

Access to the Waterfront

Across the country, conflicts over access to beaches, shorelines, and waterways are increasing as our coastal towns and communities undergo major demographic and economic changes. As the various regions and states confront access challenges, they are recognizing the need to identify and share the tools and solutions that are being used throughout the nation. Access to the Waterfront: Issues and Solutions Across the Nation examines trends in coastal access throughout the country and highlights solutions and success stories.

From the Introduction: In December 2006, Maine Sea Grant, with support from Hawaii Sea Grant and an advisory committee from the National Sea Grant network and Coastal Zone Management programs, surveyed over 140 extension professionals, coastal managers, and other individuals to characterize the scope of coastal access issues nationwide and the effects on coastal communities. The survey inventoried the diverse approaches implemented by Sea Grant and other programs to address these themes. And it also asked respondents to identify needs for future action. Details on survey respondents are provided in Appendix A at the back of this report.

The survey and results contained in this report were presented May 9, 2007, at the Working Waterways & Waterfronts 2007 Symposium in Norfolk, Virginia, a national symposium on water access hosted by Virginia Sea Grant.

The purpose of the survey was to identify trends in coastal access throughout the nation and to highlight solutions and success stories. By covering the issues through the eyes of survey respondents, we hope to inform the discussion of a nationwide strategy to address coastal access conflicts.

25 pages (5.6mb); available online as a PDF document at the resource link below.

Resource: http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/documents/pdf/07access.pdf

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