Abstract

As part of a national effort, New York Sea Grant (NYSG) worked with state and local governments to develop information on the probable local responses to sea level rise which the federal government is using to better estimate the potential impacts of sea level rise and to refine management policies to minimize these impacts.

Issue

With over 10 million inhabitants, New York has one of the most densely developed and heavily used coastal areas in the country. Erosion and flooding already cause millions of dollars in damages in this area every year. An increase in the rate of sea level rise, as might be expected with climate warming, will exacerbate these problems. The actual impact of sea level rise will depend on existing and future land use, development trends and state and local policy and regulations. Accurately assessing the impact of sea level and developing cost-effective management strategies requires a good understanding of potential state and local responses to the problem.

Response

With funding from the EPA, Sea Grant worked with state and local officials to identify probable responses to sea level rise on the state and local level as part of a national planning effort. Sea Grant organized meetings and conducted interviews with key officials to identify regulations and policies governing coastal protection and development, regional trends in shoreline development, available land use data, and likely local responses to problems associated with sea level rise. This information was synthesized to produce GIS-based regional-scale digital maps depicting coastal areas likely to be protected versus those that may be abandoned based on existing and expected policies along with a 75-page narrative report.

Impact

The EPA is incorporating the digital maps and report into a White House briefing report and using the results to improve future national assessments of the impact of sea level rise and identify opportunities for policy refinements that will help address potential problems associated with sea level rise at the local level. As part of this effort, community officials developed a prioritized list of information they required to begin addressing this issue. Acting as a bridge between the federal, state and local government officials, NYSG is helping them develop collaborative, cooperative approaches to this issue.

Funding Sources

• Other Federal non-USDA (e.g., NSF, NIH, DOA, DOD)

Collaborators

• U.S.E.P.A. Headquarters
• Industrial Economics, Inc.

Key Personnel

• Joseph J. Tanski, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Sea Grant, SUNY at Stony Brook
• James G. Titus, USEPA Headquarters
• Daniel Hudgens, Industrial Economics Inc.