Outreach Program to Develop And Implement Local Land Use Regulations to Protect the Remaining Undisturbed Natural Shoreland Buffers in the Towns of Candia and Deerfield, NH

The towns of Candia and Deerfield, New Hampshire, both situated within the Great Bay/Little Bay watershed and the Lamprey River subwatershed have agreed to participate with the Southern New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission (SNHPC) to develop and implement land use regulations to protect the remaining undisturbed natural shoreline buffers along the Lamprey and North Branch Rivers (2nd order or higher streams and tributaries) and other surface waters within these communities

Biological survey of north Lake Worth (Palm Beach County) with special reference to bulkhead lines

The town of Palm Beach Shores is establishing formal bulkhead lines. In conjunction with this work we would like to have a biologic survey made of the north end of Lake Worth. The purpose of this survey would be to determine the extent of damage to the ecology of the lake resulting from past as well as proposed dredging and filling projects. (19pp.

Climate change adaptation and planning: An example from Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program (UHSG) in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) is developing a beach and dune management plan for Kailua Beach on the eastern shoreline of Oahu. The objective of the plan is to develop a comprehensive beach management and land use development plan for Kailua Beach that reflects the state of scientific understanding of beach processes in Kailua Bay and abutting shoreline areas and is intended to provide long-term recommendations to adapting to climate change including potential coastal hazards such as sea level rise. The development of the plan has lead to wider recognition of the significance of projected sea level rise to the region and provides the rational behind some of the land use conservation strategies. The plan takes on a critical light given global predictions for continued, possibly accelerated, sea-level rise and the ongoing focus of intense development along the Hawaiian shoreline. Hawaii’s coastal resource managers are faced with the daunting prospect of managing the effects of erosion while simultaneously monitoring and regulating high-risk coastal development that often impacts the shoreline. The beach and dune preservation plan is the first step in a more comprehensive effort prepare for and adapt to sea level rise and ensure the preservation of the beach and dune ecosystem for the benefit of present and future generations. The Kailua Beach and Dune Management plan is intended to be the first in a series of regional plans in Hawaii to address climate change adaptation through land use planning. (PDF contains 3 pages

Living Shorelines & Resilience in Southern California: A Summary of a Series of Workshops held as part of The Resilient Coastlines Project of Greater San Diego

In 2016, a series of workshops were held to discuss living shorelines in SouthernCalifornia. The workshops specifically focused on the unique benefits, challenges andopportunities for implementing living shorelines in the region, and the nexus betweennature-based solutions and ongoing local adaptation planning. Approximately 140participants partook in these dialogues, and some of the key themes that emergedinclude: Letting nature do the work for you Designing for the future Integrating nature into shoreline management projects Project goals distinguishing living shorelines Engineering and urban living shorelines Space constraints along urban coastlines Permitting pathways to support demonstration projects Living shorelines and phased sea level rise planning Designing with watersheds and sediment management in mind Exploring emerging commercial opportunities Public access and project success Planning for living shorelines alongside the community Sharing monitoring and best practices to ensure future success Citizen science and socio-ecological monitoringThe workshops provided the first ever opportunity for Southern California stakeholdersto outline what is unique about designing living shorelines in the context of SouthernCalifornia shorelines for state and federal entities

Euhrychiopsis lecontei distribution, abundance, and experimental augmentations for Eurasian watermilfoil control in Wisconsin lakes

The specialist aquatic herbivore Euhrychiopsis lecontei (Dietz) is currently being researched as a potential biological control agent for Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.). Our research in Wisconsin focused on 1) determining milfoil weevil distribution across lakes, 2) assessing limnological characteristics associated with their abundance, and 3) evaluating milfoil weevil augmentation as a practical management tool for controlling Eurasian watermilfoil

NHEP Buffer Outreach 2005 - 2006

The purpose of the buffer outreach project is to provide education, assistance, and tools to the coastal watershed towns so that they will understand the importance of buffers for water quality and quantity, the need to enhance their own town’s buffer protections, and how to move forward with enacting new buffer protection measures. These activities helped implement several Action Plans from the Management Plan. NHEP staff developed a buffer presentation, a marketing brochure for the presentation, and a webpage devoted to buffer information. One presentation was given at a public hearing in New Durham. NHEP funded several buffer related projects including UNH Complex System Research Center’s buffer characterization and buffer mapper, Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission’s buffer outreach program in Candia and Deerfield, and buffer ordinance development in New Durham through the Community Technical Assistance Program

The island of Kauai, Hawaii's progressive shoreline setback and coastal protection ordinance

Approximately two-thirds of coastal and Great Lakes states have some type of shoreline construction setback or construction control line requiring development to be a certain distance from the shoreline or other coastal feature (OCRM, 2008). Nineteen of 30 coastal states currently use erosion rates for new construction close to the shoreline. Seven states established setback distances based on expected years from the shoreline: the remainder specify a fixed setback distance (Heinz Report, 2000). Following public hearings by the County of Kauai Planning Commission and Kauai County Council, the ‘Shoreline Setback and Coastal Protection Ordinance’ was signed by the Mayor of Kauai on January 25, 2008. After a year of experience implementing this progressive, balanced shoreline setback ordinance several amendments were recently incorporated into the Ordinance (#887; Bill #2319 Draft 3). The Kauai Planning Department is presently drafting several more amendments to improve the effectiveness of the Ordinance. The intent of shoreline setbacks is to establish a buffer zone to protect shorefront development from loss due to coastal erosion - for a period of time; to provide protection from storm waves; to allow the natural dynamic cycles of erosion and accretion of beaches and dunes to occur; to maintain beach and dune habitat; and, to maintain lateral beach access and open space for the enjoyment of the natural shoreline environment. In addition, a primary goal of the Kauai setback ordinance is to avoid armoring or hardening of the shore which along eroding coasts has been documented to ultimately eliminate the fronting beach. (PDF contains 4 pages

Habitat enhancing marine structures: Creating habitat in urban waters

Although maritime regions support a large portion of the world’s human population, their value as habitat for other species is overlooked. Urban structures that are built in the marine environment are not designed or managed for the habitat they provide, and are built without considering the communities of marine organisms that could colonize them (Clynick et al., 2008). However, the urban waterfront may be capable of supporting a significant proportion of regional aquatic biodiversity (Duffy-Anderson et al., 2003). While urban shorelines will never return to their original condition, some scientists think that the habitat quality of urban waterfronts could be significantly improved through further research and some design modifications, and that many opportunities exist to make these modifications (Russel et al., 1983, Goff, 2008). Habitat enhancing marine structures (or HEMS) are a potentially promising approach to address the impact of cities on marine organisms including habitat fragmentation and degradation. HEMS are a type of habitat improvement project that are ecologically engineered to improve the habitat quality of urban marine structures such as bulkheads and docks for marine organisms. More specifically, HEMS attempt to improve or enhance the physical habitat that organisms depend on for survival in the inter- and sub-tidal waterfronts of densely populated areas. HEMS projects are targeted at areas where human-made structures cannot be significantly altered or removed. While these techniques can be used in suburban or rural areas restoration or removal is preferred in these settings, and HEMS are resorted to only if removal of the human-made structure is not an option. Recent research supports the use of HEMS projects. Researchers have examined the communities found on urban structures including docks, bulkheads, and breakwaters. Complete community shifts have been observed where the natural shoreline was sandy, silty, or muddy. There is also evidence of declines in community composition, ecosystem functioning, and increases in non-native species abundances in assemblages on urban marine structures. Researchers have identified two key differences between these substrates including the slope (seawalls are vertical; rocky shores contain multiple slopes) and microhabitat availability (seawalls have very little; rocky shores contain many different types). In response, researchers have suggested designing and building seawalls with gentler slopes or a combination of horizontal and vertical surfaces. Researchers have also suggested incorporating microhabitat, including cavities designed to retain water during low tide, crevices, and other analogous features (Chapman, 2003; Moreira et al., 2006) (PDF contains 4 pages

Current status of las tablas de daimiel national park wetland and actions required for conservation

Wetlands are complex ecosystems that play multiple roles. ‘Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park’ (TDNP) undoubtedly plays a role in several ecosystem services and provides a connection between nature, farmers, scientists, residents, and other stakeholders. The state of degradation and/or vulnerability of this ecosystem (with a series of socio-economic implications) have led the publication of numerous articles. The work reported here provides a description of the growing importance of this wetland within the rural landscapes of La Mancha and emphasizes its state of degradation, mainly since pedological point of view. In this way, particular attention is required to assure the conservation of the Tablas of Daimiel Wetland; thus, several measures are proposed to improve the conservation of this area as to control and prohibit any dumping of any type of waste in the park or in its vicinityThis Research was funded by Organismo Autonomo Parques Nacionales (Autonomous Organism National Parks) of Spain (OAPN