Engaging shoreline property owners in sea level rise adaptation
Presentation Abstract
San Juan County’s 410 miles of saltwater shorelines support regional marine food webs and ecologically, culturally and economically significant species including Chinook salmon and orca whales. As with most of the Salish Sea, shoreline armoring threatens shallow water and estuarine ecosystems by changing beach processes, damaging habitat and impacting marine food webs. With rising seas, armoring will cause further narrowing of the beach and losses of nearshore habitats in a process known as the coastal squeeze. Demand for hard armoring is expected to increase as storminess and rising sea levels threaten public and private infrastructure. As our coastal community relies on a healthy marine ecosystem for its economic well-being, the development of climate adaptation strategies that improve the resilience of both human and natural systems are essential. With the majority of San Juan County’s marine shorelines privately owned, residential property owners directly benefit from access to education, technical resources, and adaptation examples.
In 2014, Friends of the San Juans and project partner Coastal Geologic Services completed a sea level rise vulnerability model for San Juan County. Since then, work has focused on how to communicate sea level rise information without causing the opposite of what is desired - an increase in demand for armoring. New graphics and tools were developed, meetings were conducted with public land managers and a pilot community workshop was held to test communication techniques. These focused outreach, engagement and site specific efforts have resulted in interest and support for multiple habitat friendly climate adaptation projects. Some of the most effective techniques included the sharing of detailed maps, sites visits and a local case study approach to framing the climate adaptation conversation. The presentation will highlight primary methods, lessons learned, and key opportunities and barriers to improving habitat and coastal resilience through targeted work with property owners.
Session Title
Climate change and ocean acidification
Conference Track
Salish Sea Snapshots
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2016 : Vancouver, B.C.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
2016 12:00 AM
End Date
2016 12:00 AM
Location
2016SSEC
Type of Presentation
Snapshot
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Shore protection--Washington (State)--San Juan County; Shorelines--Washington (State)--San Juan County; Coastal zone management--Washington (State)--San Juan County; Landowners--Washington (State)--San Juan County
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); San Juan County (Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Engaging shoreline property owners in sea level rise adaptation
2016SSEC
San Juan County’s 410 miles of saltwater shorelines support regional marine food webs and ecologically, culturally and economically significant species including Chinook salmon and orca whales. As with most of the Salish Sea, shoreline armoring threatens shallow water and estuarine ecosystems by changing beach processes, damaging habitat and impacting marine food webs. With rising seas, armoring will cause further narrowing of the beach and losses of nearshore habitats in a process known as the coastal squeeze. Demand for hard armoring is expected to increase as storminess and rising sea levels threaten public and private infrastructure. As our coastal community relies on a healthy marine ecosystem for its economic well-being, the development of climate adaptation strategies that improve the resilience of both human and natural systems are essential. With the majority of San Juan County’s marine shorelines privately owned, residential property owners directly benefit from access to education, technical resources, and adaptation examples.
In 2014, Friends of the San Juans and project partner Coastal Geologic Services completed a sea level rise vulnerability model for San Juan County. Since then, work has focused on how to communicate sea level rise information without causing the opposite of what is desired - an increase in demand for armoring. New graphics and tools were developed, meetings were conducted with public land managers and a pilot community workshop was held to test communication techniques. These focused outreach, engagement and site specific efforts have resulted in interest and support for multiple habitat friendly climate adaptation projects. Some of the most effective techniques included the sharing of detailed maps, sites visits and a local case study approach to framing the climate adaptation conversation. The presentation will highlight primary methods, lessons learned, and key opportunities and barriers to improving habitat and coastal resilience through targeted work with property owners.
