Shoreline Access and Climate Change in the Northeast United States

Abstract

From the smallest of sandy footpaths to fishing piers extending from city waterfronts, public shoreline accesses play an essential role in connecting people to the coast. However, these accesses, which range in size, types of use, and infrastructure level, can be susceptible to climate change impacts. As coastal erosion, sea level rise, and other effects of climate change threaten our coasts, understanding the climate-related impacts to shoreline access points and developing approaches to ensure that access is maintained in the face of these impacts will become increasingly important. This review examines shoreline access in four Northeast US states—Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island—through background research and informational interviews with government employees and coastal scientists. The project identifies several climate change impacts of concern for shoreline access and explores current efforts to address these climate impacts along with strategies for building adaptation capacity in the future. Based on the results, three policy recommendations for state government agencies to bolster shoreline access initiatives in the face of climate change are proposed.