Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 20, Issue 01 | March 28, 2022

Policy Memo: Selling New Jersey Landowners on Living Shorelines as the Superior Method for Coastline Protection

Christina M. Hernandez (1,2), Elizabeth Bouchard (3,4), Aaron A. Cornell (5), and Heidi Yeh (4,6)
  1. New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Center for Immunity and Inflammation, Newark, NJ
  2. New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, Department of Medicine, Newark, NJ
  3. Rutgers University School of Environmental & Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology & Evolution, New Brunswick, NJ 
  4. Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Port Norris, NJ 
  5. Rutgers University, Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, New Brunswick, NJ
  6. Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ

​Corresponding author: cmh329@gsbs.rutgers.edu​
Keywords: living shorelines; coastal resilience; nature-based solutions; climate change
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200105

Executive Summary

Living Shorelines (LS) refer to the combined use of man-made and natural materials to build a resilient and ecologically vibrant shore. LS are an emerging alternative to hardened shorelines (HS), which employ engineered structures to reinforce eroding shorelines. LS better protect coastlines against erosion and flooding, which are of increasing concern due to climate change and rising sea levels. New Jersey (NJ) is a leader in LS policy, but lack of knowledge regarding these structures hinders further LS implementation. Progress has been made to reduce regulatory hurdles for LS projects. However, decision-making power rests with many private property owners (PO) who default to familiar approaches, like HS. Therefore, we advise the NJ state legislature to encourage LS development by appropriating funds to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection or other relevant agencies to conduct an awareness campaign in key coastal communities. Additionally, PO can be incentivized to convert from HS to LS by restructuring the existing NJ Shoreline Protection Fund. This proactive intervention will provide environmental benefits, in addition to protecting the coastline of NJ.

-Read the full article through download.-

Background header image courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
Christina M. Hernandez is a 6th year Ph.D. Candidate in the Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation Track, part of the Biomedical Sciences Program at Rutgers, NJMS. Her research focuses on the role of carbonic anhydrase enzymes in regulating type 2 inflammation. Christina holds a B.S. in Biology from Montclair State University, NJ. She is passionate about science policy as a way to encourage policymakers to consider scientific evidence and environmental implications when creating and passing their legislation. She hopes to champion healthcare and conservation.   

​Elizabeth Bouchard is a 2nd year graduate student in the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program at Rutgers University. She holds a B.A. in environmental science from Wheaton College (MA). Her research investigates how oyster farms interact with horseshoe crabs and a threatened migratory shorebird species. Elizabeth is passionate about science communication. She strives to bridge the gap between scientists, industry, and policymakers.

Aaron A. Cornell is a 1st year Public Policy student at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He holds a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Political Science from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. His interests lie in the usage of behavioral science to guide policy implementation and program evaluation. He also studies child welfare outcomes for the State of Oklahoma’s Indian Child Welfare Act Partnership Grant. 

Heidi Yeh is a graduate student at Rutgers University, pursuing a Ph.D. in Oceanography. Her research focuses on the oyster microbiome in the context of aquaculture and reef restoration. Heidi holds a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University and a M.S. from the University of Connecticut. She enjoys communicating science through food and was drawn to oysters as a vehicle for connecting people to the environment. 

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Science Policy and Advocacy at Rutgers (SPAR) organization for initiating this policy memo and for their valuable feedback during the editing process. 




References

  1. Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2021. “3 Long, 3 Years Strong: New Jersey's Successful Approach to Purchasing Homes along Sandy's Flooded Path.” Last modified February 11, 2021. https://www.fema.gov/case-study/3-years-long-3-years-strong-new-jerseys-successful-approach-purchasing-homes-along
  2. Gittman, Rachel K., F. Joel Fodrie, Alyssa M. Popowich, Danielle A. Keller, John F. Bruno, Carolyn A. Currin, Charles H. Peterson, and Michael F. Piehler. 2015. "Engineering away our natural defenses: an analysis of shoreline hardening in the US." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 13, no. 6 (2015): 301-307. https://doi.org/10.1890/150065
  3. Gittman, Rachel K., Steven B. Scyphers, Christopher J. Baillie, Anna Brodmerkel, Jonathan H. Grabowski, Mariah Livernois, Abigail K. Poray, Carter S. Smith, and F. Joel Fodrie. 2021. "Reversing a tyranny of cascading shoreline‐protection decisions driving coastal habitat loss." Conservation Science and Practice 3, no. 9 (2021): e490. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.490.
  4. Hilke, C., J. Ritter, J. Ryan-Henry, E. Powell,  A. Fuller, B. Stein, and B. Watson. 2020. Softening Our Shorelines: Policy and Practice for Living Shorelines Along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Washington, DC: National Wildlife Federation. http://nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/NWF-R ports/2020/Softening-Our-Shorelines.ashx.
  5. Isdell, Robert E., Donna Marie Bilkovic, Amanda G. Guthrie, Molly M. Mitchell, Randolph M. Chambers, Matthias Leu, and Carl Hershner. 2021. "Living shorelines achieve functional equivalence to natural fringe marshes across multiple ecological metrics." PeerJ 9 (2021): e11815.  https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11815/
  6. Kopp, Robert E., Clinton J. Andrews, Anthony Broccoli, Andra Garner, Danielle Kreeger, Robin Leichenko, Ning Lin et al. 2019. "New Jersey's Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms: Report of the 2019 Science and Technical Advisory Panel." Rutgers University Libraries.  https://doi.org/10.7282/t3-eeqr-mq48
  7. Lewis, Andrew S. 2021. “The Long, Slow Drowning of the New Jersey Shoreline.” The New York Times Magazine, August 15, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/12/magazine/new-jersey-shore.html.   
  8. “Living Shorelines.” n.d. NOAA Habitat Blueprint. Accessed October 14, 2021. https://www.habitatblueprint.noaa.gov/living-shorelines/.
  9. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 2013. Living Shoreline State Regulations at a Glance. 2013 Mid-Atlantic Living Shorelines Summit. 
  10. https://dnr.maryland.gov/ccs/Documents/training/state%20regulation%20at%20a%20glance.pdf.
  11. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 2019. “Living Shorelines.” Office of Policy and Coastal Management. Last modified January 10, 2019.  www.state.nj.us/dep/opi/living-shorelines.html. 
  12. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. 2020. “Shore Protection Program.” Division of Coastal Management. Last modified July 15, 2020. https://www.nj.gov/dep/shoreprotection/funding.htm.
  13. North Carolina Coastal Federation. 2021. “Living Shoreline Cost-Share for Homeowners.” February 19, 2021. https://www.nccoast.org/project/living-shoreline-cost-share-for-homeowners/.  
  14. Oppenheimer, Michael, Bruce Glavovic, Jochen Hinkel, Roderik van de Wal, Alexandre K. Magnan, Amro Abd-Elgawad, Rongshuo Cai et al. 2019. "Sea level rise and implications for low lying islands, coasts and communities." (2019). https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/3/2019/11/08_SROCC_Ch04_FINAL.pdf.
  15. Rawat, Pragati, Juita-Elena Wie Yusuf, and Michelle Covi. 2021. "Cognitive bias in decision making about development permits for living shorelines: The case of wetlands boards in Virginia localities." Ecological 
  16. Engineering 173 (2021): 106423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2021.106423.
  17. Scyphers, Steven B., Michael W. Beck, Kelsi L. Furman, Judy Haner, Andrew G. Keeler, Craig E. Landry, Kiera L. O'Donnell, Bret M. Webb, and Jonathan H. Grabowski. 2020. "Designing effective incentives for living shorelines as a habitat conservation strategy along residential coast." Conservation Letters 13, no. 5 (2020): e12744.https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12744
  18. Smith, Carter S., Morgan E. Rudd, Rachel K. Gittman, Emily C. Melvin, Virginia S. Patterson, Julianna J. Renzi, Emory H. Wellman, and Brian R. Silliman. 2020.
  19. "Coming to terms with living shorelines: a scoping review of novel restoration strategies for shoreline protection." Frontiers in Marine Science 7 (2020): 434. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.00434.
  20. Smith, Carter S., Rachel K. Gittman, Isabelle P. Neylan, Steven B. Scyphers, Joseph P. Morton, F. Joel Fodrie, Jonathan H. Grabowski, and Charles H. Peterson. 2017. "Hurricane damage along natural and hardened estuarine shorelines: using homeowner experiences to promote nature-based coastal protection." Marine Policy 81 (2017): 350-358. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.04.013
  21. Tanski, J.. 2013. Marine Coastal Processes & Hazards — Living Shorelines Workshop. New York Sea Grant. October 7, 2013. https://seagrant.sunysb.edu/articles/t/living-shorelines-workshop-background-marine-coastal-processes-facilities-marinas-news
  22. US Congress. House of Representatives. Living Shorelines Act, H.R. 4235, 117th Cong. 1st. Session. Introduced June 30, 2021. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4235?s=1&r=91.​
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

ISSN 2372-2193
© 2022 Journal of Science Policy & Governance, Inc. All rights reserved. The opinions, findings and conclusions from JSPG publications and events do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal.