Encouraging living shorelines in the United States- A review of state definitions and policies

Abstract

The implementation of living shorelines for shoreline management is influenced by many sectors including landowners, managers, non-governmental organizations, and funders, but with proprietary interest over state waters and lands, state policies arguably have the greatest impact in the US. This study reviews coastal states definitions for “living shoreline” and established public policies for their implementation. Of the 21 states reviewed, 20 had definitions. These definitions, though diverse, shared many common terms including protection, erosion and nature, converging on the concept that a living shoreline’s primary purpose is to use nature to address shoreline erosion, which further aligns with national level definitions. Secondary outcomes described in the LS definitions include vegetation, habitat, restoration and maintenance of coastal processes. Most definitions are not incorporated into state legal provisions (N = 13). States' LS policies were categorized as: non-regulatory (N = 6), regulatory preferred (N = 11) and regulatory required (N = 4). Five case studies highlight the extent of policy approaches being employed. The lack of robust LS tracking along with federal, environmental non-profits and academia engagement, confounds establishing a primary causative agent for LS implementation. However, there is evidence that a regulatory pathway will enhance implementation. The sparse LS implementation data highlights the need for improved tracking of LS implementation. This information could serve as common ground to move towards policy coherence between levels of governance to align policies on a set of shared outcomes, as well as inform policy development to encourage LS approaches within and outside the US.