Chesapeake Bay News

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has announced the release of the tenth publication in its habitat management series, entitled “Living Shorelines: Impacts of Erosion Control Strategies on Coastal Habitats.” Living shorelines, or soft shorelines, are an approach to shoreline stabilization that preserves natural sand edge or vegetated shoreline.

An increasingly popular management strategy along the Atlantic coast, living shorelines not only control erosion but create environmentally desirable features, including habitat and vegetated buffers that improve water quality and reduce the effects of upland run-off.  Unlike traditional bulkhead or revetment approaches to shoreline protection, living shorelines also tend to dissipate rather than reflect wave energy.

The document provides a brief overview of traditional erosion control methods and living shorelines, as well as the types of habitats that may be considered when creating living shorelines. It identifies the impacts of some shoreline erosion control measures on the environment, and presents examples of how various regulatory authorities are involved.

To illustrate the value of living shorelines in a “real world” setting, the document provides a case study of their use in Maryland. This document should not be considered a complete review of existing living shorelines literature. That information can be found in other documents included in the bibliography.

Appendix B suggests potential erosion control projects. The purpose of this document is to provide resource managers and the general public with a concise comparative discussion of the benefits of living shorelines, and a case study of successful projects to use for reference within their own programs.

“Living Shorelines: Impacts of Erosion Control Strategies on Coastal Habitats” is available on the Commission’s website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking news, or through the direct link at:

http://www.asmfc.org/publications/habitat/hms10LivingShorelines.pdf.

It is also available on CD-ROM; please send requests to info@asmfc.org (Subject line: Living Shorelines CD).

A limited amount of printed copies will be published. If you are interested in receiving one, please contact Tina Berger at tberger@asmfc.org or 202/289-6400.

Other reports available through the Commission’s habitat management series include:

* Atlantic Coast Diadromous Fish Habitat: A Review of Utilization, Threats, Recommendations for Conservation, and Research Needs (January 2009)

* The Importance of Habitat Created by Molluscan Shellfish to Managed Species along the Atlantic Coast of the United States (May 2007)

* Beach Nourishment: A Review of the Biological and Physical Impacts (November 2002)

source: ASMFC press release

According to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report released on January 16, 2009, Maryland leads the mid-Atlantic coastal states in its level of preparedness for a dramatic increase in storm surge flooding and coastal erosion because of climate change.

Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region, which assesses impacts of sea level rise on the infrastructure and ecosystems in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and North Carolina, finds that rising sea level will likely contribute to more frequent flooding that could have major consequences for transportation and commerce.  However, the report also states that “Maryland has taken a proactive step towards addressing a growing a problem by committing to implementation of [its sea level rise response] strategy and increasing awareness and consideration of sea level rise issues in both public and governmental arenas.”

“Our State is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change — including sea level rise — and our human activities clearly contribute to its causes and consequences,” said Governor Martin O’Malley.  “Through the efforts of the Maryland Climate Change Commission, we are making real progress in both preparing for the impacts of climate change but also in reducing the actions that contribute to it.”

In April 2007, Governor O’Malley signed an Executive Order creating the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, charging the State’s best scientists with determining what Marylanders can do to adapt to the consequences of climate change and to begin reversing global warming trends.   In August 2008, Maryland’s Commission on Climate Change issued a Climate Action Plan detailing the effects global warming will have on our state and recommending 61 specific actions to reduce global warming pollution and protect Maryland’s people and property from rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.

A preliminary analysis indicates that, by 2020, implementation of these strategies could result in a net economic benefit to the state of approximately $2 billion, and a study by the Baltimore-based International Center for Sustainable Development shows that Maryland could create between 144,000 and 326,000 “green collar” and research and development jobs by developing clean energy industries, contributing $5.7 billion in wages and salaries boosting local tax revenues by $973 million and increasing gross state production by $16 billion.

“As we chart a course for the future for all Marylanders — even as we seek to address serious challenges such as climate change, a national fiscal crisis, rising energy costs and more — we must remember that the connection between a strong economy, a healthy ecosystem and our preferred quality of life is inherent.  Each of us should be inspired by this knowledge as we explore our individual roles in achieving our shared goals for a smarter, greener more sustainable Maryland,” added Governor O’Malley.

Under the O’Malley-Brown Administration, Maryland has begun to reduce pollution and address the serious issue of climate change through: the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Clean Cars Act, and EMPOWER Maryland programs; increasing Renewable Portfolio Standards to increase our use of clean energy; enacting “living shorelines” requirements; strengthening the Critical Areas Act to protect sensitive shorelines; adopting new green building standards for public buildings and investing in green technology for schools; transitioning the state’s fleet to hybrid buses; fully funding land conservation programs; and reinstituting the Office of Smart Growth; supporting transit-friendly development; improving mass transit options; encouraging smart growth BRAC zones; and, providing both technical and financial assistance to Maryland’s coastal counties to adapt to sea level rise.

New Breakwaters Protect Valuable Wildlife Management Area on Eastern Shore

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently completed construction of breakwaters around Little Deal Island. The environmental restoration project protects a portion of the eroding shoreline on the 225-acre island in Somerset County and aims to reduce sedimentation of a nearby channel leading into Wenona Harbor fishing village.

“This year-long project helps to preserve a valuable Wildlife Management Area on the Eastern Shore that is popular with bird watchers, anglers, photographers, boaters, waterfowl hunters and hikers,” said Len Casanova, director of Shoreline Conservation and Management Service at DNR.

The marshy uninhabited island, a short distance away from Greater Deal Island in Tangier Sound, is known for wildlife such as osprey, pelicans, snowy egrets and herons.

“I grew up in the area and for a small island, it’s really rich in wildlife and vegetation,” said Somerset County Administrator Daniel Powell.

The Board of Public Works approved $985,130 in September 2007 to construct seven offshore segmented breakwaters, areas behind the breakwaters with sand and place plants to create new marshy areas.

“We’re very pleased the state was able to step up and ensure that Wenona Harbor stays open,” Powell said. “The sediment build-up we had been seeing in the channel there was affecting watermen and recreational boaters.”

source: DNR press release