Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
State And Local Governments Plan For Development Of Most Land Vulnerable To Rising Sea Level Along The Us Atlantic Coast, J. G. Titus, Carl Hershner
State And Local Governments Plan For Development Of Most Land Vulnerable To Rising Sea Level Along The Us Atlantic Coast, J. G. Titus, Carl Hershner
VIMS Articles
Rising sea level threatens existing coastal wetlands. Overall ecosystems could often survive by migrating inland, if adjacent lands remained vacant. On the basis of 131 state and local land use plans, we estimate that almost 60% of the land below 1 m along the US Atlantic coast is expected to be developed and thus unavailable for the inland migration of wetlands. Less than 10% of the land below 1 m has been set aside for conservation. Environmental regulators routinely grant permits for shore protection structures (which block wetland migration) on the basis of a federal finding that these structures have …