Coastal Services Center

State Park Bridge

Consider yourself the manager of a state park located on one end of a 12-mile-long, 3-mile-wide coastal barrier island. The island, and park, are currently accessible only by boat.

There is a local government movement underway to construct a bridge from the mainland to the island. This is a long-term project slated for implementation sometime within the next ten years.

You have been asked to chair a research committee to assess the effects of a proposed bridge on the ecosystem, and to recommend the location for the potential bridge structure.

Now... take a few minutes to think about the key strategies you would implement to ensure adequate research data are made available to your committee, government officials, and the public. Then write a few of them down and let's compare possible strategies.