Coastal Services Center

Linked Resources

This is a topical listing of source materials used in this Web site and additional resources on dock and pier management.

General

• www.csc.noaa.gov/products/New_England_Dock_Pier_Inventory.pdf (Corrected October 2006) –a report entitled "Residential Docks and Piers: Inventory of Laws, Regulations, and Policies for the New England Region" that compares state dock and pier management tactics in easy-to-use tables.
• www.coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/dock.html – a comprehensive source of information on residential docks and piers maintained by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.
• www.digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/EcoNatRes/EcoNatRes-idx?id=EcoNatRes.DNRRep177 – a literature review on many aspects of lakeshore development, including dock and pier construction.

The Public Trust Doctrine

This doctrine ensures public access to water and shorefront land.  While the boundaries of the public trust area vary among states, this doctrine plays an important role in dock and pier management.

• www.csc.noaa.gov/ptd/ – a complete, on-line course on the public trust doctrine offered by the NOAA Coastal Services Center.
• www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/93054.pdf – a 74-page legal analysis of the doctrine itself and its role in Washington State coastal zone management.
• www.coastalstates.org/pages/pub.html#ptd – description and reviews of full-length book on the doctrine, published by the Coastal States Organization.
• www.wsn.org/issues/PIOpubtrust.html – history and links on the doctrine, compiled by the Wisconsin Stewardship Network.
• www.nrpa.com/public_trust.htm – a short history of the doctrine provided by the Natural Resources Protective Association.

Zoning

Zoning is a tool used by local governments to control land use.  Some states use zoning to help manage docks and piers.

• www.buzzardsbay.org/dockpiermodel.htm – a description of the dock zoning scheme used in the Town of Marion, Massachusetts provided by the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program.
• www.planning.org/growingsmart/enablingacts.htm – short summary of the foundation for zoning, provided by the American Planning Association.

Visualization

Many different methods and technologies can be used to assess visual and aesthetic impacts.  Visualizations and visual impact assessments can help inform management of docks and piers.

• www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/publications/das25.pdf – a full text on assessing the visual impacts of docks and piers published by NOAA.
• www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/documents/dockpier.pdf – a full workshop report on the environmental and aesthetic effects of small docks and piers published by NOAA.
• www.esf.edu/es/via/ – the State University of New York’s collection of on-line texts related to visual impact assessment.
• www.pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1155/508-OFR-1155.pdf– a bibliography on visual resource management compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey.
• www.blm.gov/nstc/VRM/whatis.html – a summary of visual resource management activities of the federal Bureau of Land Management.

Natural Resources

Docks and piers can affect natural resources in many different ways, and these environmental impacts are sometimes used as a basis for management.

• www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/documents/dockpier.pdf – a full workshop report on the environmental and aesthetic effects of small docks and piers published by NOAA.
• www.mass.gov/czm/dockpiersummary.htm – a summary of a workshop on dock and pier management, including notes on ecological impacts, and additional resources, provided by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.