As the summer temperatures rise, so does the number of people flocking to our nation's beaches. Since it is healthy beaches that attract visitors to the coast, many states make beach renourishment a priority.
But beach renourishment efforts are not without controversy. Many people balk at the cost to taxpayers. Environmental groups oppose projects because of the ecological effects, such as the impact to endangered species. Some scientists worry about issues such as erosion, sea level rise, and the toll beach dredging takes on small animals that live in ocean-floor sediments.
The July/August edition of Coastal Services will compare two communities—one that successfully completed a beach renourishment project and one that chose not to use renourishment. Our writers will look at how each decision was made, and the issues that surround maintaining sandy beaches.
We also are looking at doing a future article on the 30th anniversary of the Coastal Zone Management Act. Questions we would like to explore include the act's strengths and weaknesses, how effective it has been in the past, and where managers see it going in the future.
If you have thoughts, expertise, or ideas about either of these or other topics, we would like to hear from you. Contact Hanna Goss via e-mail at Hanna.Goss@noaa.gov, or mail to 2234 South Hobson Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413. You may also contact her by phone at (843) 740-1332, or fax at (843) 740-1313.
