Maine Beaches Conference

A Place for Wildlife

2011-08-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

A walk on Willard Beach with Laura Zitske of Maine Audubon

Chris Hoffman from SMCC introduced Laura Zitske of Maine Audubon, a wildlife ecologist and director of the piping plover and least tern recovery program. She passed around a baby and adult piping plover in shadow boxes (the birds died of natural causes). Everyone introduced themselves to establish what people would like to learn from this field trip; most participants wanted to learn beach wildlife with an emphasis on piping plovers. Because of high tide, Zitske focused on the beach and above. Piping plovers do not nest on Willard Beach but are found nesting on Maine’s sandy southern beaches.

Humans love the beach; however, it is a very stressful place for wildlife. It ranges from cold, windy, and rainy to scorching hot; these are extreme dynamic temperatures. There is no shelter like a forest canopy; being able to burrow into moving substrate is one coping mechanism. Other wildlife use the beach as a place to pass through, and they in turn attract predators.

Piping plovers are beach specialists and nest on the beach, which is why they are endangered. They are called piping because of their high-pitched whistle. They are seen singly on the beach and rest on the upper beach and the beginning of dunes. They arrive in April. Males make small scrapes in the sand and females lay their eggs (usually four) directly in the sand. The female and male incubate the eggs together for 28 days. Heat is a large concern for eggs. The chicks are born precocious and hit the ground running; within four weeks of hatching, they can fly. The beach provides enough food to raise them. Piping plovers do not mate for life, but are philopatric and pair up with old partners. They will return to the scraping spot, if it was successful, the next year.

Adult defense is to distract or camouflage. Chicks freeze: oftentimes people will pick up the “frozen” chick. If you find a frozen chick leave it alone.

Protective fencing allows plovers to leave nests but excludes predators such as fox, raccoon, and dogs. In ’02 there were 66 nesting pairs in Maine—it decreased to 33 by 2011. Fencing enclosures have been essential to increasing plover populations. In MA and NY they have a greater piping plover population because they have more sandy beach.

A “dirty” beach is a healthy beach. People don’t like the wrack line of seaweed on the beach and it is often swept away; however, wrack helps build dunes, and increases moisture content on the beach. Little arthropods live in there. During migration season you can see the wrack line move (from the birds taking off). In natural beach areas were there is no grooming you can see over time how the sand builds up.

The group watched a common tern and cormorant forage off of the beach. The common tern dive bombs into the water. Common terns nest on islands. Migratory shorebirds have to fatten up on the shorelines of Maine and New Brunswick before their two-day direct flight to South America.

Piping plovers are specialists and gulls (don’t say seagulls!) are generalists.

Common birds to see at the beach:

Greater black-backed gull is Maine’s largest gull.

Herring gull is the most common, grey-black gull with a bright yellow bill.

Ring-billed gull is smaller than the herring gull.

Laughing gull has a black head and red bill; they are nesting here more frequently.

Bonaparte’s gull doesn’t nest here, but passes through. They nest in trees, and forage like shorebirds by tapping with their feet and waiting for food to come to the surface.

Cormorants are fish eaters; they lack the oil gland so they are often seen drying their wings in the sun.

Least tern, the smallest tern, is a specialist, colonial waterbird that forages offshore. There are three nesting sites in Maine. Males have a white stripe by the eye and yellow bill. Call is a high-pitched squeak.

Common eiders inhabit the rock line, offshore and exhibit “creche behavior”: multiple females defend a large group of chicks, even females that have lost young will help defend rocky areas.

Short-eared owls forage for rodents on the beach.

— by Annie Cox

The Status of Maine’s Beaches in 2011

2011-08-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey

with Erin, Lydia, and Sarah from the Scarborough Middle School

Data were collected from about 13 of Maine’s beaches between 2007 and 2011. Measurements were taken along the beach profile in the summer and winter to look at changes in the berm. A grading system was assigned to each of the survey locations (including a letter score, a number score, and a written description).

The surveyed beaches were located between York and South Portland. Between 1993 and 2003, the rate of sea-level rise doubled. In 2010, two significant storms in February and March altered the shape of many of the beaches. During the February storm, Portland experienced the second highest storm surge ever recorded at that gauge. The data collected are meant to inform local and state decision makers. It also gives a baseline data of beach dune elevations and volumes.

The beaches surveyed included the following:

Higgins Beach, Scarborough

Scarborough Beach, Scarborough

East Grand / Pine Point Beach, Scarborough

Kinney Shores Beach, Saco

Ferry Beach, Saco

Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport

Goochs Beach, Kennebunk

Laudholm Beach, Wells

Drakes Island Beach, Wells

Wells Beach, Wells

Ogunquit Beach, Ogunquit

Long Sands Beach, York

A subset of beaches were included in the Maine Beach Mapping Project, which uses highly precise GPS technology and a new USGS system called the Digital Shoreline Analysis System to calculate the overall trend of erosion or shoreline accretion (growth).

Overall, for all surveyed beaches, the vegetation line is increasing seaward by 0.01 meters per year while the high water line is moving landward 1.8 meters per year. The trend seems to be that not enough sand is being transported to the back of the beach. Much of the sand is being lost offshore. This trend is reflected by the profile data as well.

Still to come in the Fall of 2011 is a supplement to the State of Maine Beaches report that will include beach profile data collected in the summer of 2011.

For more info see the Status of Maine’s Beaches 2011 report.

-- by Chris Cabot

Plenary II, An Intercollegiate Debate - Coastal Protection and Private Property Rights: Are Maine’s Environmental Regulations Achieving a Balance?

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

John Davis, Debate Solutions LLC

Debaters:

Alex Parkinson (AP), Catalina Santos (CS), Harvard University

Ben Saunders (BS), Terrel Taylor (TT), Mary Washington University

John Davis (JD): The purpose for providing honest debate is to support civic engagement on complex public policy issues. Debate is a strong method of that allows people to see both sides. Debate challenges how well you speak and how well you listen. Today's debaters will be discussing an issue at the heart of what is brewing here in Maine - protecting the environment while honoring the rights of coastal property owners.

Position: Yes, environmental regulations do unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

CS: The existing environmental regulations unreasonably infringe upon coastal property rights. The regulations are very confusing, and the way they're implemented, they are not reaching the environmental success that they seek to accomplish. A complicated web of red tape is created by various permitting agencies: Army Corps of Engineers, DEP, EPA, local, etc. without consultation with property owners (example given of Lafayette Hotel proposal). Property owners should have more say in the Sand Dune Rules. The rules should be more streamlined. They are not easy to understand and are hard to implement. Regulations prevent tourism and construction income and jobs for Maine, hurt business confidence and competition and discriminate against low income persons. Maine residents lose revenue.

The opposing team asked questions and CS had opportunity for rebuttal.

Position: No, environmental regulations do not unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

BS: This debate forces us to ask critical questions about the role our government plays. This issue is part of a larger political discussion: we are in a world of climate change. Pragmatic solutions don't exist. Erosion and sea-level rise are causing our beaches to eventually disappear. Without a concerted position by state and federal government, how will we prepare for climate change? Does the government need to step in and lead on this issue? After the (Patriot's Day) nor’easter came through, government and environmental leaders developed an eye for prevention vs. fixing a problem that has already occurred. Regulations in place serve as a bulwark against unintended changes to property.

Rights? We have a right to a healthy and clean environment. The public interest is insufficient (CS's point of view). That the regulations are a confusing web calls for reform, not elimination. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater. We should not indict the entire system because some of the regulations are confusing. Private interest will take priority over consulting any regulations. Are they strong enough to take care of these beaches? Coastal property owners are focused on their own interests.

They need higher standards and experts other than themselves who would know better how to protect the environment. What about other public interests? 15% of summer beach users are seasonal and from out of town. They don’t see the process of a storm event coming through. They may not know what things are like in the wintertime. It should be a community’s choice: the responsibility should belong in the hands of someone who is neutral and concerned with everyone's rights.

The opposing team asked questions and BS had opportunity for rebuttal.

Position: Yes, environmental regulations do unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

AP: Winston Churchill once said, "Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon." Do you think it right that environmental regulations are overly burdensome? I am not posing that regulations should be totally repealed. I am asking if potential reform can balance. There are alternative solutions.

Individuals who own coastal property and businesses have vested interest in the environment. These are not terrible, malicious people. They have a strong interest in sanctity of the environment.

Business success is the better consultative mechanism. It brings private stakeholders into the system outside of hardline regulatory approach. Now is not the time to overburden. Maine's economy needs business and tourism to generate revenues. There is a place for consultative mechanisms, to foster communication and balance environmental protections and economic development. Private property owners don’t always do what’s in the best interest of everyone, but we can trust them to do things to protect, preserve, and promote tourism. Property owners and business people know where their bread and butter is coming from.

The opposing team asked questions and AP had opportunity for rebuttal.

Position: No, environmental regulations do not unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

TT: Research and science define the true tragedy of today. Instead of collaborating to find mutually gratifying strategies, deals are made under the table with special interest groups. We cannot afford to play this game anymore. Beaches are threatened by unrestrained development; beaches are vanishing in the name of individual property ownership. Meanwhile, climate change is causing rising sea levels. If LD 219 changed setbacks from 250 to 75 feet, natural landscapes that would prevent inland damages could be developed. Natural services are changed by the construction of seawalls. Jetties + storms cause major damage. Pumping sand out to the beach may seem like a simple fix, but why not prevent in first place? Less costly in the long run. Seawalls cause massive erosion, unpredictable devastation at unpredictable locations. While some erosion may be inevitable, they endanger that which they are meant to protect.

Beaches are an important resource: people come, businesses profit. Is the incentive to protect the beaches, or to make a profit? Will short-term efforts be made to abide by protections, or to adhere to the business community? What is the holistic effect on an ecosystem? How can a business or property owner juggle research and do business at the same time? Do we as a community let them flounder on their own? Maine is people. Maine is a community. Let’s not overestimate anyone. Do we let them flounder? Juggle proximate – or do we help them out? Web? Or streamline process – maintaining restrictions.

The opposing team asked questions and CS had opportunity for rebuttal.

Final Remarks

Position: Yes, environmental regulations do unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

AP: Puff Daddy said, “It's all about the Benjamins, baby.” Our persistent call to a balance between government intervention and economic enterprise. Neighboring states deregulating growth are supporting job creation, when Maine is not and in need of jobs. Regulations have deterred jobs and growth. Maine has an 8.9% unemployment rate. Environmental protection has no bearing on climate change, but businesses see a lack of investment by the state. There is a place for revenue and government stimuli. There will be climate change – building will not make the problem worse. Make hay before the sun goes down. Stave off hardships that will come. Evaluate. Do you prefer the status quo? Regulatory schema that we face is oppressive. We need better collaboration with private enterprise.

Position: No, environmental regulations do not unreasonably infringe on the rights of coastal property owners.

BS: This debate is about dealing with the effects of climate change. Hard-pressed, why shouldn’t we do everything we can to stop it? This is a goal worth pursuing –deregulation is not a goal for Maine. Maine could look like Florida or Ocean City, Maryland. This is about ecology vs. jetties, seawalls and beach pumping – erosion and costs of deteriorating beaches – less beach for hotels, less places for enjoyment and tourists, less beaches for our future sons and daughters. Private property owners are not going in the minor direction: LD 387 weakens building restrictions on sand dunes. LD 442 allows cobble trapping fence – prevents littoral drift. LD 219 reduces setbacks from 250' to 75' – no longer a buffer protecting properties and buildings from waves and storm events. The costs of restoration should be moved from the hands of the community into the hands of people who are creating the problems. Businessman Sir Ronald Cohen reminds us that the choices we make are profound when you have to live with them. Preservation of this place today is the only meaningful choice.

Audience Q & A followed the debate.

— by Holli Andrews

Concurrent Session: Saco Bay Communities Working Together

2011-08-02T07:23:00.001-07:00

Panelists: Peter Slovinsky, Maine Geological Survey; J.T. Lockman, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission; Ken Buechs, Biddeford Citizen Representative, Sea Level Adaptation Working Group

Sea level is rising. What are the impacts? How do communities respond? Science shows sea level is rising 1.9 mm/ year at the Portland tide gauge. The rise is trending on the upper end of the IPCC assessment. A stakeholder group formed in 2004 to rewrite coastal sand dune rules to adopt a two-foot increase in sea level. In addition, a coastal wetland was defined to include the highest annual tide level.

Saco Bay is the largest estuarine system in the area and is comprised of four communities: Scarborough, Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Biddeford. Approximately five years ago, a coastal hazard resiliency tools project began, funded by the Maine Coastal Program with scientific data assistance provided by the Maine Geologic Survey. The project focused not on the causes of sea-level rise, but on adapting to real sea-level rise. The group developed a regional approach, with participation by towns and the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. The project showed that sea-level rise could be tied to a tax revenue loss and showed there should be changes to ordinances such as placing new buildings on piers.

Moving forward, a working group was formed that included two members from each community in addition to J.T. Lockman and Pete Slovinsky. It was funded by a regional challenge grant from the State Planning Office and local match. The group developed a vulnerability assessment that showed potential damage to buildings, wetlands, and roads and used a two-foot rise in sea level. They created a vocabulary for communities to understand. They stimulated potential impacts to natural resources by ground-truthing LIDAR data, determining tidal elevations, demonstrating accuracy in simulating existing conditions using tidal elevations to define marsh habitat inundation, and simulating sea-level rise. The caveat is that topography stays the same since current technology limits changes to this in the modeling process.

The group found that low-lying uplands were shown to be wet (high marsh) in the future. The tool can pinpoint areas that will be under water in the future and can pinpoint where the marsh will move. Saco Bay is currently dominated by high marsh and the tool shows a decrease in high marsh with an increase in low marsh.

The tool also shows what buildings will be impacted by sea-level rise. It can determine where the deepest flooding will be and associated costs. The tool also shows impacts to road infrastructure. For example, certain roads that are emergency access points may be flooded.

The project is expanding to York, Kennebunk, and Ogunquit. For example, Gerrish Island in Kittery could have freshwater ponds on the island converted to salt water after a two-foot rise in sea level. Also, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard could experience significant flooding with a one-meter rise.

The Action Plan included regulatory changes to shoreland zoning, sand dune, NRPA, and Site laws. Local actions included amending local zoning and the floodplain management ordinance. In addition, the plan attempts to work with other groups to save money and be more efficient. The action plan proposes cuts in red tape by standardizing floodplain management, building code interpretations, zoning ordinance review, and allows non-binding comments during development review that affect Saco Bay from other towns.

Potential regional adaptation techniques include land purchase, emergency access re-routing, tidal flow control, removing tidal restrictions, increasing freeboard required by floodplain management standards, utility relocation and elevating vulnerable infrastructure, roads (example given from 10/25/2010 New York Times Article titled, “Front-Line City in VA Tackles Rise in Sea”), plan capital investment plans with sea-level rise in mind, improve shoreland zoning maps using LIDAR, adjust definition of shoreline to leave extra room for sea-level rise (for example, Ogunquit uses a position of four-feet higher than the current highest annual tide).

by Lisa Vickers

Casco Bay and Watershed Cruise

2011-08-02T06:59:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Miller, Trip Leader

1. Visual Observation and Demonstration of a Lobster Trap in a Fouling Community

Participants were shown a lobster trap that is part of a study to determine what types of surfaces marine species prefer to attach to (vertical, horizontal, rough, smooth, etc.). Ongoing monitoring compares and counts non-native tunicates, sponges, crabs, vegetation, and other species. The lobster trap is observed once a month from May-September. Study results will reveal dominant species and which species are competing for land space.

2. Casco Bay Ferry Ride

The 986 square-mile bay is a very healthy system with good water quality. The water is saltier than most bays, which makes it perfect for lobster fishing. There are 856 marine species in the bay and 150 bird species visit the bay.

Willard Beach in South Portland is monitored by the Maine Healthy Beaches Program. Heavy rain events force untreated raw sewage into the bay and lead to occasional swimming advisories at the beach. Untreated sewage and direct release of pollutants are the greatest negative impacts to the beach and bay.

Fore River and dock areas are sources of polluted sediment. Contaminant levels go up as turbidity increases. A study following a 1995 oil spill in the Fore River (Julienne) looked at the surrounding marshes and their recovery responses. A large number of polychaetes (Capitella spp.) were found. The study concluded that certain marshes faired well, while others did not. It is unknown if those mashes that did not recover well were suffering from the oil spill or another unknown source.

-- by Beth Callahan

Concurrent Session: A Place for People

2011-08-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

Panelists: Dan Bacon, Town of Scarborough; Bob Foley, Save Our Shores Maine; Mic Harris, Save Our Beaches; Nancy Veihmann, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Changing demographics, economies: access gets reduced.

I. Bob Foley of Wells

A. Moody Beach case

a. Issues that informed the case

Needs not addressed by Wells municipality:

1. Officers

2. Lifeguards

3. Bath house

b. Costly lawsuit

c. Divisions still exist

d. Can town reach out?

B. Wells Beach Eaton case

a. Public access issue

1. Work cooperatively with CPOs

i. Economic needs

a) Tax base along beach

i) Tourist base

ii) Coastline important commodity

b) Harbor dredge

2. Cooperative agreements seem to be the best method to reach common ground

i. Collaboration to regulate where birds are

ii. Should be a model for other towns

iii. Spoke out against regulations

II. Dan Bacon

A. Beach access initiatives

Higgins Beach

ü Partnered with Lands for Maine’s Future

1. Acquired private parking lot

2. 1.2 million funding

3. Maintains beach access in perpetuity

i. Access important to many users

a) Surfers

b) Beach goers

c) Fishermen

d) Dog walkers

i) Needs for property owners

1. Bath house (for people to change in vs. in the open)

2. Privacy

3. Balance of public and private goods

B. Conflicts of users

a) Nuisances

b) Different on-street parking standards

c) A lot of public dismay expressed

Pine Point

a. Land swap with motel to enhance beach access

1. Made motel and town lands contiguous

2. Drop off, boardwalk, sitting area, bicycle storage, etc.

3. Parking

4. Walkway to beach

ü Process negotiations

1. Viewshed

i. Limit on height

a) Lower fences

b) Lower landscaping

c) Private development constraints

2. Concern over fairness of swap

3. Utility of access (no parking or turnaround)

4. Pedestrian access much improved, views maintained

Blackpoint Park

a. Proposed “sister” to Scarborough Beach

b. New beach and pocket park

1. Proposal by Sprague family

i. Beach park

a) 62 acres of woods, fields and beach

b) Parking area (500 cars)

c) Access point to the beach

2. Potential extension of Scarborough Beach

i. Scale in question

a) Condense the scale of the project

b) Lessen visual impact for the neighbors

3. Currently needs to go to the planning board

i. Concerns if allowed with zoning

a) Impacts to natural character of the area

b) Major changes on the property

c) How can a project like this be balanced for beach access and natural resource management/protection?

III. Mic Harris

A. Goose Rocks Beach

a. Divisive issue

b. Year 2 in the litigation

1. Passionate for beach access

A. Private ownership component

a) In Maine

i) Public access different than in many most other places

ii) Beach = front lawn

iii) Allows CPOs to keep people out

iv) Community mindset missing that exists in other places (that have different beach access rules)

c. Grassroots organizing

1. Would it make a difference?

2. Would the town take stock?

3. Created ‘Save Our Beaches’

i. Passions

ii. Create case for access

iii. Lawsuit to protect the beaches

4. Community healing

i. Issues

ii. Meet at the table

iii. Plaintiffs concerns along with beach access organizers concerns

B. Public Access Doctrine

a. Broadened in some areas to include fishing, fowling, navigation

b. Historically interpreted ‘intertidal’ in these ways

1. Beaches are public, however

i. Access more obscure

ii. Getting there can be a problem

C. Purpose today

a. Strategies

b. Uses

c. Economy

d. Assumptions and accountability

IV. Audience thoughts and questions

A. Still sad about Moody (the impasse is still sad)

B. The CPO is not the enemy

1. Need to look at what the resource (public access) can sustain

2. The beach – used to capacity

i. Increasing access

a) What needs to be addressed

i) Everybody can’t use everything all the time

ii) Societal problem

3. The larger the crowd, the less responsible the behavior

4. As the amount of people on wells beach increase, the care of the beach decreases

5. Legitimate concerns

C. Drake’s Island

a. At high tide, beach gets very narrow

b. People having a picnic on your lawn

c. Inappropriate behaviors

d. Alcohol use

D. Higgins Beach

a. How will parking lots and the size affect the number of beachgoers and will the beach be able to withstand pressures

b. Erosion

c. Water quality

E. Sprague proposal or Higgins Beach parking

a. Audience member upset that numbers haven’t been broken down (how many people can the beach sustain)

b. Resource effects / access

V. How should beach use be improved? Peer problem solving.

A. Audience on Higgins lot/budget

a. We need bathrooms and we need changing rooms

1. Needs to be finished

2. Ask the community to fundraise

Examples shared:

· In Wells: All parking fund goes into the beach account for everything – not general fund at all

· In Scarborough: Same

B. Audience on Kennebunk issues

a. We have a coastal association that drives decisions

1. Has not allowed bath house

2. Nothing allowed to be sold on or near the beach

3. Satellite bathrooms with barriers have addressed the changing issue

b. Overwhelming how many people at Gooch’s beach

1. Dogs allowed only at certain times

2. Monitors (27) pick up trash

i. Monitors need support

ii. Tourists and renters that come to the area

a) How to keep them in line?

c. Audience on Scarborough Beach

1. Over-utilized issues a theme for all beaches

d. Audience on Goose Rocks Beach

1. Private property made this country

i. Live on private road

ii. Issues

a) Private property rights infringed upon by beach goers

b) Access

i) There is plenty of access

ii) People take advantage of the inability to control overuse and types of use

iii) Intentional use of something you don’t own

iv) Eminent domain

c) Simple signage

i) Town won’t do it

ii) Private signs cause conflict with town officials

d) More beach availability? People get together and buy land for public use (like Massachusetts).

C. Any ideas on how to monitor or maintain better beach use?

Examples shared:

· In Wells: Lifeguards don’t just sit, they walk around and interact with people over broader safety issues and etiquette

1. Trash

ü Location of nearest receptacles

ü Cues to dispose of trash and recyclables before leaving

2. Children

ü Safety

ü Diaper disposal

Walking of the beach very successful!

· Idea for Gooch’s?

VI. Access pros/cons and peer problem-solving.

A. Can humans and birds / creatures share the beach?

a. Constant need for monitors to educate

b. People need to speak up

c. Ideas for beach carrying capacity:

1. Theater full? Closed. Can we create similar enforcement for beach sustainability?

2. Entitlement issue

3. How can sustainability and carrying capacity be controlled?

4. Parking lots

a) Full? Don’t allow overflow

Examples shared:

· In Wells – Will not be increasing the parking lot size

· In Higgins – Lots of cottages, so impossible to monitor beach use

ü Should be used to inform the size of the proposed parking lot

· Characteristics of Maine Beaches that make Maine unique

Charles Colgan struggles with these differences

ü User numbers difficult to track

ü Cottages vs. parking

ü How much beach visitors are spending

ü Who can undertake? Do surveys?

· In Kennebunk – Beaches surveys are conducted

· In Scarborough – Are we looking at how many bodies can sit on a beach?

B. Are we looking at beaches as a resource to protect?

a. Compare land trust paths, etc.

1. Preserve the beach for the future.

2. Make beach more attractive – green infrastructure.

3. Rules twisted to get what you want.

b. Scarborough Beach use and parking issues – overuse.

1. Threats incurred by parking lot

a) Threats to the beach

b) Threats to everyone.

§ Piping plovers

§ Erosion

§ Zoning issues

c) Town government completely ignores the town people

2. Economic impact

a) Small beach creates revenue @ $2 million / year (1989 figure)

3. Environmental constraints

a) Shoreland zone and parking lot plan –

§ Porous surface

§ Gravel and grass seeded

§ Gravel primary entrance

C. Open access to beaches pro debate

a. South Portland mayor chimes in

1. Encourage people to use open space

How do you say there are too many people using the park? The green belt? How do we define, without turning people away?

2. Re: theater comparison – different scenario completely. Fire code issues.

§ Vibrancy and excitement must be extended to all

§ What improves people’s quality of life?

§ Obesity issues and how they relate to outdoors and access to nature

§ Today people talk about limiting that use

b. Rebuttal

o Walk down the beach stepping on people’s towels, too many people

o Dunes getting flattened – issues from overuse

o There is a limit to space

D. Goose Rocks Beach

a. Drakes Island CPO question concerning Save Our Beaches law case

1. Are you basing your claim that you want beach access rights by description like the Wells Eaton case?

b. Mic Harris answer

1. Like lawsuits do it evolves

i. Historical use perspective

ii. Utilized by community and the public

iii. Laws (drinking and misbehaving always been controlled)

2. At the end of April, the town used $ on deed research

i. Town unveiled deed researched

ii. The 1^st deed to Cape Porpoise = 600 acres conveyed to citizens

ü Beach to be protected and held for the citizens.

ü Next generations of deeds all retained that language

ü People started writing in their deeds

ü www.preservegooserocksbeach.org

3. Audience inquiry: access to GRB?

i. Parking spots along the beach

ii. River on both sides

a) Finite geographic area

iii. Raised prices on parking stickers

a) Roughly 100 parking spots (require stickers)

iv. Various spots along 2 1/2 miles -- access walkways

a) Some are popular

b) Portable kayaks, rowboats set on people’s property while accessing the beach

c) Things town can do about that

E. More on capacity issues

a. Quality of water

b. Advisories don’t help

1. Not a pleasant thing to do

F. Foley weighs in

a. Regulatory standpoint

1. Building standards

i. No standards for beach capacity

ii. Interesting thing for a town

2. Scarborough

i. Nothing to refer to

ii. Impose standards? Have to have standards already established to impose

3. Scarborough Beach in 2010

i. 80,000 visitors

ii. New parking lot proposed will double use of the beach

a) This condition creates the need for a standard to be created

1) Avoid "oops, maybe it’s too much…"

2) Use park as a benchmark:

· Reasonable?

· Too crowded?

b) Scarborough needs to develop a standard beforehand

· Discuss capacity, how you judge it and how to mathematically calculate for planning purposes and preservation.

VII. Wrap-up themes

· Preserve water quality

· Open to enjoyment

· Won’t ever be easy answers to the debate

--by Holli Andrews

Adapting to Changes on Maine's Coast

2011-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Recommendations from the report, “People and Nature Adapting to a Changing Climate”

Malcolm Burson, ME Department of Environmental Protection

More than 80 stakeholders representing a diversity of interests were involved in producing this 2010 report. The Maine Legislature charged the group with developing preliminary recommendations for adapting to climate change.

A section of the report deals specifically with the coastal environment. Issues include flooding, beach and marsh migration, bluff erosion, public lands, infrastructure, salt water intrusion, stormwater, need for LiDAR mapping, downstream impacts of flooding in upland areas of wetlands.

We need to acknowledge and plan for the changes that we know are happening now, if we want communities to be sustainable. Reducing risk by armoring or elevating does not address all concerns – natural systems must also be sustainable. Local assessments are needed, led by local communities, especially since state and federal actions may be limited in the future.

Resiliency means our piers and harbors, water management, local roads and bridges, and sewage treatment plants need supplemental generators for back-up power and elevation above water level. State-owned water infrastructure and local roads need vulnerability assessments, as do critical habitats such as those for migratory birds.

We face some tough choices:

Can we balance private property rights with protection of natural systems?
How can municipalities pay for vulnerability assessments?
Are emergency services adequate?
Are there positive opportunities from climate change?
Do we have the right tools?
Are current laws responsive to change?

The Southern Maine Shoreline: A Brief History

2011-07-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Greg Berman, Woods Hole Sea Grant and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension

This talk was about the dynamics of the water’s edge where sea meets land, beginning with a review of geologic history from the Ice Age to the present. Sea level (and thus the location of the shoreline) has always varied, but the rate of sea-level rise now occurring is faster than it has been in thousands of years, the result of melting glaciers and thermal expansion. When sea-level rise is combined with increased storms and flooding, the outlook for Maine tempered by the fact that our coast is still moving upwards slightly. Still, what was once a 100-year flood is now a two or ten year flood. Previous safety codes may not be as protective. About 41% of New England’s shoreline is eroding, compared to 70 to 90% in other areas of country.

Maine has some successful programs to address these issues, including the Southern Maine Beach Profile Monitoring program, the Maine Geological Survey’s beach scoring system, and regulations that take sea-level rise into account, although current planning for a rise of two feet may be underestimating the threat. Other potential strategies include Transfer of Development Rights to shift development densities to other areas, elevating buildings, and allowing for salt marsh migration and accretion. We need to educate the future generations who will continue to address these issues.

Plenary: Looking Ahead in Maine Coastal Communities

2011-07-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Derek Sowers, Conservation Program Manager, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership

Maine’s coastal communities want to stabilize their economies and preserve their quality of life, yet maintaining water quality in the face of population growth (a near doubling of population in some southern Maine towns) represent a barrier to achieving these goals. What will Maine’s coast look like in 50 years if the population continues to increase at this rate? How will conversion from rural land uses to suburban and urban development affect the character of the Maine coast?

In forested areas, rain and snow infiltrate soil and recharge groundwater. Converting natural landscapes to housing changes the hydrology of the watershed because pavement and other hard surfaces increase the pace and volume of runoff into streams and bays. How can communities manage this runoff, which is the cause of most water quality problems, in a better way?

Another challenge is climate change and more severe storms. The Casco Bay region is getting warmer and wetter, with more storms and more extreme heat days. Our infrastructure—road drainage, culverts, etc.--is not designed for this frequency and intensity of storms. And our working scenario of a sea-level rise needs to be adjusted to account for melting ice caps.

Beaches are a large part of York County’s economy. Yet access in Maine is limited, especially when compared to other states. Maine has 13 state park beaches and about 80 miles of publically accessible shoreline, compared to 28 in Oregon.

Consider the following guiding principles for future development:

Support and create “green infrastructure,” linked networks of conservation, farms, forests, etc. Beginning with Habitat in Maine is an example of this.
Consider “no regrets” actions, for example, upgraded stream crossings won’t fail in future storms and increase and restore fish habitat now.
Employ ecosystem-based management that acknowledges connectivity of systems.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”

2011 Maine Beaches Conference

2011-06-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome back! The Maine Beaches Conference returns to Southern Maine Community College on July 15, 2011. We'll be posting updates from the conference here. In the meantime, check out the conference program and make sure to register. Highlights this year include an art show, topical lunch discussions, and a live debate by collegiate teams on Maine's coastal development rules. As always, the latest on Maine beach erosion and water quality will be presented.

Introduction by Peter Slovinsky, Coastal Geologist, Maine Geological Survey

2009-07-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Peter Slovinsky of the Maine Geological Survey welcomes us on this beautiful Maine day to the 2009 Maine Beaches Conference. He speaks about the beauty of Maine's beaches, and also the challenges that face their future management. Besides the cold winters that make volunteering difficult, Peter speaks of the fiscal hurdles that can hamper effective management of beaches.

Peter starts by recognizing and thanking the volunteers that make this conference, as well as the continued monitoring of Maine's beaches, possible. He asks Maine Beach Profile Monitoring volunteers to stand, and there is a large applause on their behalf. He also thanks Maine Healthy Beaches Program volunteers for their continued service to ensure Maine's water quality, and everyone applause.

He goes on the thank all of the conference's sponsors, which can be found at http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/beach-conference/beaches-2009.htm

Peter says that conference materials (currently biographies, abstracts; and within the next few weeks PowerPoint presentations, sessions notes) can be viewed at the conference webpage.

James Ortiz, the President of SMCC, is introduced to give a welcome.

Welcome by James Ortiz, President, Southern Maine Community College

2009-07-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

James Ortiz says it's been a tough June, mostly because of the weather, but the theme of the conference, he says, is relevant to SMCC. A good portion of the budget at the school, he says, is due to the location of the school. Because of the ocean the school is under a constant state of repair. A few years ago they had to tear down the old pier and build a new one based on the original 1850 pier. However, when the school went to get an Army Corps permit, the school was told that the pier was a foot too low, and that since the ocean had risen a foot, the pier had to be raised. It cost an additional 10,000 dollars! Mr. Ortiz closes by welcoming us to the school.

Opening Remarks by Robert Varney, Senior Vice President, Normandeau Associates, former Regional Administrator of U.S. EPA New England

2009-07-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Mr. Varney says that Angus King told him to tell everyone that in addition to being a 50 year part time resident, he's also been a taxpayer in Maine for that whole time!

He thanks all of the sponsors of the event.

There are major challenges facing Maine's water quality. We have been working hard and accomplishing a lot towards water quality, and points out that it is a remarkable achievement that we've come so far in 40 years. Whenever he travels he is happy that Maine and New England has done such a good job.

Where he worked previously, at EPA, he only was in charge of 18 miles of beaches, and yet he still couldn't get an A+ for water quality. He made sure from that point that he would work harder to improve water quality. Also while at the EPA, Mr. Varney started an important program to help improve water quality monitoring in New England. They didn't stop at monitoring, however. There was just as much emphasis at tracing the problems back to the source, and to never blame the beach problems on the rain. While rain does contribute to the problem, the actual cause of pollution is stormwater and its infrastructure, not the rain. By getting to the roots of the problems, beaches will be cleaner.

This year, beach monitoring has a budget of about 55 thousand dollars. This is a thin amount for the enormous Maine coastline. Accomplishing a large no-discharge area from New York to Casco Bay is one of his big projects, and there has been a lot of progress towards that goal. While some gaps need to be filled in, many areas including all of CT, Boston harbor and many spots in Maine are already no-discharge zones.

The stimulus money, he says, has been a huge boost. About 30 million dollars has been given to ME for wastewater projects. The Clinton Street project in Portland was highlighted in a 100 days report from the Obama Administration. While 30 million is a great start, he says, Maine needs 300 million dollars to meet all the needs.

Stormwater is also a big need. How do we retroactively deal with existing development? The collaborative effort at Long Creek in Portland has been a great indication of how to possibly proceed, and has been touted by the DEP and others for this effort. New development is easy, he says, but existing development is the trouble.

These are troubling times, but as we look to the future we must remember that keeping the quality of Maine's environment is critical to both our happiness and health, but also to our economy. Keep this in mind when you talk to state and local officials. By working together, we can get there.

The Economic Impact of Maine’s Beaches by Michael LeVert, Maine State Economist, Maine State Planning Office

2009-07-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Moderated by Christine Feurt of the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, "Valuing Maine's Beaches" will feature Michael LeVert of the Maine State Planning Office, Charles Colgan of the Muskie School of Public Policy, and Linwood Pendleton of the Ocean Foundation.

Christine Feurt introduces Michael LeVert, the Maine State Economist at the Planning Office. He's also responsible for forecasting Maine's revenue and has a special interest in non-market values (like sunbathing and quality of life).

Michael LeVert: Mr. Levert starts by asking: How many of us are wearing a tie? It's pretty much just him. He's gonna keep it on, however.

We all know that Maine's beaches have economic value, and it's increasingly important to quantify that value. How much do the beaches help? How much would people pay to ensure that Maine's beaches will continue to be clean? He wishes he could give us a number, but it's not as easy as, say, an industry. Beach values aren't sold in markets, they're sunbathing, happiness, quality of life.

There are, however, some ways to explore the economic impact of Maine's beaches. First, beaches play a large role in Maine's tourist economy - tens of millions of dollars a year. Second, seasonal changes can be monitored. Third, you can look at beachside property values to see how much people are willing to pay to be near Maine's beaches.

Tourism is probably the easiest way to monitor the impact. Studies have shown that 13% of overnight visitors to Maine are here for the beaches. This brings 260 million dollars per year, in terms of meals, hotels, travel costs, gifts. These tourist dollars also help the local economy, as these new dollars encourage local workers to spend more. With this factored in, the total effect to Maine's economy is over 500 million dollars.

Seasonal Variation in economic indicators can help value Maine's beaches. His study looked at York County, where there is almost 3 times as much retail sales in the summer than in other seasons in Maine. He shows a graph that shows that restaurant and hotel sales in York County in the summer months are nearly a quarter of the whole county economy at that time. Also, turnpike traffic spikes in the summer months. York County exits have nearly 90 thousand vehicles per day in August, 30 thousand more than other months. Summer employment is also highest in the summer, at nearly twice the number in the winter. All this is to show that beaches play a huge role in the economy of York County, and, likely, other beach areas.

Maine law requires that tax assessors value property at its ‘fair market value’. For this analysis, they looked at how assessed land values correlate with their proximity to the beach. We excluded the value of any buildings or structures on the property.

In the York County beach towns, Beachfront land makes up 2% of the land area but 14% of the total value. If we look at properties that are within walking distance to a beach, they make up 5% of the land area but over a third of the total value.

He says we need better data about the people visiting Maine and their economic impact. How many people visit? How much do they pay for parking, etc? Instate v out-of-state tourists? Are there new models we can use to differentiate between different beaches? What types of beaches are most valuable?

The Effects of Climate Change on Economic Activity in Maine: A Case Study of York County Coastal Communities by Charles Colgan, Professor of Public Po

2009-07-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Colgan is a Professor of Public Policy at the Muskie School in Portland. He will talk about the Sea Level Rise and Threats to the Economy of York County Coastal Communities.

He's been thinking over the last 5 weeks about the depressing weather. Does he want a nice day where everyone wants to be outside, or a gloomy one where people are willing to sit? He thanks us for remaining inside.

His presentation may be an overview of existing statistics, and he's going to talk about how our perception of Maine's beaches and communities may change in the next years or decades as climate change impacts become more evident. First, sea levels are rising and will continue to do so. Historically, the sea has already risen by about a foot over the last century (just ask Jim Ortiz!), and will only continue to do so. He will present the optimistic view, and won't even show us the pessimistic view!

Dr. Colgan shows a picture of Massachusetts, before and after a big storm. A spit of beach land was completely changed by the recent storm, which opened up a large alley down the middle. Camp Ellis in Saco, he shows, is the poster child for Maine beach erosion. 2007's Patriot's Day Storm brought down a bunch of docks and a large buoy. Sea level rise is something we have to worry about now, not in the future. Storms like the Patriot's Day Storm are likely to occur more often in the future.

So what are the impacts of these changes on York County's economy? Dr. Colgan assumes that the major effects will be from storms. The impacts of large-scale sea rises may not be completely evident for many years. Storms will cause economic costs in beachside communities to rise, especially in coastal homes. Businesses, too, he says, will be affected.

He's going to use data from the SLOSH (Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model, which looks at hurricane data. While Maine hasn't had a long history of Category 5 storms, the effect of sea level rise is similar. He shows maps of York County communities, and their employment centers (mostly on Route 1 and in Old Orchard Beach). Another map of the SLOSH model shows storm surge damage from a Cat. 5 hurricane. The map shows the land that a storm surge would cover, most of which is along the inlet above Old Orchard Beach (OOB) and other spots further south.

He then checked this storm surge map against coastal employment data to find which businesses were most at risk from hurricane surges. Over 270 employment centers were found to be at risk from storm surge date. Almost 1900 employees will be affected, but that changes seasonally, and could be more than 3000 employees in the summer. This is more than 42 million dollars in wages at risk. OOB is the most threatened, with Kennebunkport following, especially next to the river. Proportionally, Kennebunkport is most at risk.

One of the problems with the SLOSH model is that it doesn't take sea level rise into account. He shows a map showing what mean high water could look like in Wells in 2070. It appears to be a permanent flooding, and the surge could move closer and closer to Route 1. Taking that into account, the businesses along Route 1 could be at risk, which doubles the total number of businesses at risk and brings revised totals to 550 businesses.

As we might expect, most of these businesses are tourism related (food, entertainment, hospitality. etc). If we go beyond the SLOSH model, however, and take Wells into account, schools and clinics (services not typically associated with tourists) are affected.

How much should we worry? York County doesn't have a long tradition of hurricanes. Looking at extra-tropical storms (nor’easters, mostly), though, shows us that the type of storm we typically get in the winter may now become more common in the summer. The mid-June storm that affected Cape Cod (which was illustrated), is an example. What do we do about it? First, recognize that the frequency and severity of coastal storms is increasing. What was once the 100 year storm will now become the 10 year storm. What we once thought were rare events are going to become more common events. Cumulatively, these storms will be a large problem. There is argument about whether hurricanes will increase.

The major threat is that York County will be faced with constant, severe floods and surges. The economy will be threatened by the constant beating. Insurance rates for coastal businesses will rise. The short-term question will be how the insurance companies react to the rising risks to homeowners etc. Already in Florida there is almost no private insurance left for coastal homeowners. Cape Cod is facing similar problems, because that market is regarded as just too risky. It hasn't happened in Maine yet, but the coalmine canary is this insurance market.

The Economic Impact of Climate Change on Southern California Beaches by Linwood Pendleton, Senior Fellow, The Ocean Foundation

2009-07-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

Dr. Pendleton has been studying California's beaches ever since he finished school. To help his study, he moved to Malibu, which had sun, surf and plastic surgery. He also spends time in downeast Maine, and is a proud taxpayer here! He doesn't know a lot about Maine's beaches, though, and will talk about California's beaches.

150 million visits a year to Los Angeles and Orange County public beaches and these beach goers spend 4 billion dollars annually. Also, most of the beaches are accessible at no coast or very low cost. This is where non-market values come into play. How much are people willing to pay above what they already pay for the beach? How much do beach visits help those living near the beach? In CA, he says, it helps to the tune of about 2 billion dollars annually.

Climate change is going to affect California's beaches, and there is a lot of work being done to model these changes. It's tough to do. Separating the change into parts, how will it work? If sea level goes up a meter, how will it affect the beaches? Who will the erosion impact? California doesn't have hurricanes, but big winter storms will combine with higher high tides and this will cause more erosion. How will that work? Also, as sea level rises, how will the sea floor change wave direction and speed? How are these changes going to alter beach-going patterns? Different beaches?

The study area is Los Angeles and Orange Counties. There are three modules in the study: the Beach Sediment Predictions; Beach Choice Models; and, Beach Nourishment Projections.

The way the Beach Choice Model works is by interviewing 1000 households, asking those who had been to the beach in the past year to participate in a yearlong survey of beach going. 900 households agreed to participate. Factors such as width, water quality, and amenities were looked at to see how they influenced visitation.

Starting with Inundation. He used a one-meter sea rise in 100 years along with a current sea level. First, with a meter of sea lever rise, beaches get an average of 10 meters narrower. Small beaches start to disappear, big beaches stay big. What happens to the small beaches, though, is that the beachgoers leave and go to bigger beaches. Thus, the impact is not evenly distributed, and large beaches will get new visitors (and their dollars) at the expense of smaller beaches. Big beaches will get more than 10 million dollars per year, who will lose about the same amount.

The net, though, is a loss of 12 million dollars. In CA, that's almost nothing. Lost Economic Wellbeing, however, is higher, at 60 million dollars because beach opportunities are more limited with less beaches. To be able to replace beach lost due to 1m of sea level rise would cost about 400 million dollars. 4 million dollars per year to keep the beaches might be worth it, he says.

However, these number haven't taken storms into account. Dr. Pendleton is going to run the same model using an El Nino year. Beach width changes wildly with storms: some get smaller and some increase. The effect on beach visitors is that the beaches that get smaller lose visitors and the ones that get bigger gain visitors. Thus, as above, the distribution is uneven. However, the beaches that gain visitors under this model are different than those under the "bath-tub" model shown above. The effects of extremely stormy years are about 9 million dollars of loss, per year, for an overall loss of 37 dollars. The real kicker here is that the cost of replacing sand loss from one big El Nino storm is almost 400 million dollars (the same as due to sea level rise alone), a huge number and no longer an economically-sound investment.

What to do? Size matters, but bigger is not always better. Really large beaches actually improve when they get smaller. Beach size, though, is just one attribute that brings people to the beach. Other factors are water quality; better parking; lifeguards; amenities. What does this mean for Maine? There are fewer beaches here, and they're farther apart. In CA, you can just go down the road, in Maine, visitors have less of a choice and will have to move farther, taking their money with them. Thus, the impact will be greater as Maine beach goers spend their money far away. Maine beaches are not as wide as in CA, and there are typically less opportunities there because many of Maine's beaches are state beaches with limited entertainment.

How to offset beach loss? Increase public access to public and private beaches. Improve water quality. Provide more alternative activities (volleyball, bike paths, retail, wildlife viewing, surfing and wave riding).

Valuing Maine's Beaches – Plenary I Questions and Discussion with Michael LeVert, Charles Colgan, and Lindwood Pendleton

2009-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

The three speakers from the Plenary Session take their places in the panel and are ready to field questions.

Q: Peter Slovinsky - asks Dr. Pendleton what does CA spends annually on beach maintenance.

A: Linwood thinks it's around 400 million dollars.

Q: Peter Slovinsky - asks Dr. Pendleton what does CA spends annually on beach maintenance.

A: Pendleton - Around 400 million dollars.

Q: A question about data. I’m on a planning board that is forced to use 25 year old maps and make decisions based on them. Should planning be based on preliminary data (which may be controversial) or on the 25 year old data?

A: Colgan - Yes, it's a problem. You must try to adjust your decisions to the level of data you have. For some decisions (investments, zoning) the question of where the 100 year flood line is may be a legally-binding question. Until FEMA comes up with a legally-binding map, there isn't much planning boards can do except try your best. For other decisions, a careful reading of maps and existing data may be sufficient to develop buffers and margins of safety that permit some adaptation in the future that will not, or should not, result in unfixable actions. Try to do things now in such a way as not to foreclose upon future actions. There is a lot of data up there that will get better.

A: Pendleton - There are a number of reasons why we don't have good data. First, people will assume that environmental problems will be fixed, and environmental problems are overanalyzed, leaving the human impacts relatively unstudied. How big is the economy that is supported by that environment? We should spent money to study people. Second, some say that 'we don't have good data now, why should we start now?' We need to count people, and ask them. How else would you know if beach attendance is altered by weather, climate change or something else? Climate change may be an easy scapegoat, but it's not necessarily the problem all the time. We must gather data that will get a better picture of beach use, from all angles, and the same data should be used for all beaches from Popham to Old Orchard Beach.

A: Pendleton - says he's created an internet survey that can be easy, cheap and useful to help gather this data.

Q: The dollar impact, especially in terms of shorefront property change, ignores Maine's policy that we should retreat from the beach. Second, it seems to be here in Maine that astronomical high tides and severe storm areas are linked. Is there any science related to that?

A: LeVert - Speaking to the impact of beachfront properties on taxpayers, I used my presentation to show the impact of coastal properties on local economies and how much people are willing to pay for coastal life. I can't really speak to Maine's public policy.

A: Pendleton - Coastal landowners who lose land due to erosion will certainly lose. Further, insurance companies will lose, and coastal users will lose. The emotional argument is to feel sorry for the landowner who will lose their home, but who will benefit? As far as astronomical tides go, the frequency of storms happening at high tides will be higher simply because tides will be higher all around.

A: Colgan - There's also an observational effect, because as tides are higher and storms occur, we hear more about them because we are more likely to see dramatic effects, receive official warnings, etc.

Q: How much does Maine spend to nourish beaches?

A: LeVert – I don’t know.

Q: Why not? Does anyone know?

A: Kathleen Leyden, Director, Maine Coastal Program at the State Planning Office says that Maine invests 0 dollars in nourishing Maine's beaches. There are some programs for state parks, but there is no publicly-funded program to help Maine's beaches. It's been brought up in numerous public policy documents, but all the current projects are either private or very local.

Q: I know that for years and years there have been attempts at dredging in Southern Maine, but it's been just hard times. If Maine's beaches are such an important resource, why aren't they maintained and restored on a regular basis? In Wells, we need to restore our beaches.

A: Larry Bliss, state senator for South Portland. How often has the questioner talked to his local senator about the need to do this? Questioner responds – Many, many times. Larry Bliss - Money is a huge problem, he doesn't need to let anyone know. If we've listened to Charles Colgan, we know that money is a problem. That doesn't mean, though, that we can't reallocate resources. We have a citizen legislature that responds incredibly to calls and letters. I live very close to SMCC and know that the beach is important. Other legislators need to hear from their constituents if they want change.

A: Pendleton - In California, dam removal is a big help, and so is sand coming from hills. We sometimes forget that sand has to come from somewhere. That 100-200 million dollars per year spent in California is a small amount.

Q: I’m on the shoreline commission in Saco that deals with beach management. In order for the Army Corps to place a barrier, they need to see that beach nourishment will occur in the future. There are all kinds of problems for the dredged sand getting back to beaches, especially if the sand drifts to other towns. We should understand the problem and work together.

The State of Maine's Beaches in 2009 - Water Quality

2009-07-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

After a short break we will be hearing a presentation called The State of Maine's Beaches in 2009. The speakers will be Stephen Dickson and Peter Slovinsky from Maine Geological Survey; Mark Margerum from Maine's Department of Environmental Protection; and, Keri Lindberg from Maine Sea Grant and UMaine Cooperative Extension.

We are welcomed by Steve Dickson, explaining that the presentation will be broken into two parts: water quality and geology. Mark Margerum, Program Manager for the Maine Healthy Beaches Program at the MDEP, will speak with Keri Lindberg, the Statewide Coordinator for the Maine Healthy Beaches Program. First up is Mr. Margerum.

Mark is here representing the DEP and wants us to know that the agency is not looking to change the Maine Healthy Beaches program much. He wants to continue to analyze the recent spate of bacteria and other issues on the beaches and is working hard already to address these problems. The DEP feels that this is a good fit for our program, but he's learning quickly in his new role with the program.

Keri coordinates the program. MHB is a statewide effort to monitor water quality and protect public health along Maine's coastal beaches. Funding is provided by a U.S. EPA grant. Today’s presentation will cover the State of Maine’s Beaches as far as water quality is concerned. This program monitors for Enterococci, and indicator of fecal contamination from the guts of warm-blooded animals such as humans, dogs, waterfowl and wildlife. In 2009, Maine has 62 beaches that participate spanning from Kittery to MDI, but today we are only going to talk about a dozen of them, located primarily in York and Cumberland County. I will briefly shared water quality data and potential pollution sources moving north to south along the coast.

First, Long Sands Beach in York. Keri puts a map on the screen of the beach, with data from 2003 to 2008. Overall, Long Sands Beach has beautiful water quality. However, there are some potential sources of bacteria. It is important to note potential as it is difficult to determine actual sources and Enterococci does not differentiate between human and non-human sources of bacteria.

Cape Neddick Beach. Here, due to the Cape Neddick River outlet, the bacteria levels have been higher compared to Long Sands. There is a lot of activity here, and it is more threatened. York is very proactive with its water quality program and is taking action to help pinpoint sources and figure out solutions. York has hired a shoreland resource officer who will examine local land-use practices and how they affect water quality, including collecting samples upriver to help pinpoint sources. It has been popular in York thus far, and is receiving local support. The board of selectmen unanimously passed the plan to continue this work in 2009 with funding to supplement what Healthy Beaches can support.

Ogunquit Beaches. Ogunquit has been divided into separate beach management areas water quality can differ greatly from one end to another; primarily due to the impact of the Ogunquit River mouth. There have been bacteria spikes here, exceeding the EPA safety limit. These are happening close to the river. Why? Rainfall washes the land and picks up various contaminants including malfunctioning septic system, pet waste, manure and compost piles too close to the stream bank. The water reaches stormdrains, streams, rivers, etc., and eventually makes its way to the shoreline. The watershed for the Ogunquit beaches is large, this is land mass draining to this particular water body. Many additional monitoring sites have been set up, and there are acoustic doppler profiling and other measure being set up along Ogunquit's beaches to identify pollution and bacteria sources. Generally, the larger the waves, the less the bacteria. Also, the more rain, the more bacteria. Maine Healthy Beaches is working to bring towns and other groups in the Ogunquit area together to identify and remediate pollution sources within the watershed.

Casino Square in Wells, Maine. The water quality is generally very good here, but an increase in impervious surfaces may be a threat. This is a heavily used beach.

Wells Beach. Also good quality, despite a river mouth along the beach. As with other beaches, there are threats.

Mother's Beach, Kennebunk. Overall good quality.

Gooch's Beach, Kennebunk. This area has had consistent bacteria problems, especially after large rain events. This is due in large part to the mouth of the Kennebunk River, which has a very large watershed. Many volunteers have worked for years on extra measurements along this river and watershed, and they are identifying hotspots in certain regions to help clean up. Working with the Maine Geological Survey, there has been a circulation study of the area and additional data analysis. One surprise of the study is that 59% of high samples were taken on a flood tide. Pollutants are leaving the river but hanging out just offshore, and then are being returned to the beach once the tide changes to flooding. Local circulation patterns may also be depositing pollutants and seaweed near site KBK-2, which could help lead to water quality issues. The town has been great in terms of improving their stormwater system and encouraging education and boating restrictions.

Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport. Another area where freshwater meets the shoreline, causing water quality problems. There are several examples of monitoring sites which exceed EPA limits, especially at the river mouths. Lots of potential sources for bacteria, both up river and along the coast. There has been special study work along Goose Rocks looking for sources, property surveys and more. Although bacteria levels are still high, there is a definite downward trend. The MGS circulation study determined this areas does not flush out well with the semi-diurnal tides and contaminants are pinned or kept at the beach by a large eddy or gyre formation.
Gil Bouche Park/Biddeford Pool Beach. Overall very good water quality. Lots of boating and moorings can lead to a lot of people dumping waste overboard.

Hills Beach, Biddeford. Exit of the Saco River means a lot of potential for problems. Problems with water quality here are being worked on by the town of Biddeford, especially in the areas of GIS mapping. Lots of properties surveyed throughout the watershed and illegal Basket Island discharges have been remedied.

Bayview and Kinney Shores, Saco, ME. Generally pretty good, but some bacteria spikes from Goosefare Brook on the north end.

Old Orchard Beach. Some spikes in bacteria, especially after rain events and the outlet of Goosefare Brook. This is a very large beach which has been divided into separate management areas as water quality can vary significantly on one end compared to the other. OOB is very heavily used.

Scarborough Beach State Park. Unlike the rest of the beaches, there's very little development around Scarborough Beach and potential for contamination. Very good water quality.

Higgins Beach, Scarborough, ME. Outflow of the Spurwink River has resulted in higher bacteria levels, especially following rainfall. The town is beginning to take notice of problems and has been improvements to the stormwater system.

Crescent Beach State Park. Overall very good water quality, however a small outlet by Kettle Cove lead to high bacteria levels, especially following rainfall.

Willard Beach, South Portland, ME. Has had some consistent spikes in bacteria, especially after rain events. The local beach manager is working to put out alerts after big rain storms. Willard Beach (just outside the window!) is very heavily used, and urban. Like many areas, it is multiple sources of bacteria acting together to cause a larger problem.

Popham Beach, Phippsburg, ME. A large beach, split into several sections, but overall very good water quality.

Questions? Rocky asks how many sewage treatment plans are on the rivers in question. He didn't realize that the Ogunquit sewage treatment plant pumped sewage offshore. A man from the area says that it was removed from the river and located a mile and a half offshore, and the result has been much cleaner water in the river and at the inlet.

John White responds to the treatment plant question that the Kennebunkport Sewage Treatment Plant pumps directly into the river, and is pleased to report that the Kennebunkport Plant does a good job disinfecting the river and keeping it clean. Disinfectant is not required, but this plant is doing it anyway, which goes a long way toward water quality. Also, after hearing about increased storms, the fact that water quality will be hurt wasn't mentioned. Mr. White thinks that water quality will be an increasing problem, despite the pleasant trends currently. Some solutions include better stormwater runoff and septic tank improvements.

Another questioner asks whether there have been cost-benefit studies about sewage treatment. Keri answers that she hasn't heard of such studies, but they're a great idea. She says it's up the local areas.

Another questioner asks whether there is data older than 2002. Keri answers that, no, there isn't older data. The questioner thinks that the data may be too small to make predictions about overall trends, and wonders whether this is just a result of natural trends. Keri responds that there simply wasn't the funding to get data previously.

Question: What about the impact of lawncare and pesticides? We can increase waterside buffers and decrease out dependance on chemicals.

Question: Peter Rush of the Portland Water District. There are a lot of regulations involved in this issue, more so than with drinking water. He says that in his 20 years, there isn't a lot of fluctuation from year to year in water quality. Big rain events are the biggest problems, and Portland is good about putting out alerts. Also, he says, there are other options on how to solve these issues, and the EPA hasn't necessarily given the best answers for how to do this.

Question: Ed Dion of the East End Beach asks if there have been studies about whether higher bacteria levels have affected humans? Keri responds that there is a huge need for such studies. It goes very underreported in Maine, these issues. Keri says that the DEP is coordinating with DHHS about what questions to ask and how they can do it. Similar studies should be done for economic impacts, she says.

Question: All water runs downhill. So, if you're trying to determine the problems, it may seem simplistic, but you can just look at the population increase in Southern Maine. There has been a large increase in impervious surfaces, and that will harm water quality. Also, he appreciates and depends upon Keri et al for their help and dedication to not only Southern Maine but the entire coast. Thunderous applause!

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: Recent Developments in Science and Public Policy

2009-07-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Robert Almeder, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy of Science at Georgia State University introduces our speakers, Ian Burns and Richard Lindzen.

Ian Burns works with the Governor's Office of Energy Independence and Security. He's going to talk about the effects of climate change on Maine's beaches.

The problem, he says, is that we're enormously dependent on fossil fuels. The forecasts for greenhouse gases are sharply rising, and although the US only plays a part in the overall problem, we have a very larger per capita problem. Maine is slightly better than the rest of the other states in terms of energy consumption. He prevents a Pacala Socolow wedge chart showing different results for different approaches.

The Governor's Office of Energy as formed in 2008 and was charged with creating an energy plan for the state. The approach has three bottom lines: environmental health, economic security and security. They identified a number of strategies, including: strengthening energy independence, fostering renewable energy sources, improving transportation and fuel efficiencies and upgrading electricity transportation. Ian says that a lot of energy is lost in transportation and heat retention, and that there is a lot of room for improvement. In Denmark, he says, 80% of the home are heated with industrial heat byproducts. In addition to being more efficient, it is also much cheaper than energy we currently purchase. For a human cost perspective, he says, the economic impacts of investing in energy efficiency is the most important factor.

Fostering renewable energy, he says, is very important. Maine has a large potential for renewable energy, including a large wind resource (onshore and offshore) as well as cellulosic biofuels from woodfiber. Ian says that the University of Maine is working both on offshore wind systems as well as better ways to use wood biofuels. Right now we're harvesting about 6 million tons of wood in Maine each year. An additional four million tons, he says, is being left on the ground. Some of that is used to stabilize logging, but a lot is simply being wasted. Why? Because it doesn't pay to pick it up and truck it. If we can come up with value-added processes for this, it could be quite a benefit.

When we burn a gallon of oil, 80 cents on each dollar leaves Maine, and a big chunk of that leaves the country. If we buy an apple from a farmstand, though, more than one dollar returns to Maine for each dollar spent. Figuring out how to use our own resources wisely and locally will have both economic and environmental impacts.

Ian is reluctant to dip his toe into land planning, which he calls a "black hole." It's very important and useful, but he leaves it to the experts. However, he is more certain that we need to invest in infrastructure in order for good things to happen. Maine is in a very challenging fiscal time, and we are cutting off our nose to spite our face by cutting most of the same programs we could use to fix things. For example, the East Campus of the old AMHI is using far too much energy. This problem, he says, could be fixed for a very cost-effective system that would pay for itself in 2 years, but had to be dropped from the budget because of political squabbles. The State can do a lot lead the country.

Ian puts a picture of a St. John refinery above a wind turbine. We need a cultural shift in the way we use energy, and we need to shift from a fossil fuel culture to one where we use less to go about our daily lives. Finally, we need to figure out how to get that energy from purely renewable, sustainable sources.

Question: What is his take on how Maine can keep our energy costs low?

Ian: The Wind Power Task Force was a good start. They said: a giant windmill on a mountaintop was not something that a zoning board took into consideration. We have to respond to new situations as they come up, and these news things should be reported back to the legislature on a regular basis. Ian plugs his own office, which has a public advocate to help the mission of coordinating and directing zoning and planning decisions.

Question: What about a giant wind farm off the coast where it's shallow?

Ian: Offshore wind is certainly one of the portfolio. We are not quite there technologically for deep water offshore wind, but it's a possible solution.

Question: I live in Austria, where concrete blocks are used as building material instead of wood. Is there research in Maine about different building materials?

Ian: Not really. We've been locked in to a certain way of building which is not very efficient. We just passed a new building code, and the majority of new homes are not meeting that code. Before we can get to 0 energy loss, we need to meet the code we have.

Question: What can we do to improve transmission lines?

Ian: I'm not an expert, but there are a lot of things that can be done. The whole system is very complex and impressive, like a giant bathtub with a million tiny holes in the bathroom. Faucets at the top pour energy in, but the level of the water in the tub is not allowed to shift, or else things go back. We need to improve all kinds of meters, wires, substations, etc.

Next up is Richard Lindzen, the Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at MIT. See his bio at http://www.maine.gov/doc/nrimc/mgs/explore/marine/beach-conference/lindzen.htm

His talk is called Global Warming - A Peculiar Issue. This is a change of pace from the other presentations, he says. None of these programs proposed, he says, would make even a dent in climate change as it stands. He talks about a magazine article he has which discusses a conflict between Republicans and others. In the article, the writer says that "American voters ... tend to take global warming seriously ... and think that conservatives are insulting those on the east and west coasts." (Paraphrased) Some professors say that global warming is quickening. Prof. Lindzen questions this. He puts a graph on the board that shows temperatures from 1900 to now. There have been two warming events over that century. Another graph from the Boston Globe shows the current day's weather against the historical temps and average temps for those dates. Prof has put a red line through the middle which represents the whole change in temperature since 1900 in the world. It's not very thick. Thus, there's no significant increase since 1993...so how do you explain this as speeding up?

Now he shows a graph on sea ice, which vacillates widely. In 2008, the summer levels dipped, but the graph doesn't show this very drastically. In fact, in 1906, Amundsen crossed the Northwest Passage by boat, and a submarine surfaced there once. Professor claims that Al Gore is notorious for exploiting a normal person's ignorance of normal variations. Historic levels of ice on other areas are not much changed, either. Also, melting sea ice does not lead to higher sea levels. Along those same lines, there is no evidence that ice caps are melting.

A professor who said that climate change was quickening answered by saying that challenges should be kept to science, not politics. Professor Lindzen says that the IPCC report does not claim that climate change is quickening. Many people think that arguing from authority is easier than arguing from science, but here the authority doesn't even exist.

Next was one of Obama's scientists, Eric Holden, who had some pessimistic things to say about climate change. Professor Lindzen says that almost nothing he said was true. even with IPCC projections, sea level may rise only by 1.26 inches, which means that sea level will rise by one foot per century...exactly the same rate it has risen in the past 12,000 years.

It remains possible, however, that the data may not be good enough to make an accurate picture. Professor Lindzen puts up a map of 12 year changes in sea level across the globe. If you subtract a mean increase of 1.26 inches/decade, but in some places the rise is much faster, and in some places the sea level is decreasing. The problem of sea level is due to many factors, not just climate change, mostly tectonic changes.

In any event, as far as tipping points go, these debates have never entered the discussion. When it comes to CO2, every new bit of CO2 you add does less than its predecessors. Professor claims that the ignorance of these debate is understandable from those who want to state from authority, and not science.

Professor Lindzen says Eric Holder went on to trick the audience. Apart from the fact that climate is always changing, Mr. Holder's statements are unattributable to anthropogenic warming. There are many factors involved. We're bad at predicting disasters...from famines to ozone etc. It's incorrect to assume that the world has reached an 'optimal' climate. There does not appear to be an increase in draught linked to a rise in climate. There does not appear to be a link to crop yields. And, this is not what IPCC meant when they said 'consensus.' They meant that it is likely that the warming over the past 50 years is due to man's emissions.

How was this figure arrived at? Well, he says, it was bizarre. There were a series of models created, but they weren't very good. When these models couldn't find a valid for argument for warming, they assumed that it was caused by humans. Some scientists say that warming will return in 2009, but this is very suspicious.

At the heart of the issue, he says, is greenhouse gasses. How much warming do you get when you double the release of CO2? the first guide of this, "climate sensitivity", was 1.5-5 C. This is still the same number, and it's still done as it was in 1979. This is peculiar because uncertainty hasn't diminished...is simply running models the best way to accomplish this? Clouds and water vapor, he says, amplify the effects of CO2. Can you check this? Yes, he says. We have records of radiation and sea surface temperature.

Professor Lindzen start putting some mathematics on the screen (he calls it simple, but many people look baffled). There is a feedback loop, he says, in the equation. By solving this equation, you can take the fluxes observed by the satellite and compare them to sea surface temperatures and find the feedback factor. The assumption is that an increase in clouds and water vapor will hinder the atmosphere's natural ability to cool itself; they'll be natural blankets. This had led most groups to insist that climate change is "robust."

The data, however, shows exactly the opposite. In nature, he says, the effect of doubling CO2 output will be HALF. So, he says, the fundamental theory of global warming is wrong. Where do we go from here? It's hard to say...because so many who believe in global warming are insulted by this thought.

Question: Can you show us that again?

Professor: Yes. Using the models, he gets a result showing an increase in warming with an increase in CO2. However, when he uses real data, he gets a result showing a decrease in warming with an increase in CO2.

Question: Can you take that less-than-negative feedback back into the models?

Professor: You can't. The models can't handle clouds. There's numerical diffusion...which causes problems.

Question: What about the argument that we're in a little ice-age?

Professor: I have no idea. There are all kinds of things we don't understand. For example, advancing glaciers are a much bigger problem than retreating ones! All of a sudden, glaciers were retreating...both in places that were experiencing cooling and warming.

Question: Why was the IPCC consensus "hardly alarming"?

Professor: Becuase it's so vague, and because the numbers are so small. Only about .2 of a degree may (or may not) be from humans. It's still within the range of natural variation.

Question: What about volcanic eruptions?

Professor: Good question. In the aftermath of big eruptions, there is a cooling effect worldwide. They may disappear after a few years, or, if the atmosphere is very sensitive, it may last for decades. When you look at the data, it's almost always just a blip on the radar.

Question: What about the medieval warming period?

Professor: Well, they didn't have thermometers, but they were probably a bit warmer than they we are now.

Question: I've been focusing on the results, not the causes. Is that OK?

Professor: Yes. We must look at the robustness of society in the face of change. Why do thousands of people die in an earthquake in Iran but only one or two in California?

Question: What would you consider a significant change in global mean temperature?

Professor: Something that would compete with what we live with. Only when we start getting outside the normal bounds of what we can live with do we get danger.

Question: We always hear about how much more carbon we are putting into the atmosphere, is there any work about "how much is too much" for manmade carbon?

Professor: No. This room, for example, has twice the normal CO2 than the outside. Greenhouses have much higher CO2. Most of our vegetation grew in a time where there was much more CO2. By the time you can put enough CO2 in the air to make a lot of change, you'd run out of fossil fuels. Energy is another issue. We'll never run out, it'll just get more expensive. We have more reserves than Saudi Arabia. Why doesn't Exxon Mobil exploit them? Because if oil drops below $35 a barrel it won't be profitable.

Question: For Ian, why didn't you have hydo on that chart?

Ian: Because Maine has a significant amount of hydro power already. However, we have not seen very many cost-effective small hydro plants.

Question, from the Professor: Isn't efficiency the same as reducing the price, and when the price goes down you use more of it. How do you know you'll come out ahead in energy usage if you increase efficiency? If I could increase efficiency, why wouldn't I want to use more energy?

Ian: Well, as a percentage of GDP it may change. You don't know what people will spend their money on, whether it be health insurance or food, etc.

The State of Maine's Beaches in 2009 - Geology

2009-07-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Stephen Dickson and Peter Slovinsky are ready to do a presentation called Resilient Beaches: Recovery from the 2007 Patriot's Day Storm.

The Maine Geological Survey's annual State of Maine's Beaches report this year focuses on the 2007 Patriot's Day Storm. The report presents different letter grades to summarize different beaches depending on how they've recovered. Beaches that have done well but will not be examined in detail during the talk are: Higgins: B. Goochs: B. Laudholm: B. Ogunquit: B. Long Sands: B.

It has taken a couple years for these beaches to recover, and that's OK. The report is available here on a CD and will be posted on the Maine Geological Survey web site later this summer.

Peter takes over, and complains that Stephen stole his whole introduction! In 2009, he looked at 14 beaches to test the recovery after the storm. Peter discusses the Emory Profiling Method to see the change in elevation and make beach profiles. He looked especially at berm and dune height.

There has been a lot of data, and he thinks that "snapshots in time" is the best way to show it. So, we'll look at April/May of 2006-2009. 2006 is being used as a pre-storm baseline, and 2007 is used as an immediate post-storm baseline. Letter grades are given to beaches based on their recovery in 2008 and 2009. A and B is what they were shooting for, Cs were "cautiously pleased." Most of the beaches have 2, 3 or 4 profiles taken on a monthly basis.

Willard Beach. A-. Very good recovery after some of the worst erosion at any beach from the storm. Lost between 30 and 40 feet of dune! A chart put on the screen shows that Willard Beach has recovered steadily after the storm. In another section of the beach, a rockier section, recovery has been slower, but is still occurring. Peter thinks that local management has been very responsible for this. MGS summer interns have taken GIS data on vegetation changes on the shorelines each year. Overall, recovery has been very good. Dune recovery has been even better, sometimes over 21 feet of seaward growth.

Scarborough Beach. C+. This beach was hit hard. Some of the exact profiling locations were lost during the storm and estimated, so some data may not be exact. For one spot on the beach, the 2009 line is lower than previous levels, which could have been caused by other storms in 2009. We must keep our eye on this beach.

Western Beach. B. A dramatic loss here from 2006 to 2007. There has been some recovery in on section, but not as much as he'd like. In another area, though, recovery has been great. The dunes have actually grown in height. A similar study as done at Willard Beach has shown some sections are losing sand that is piling up in other sections, causing a lot of growth on the point of Western Beach.

East Grand Beach. B. Not a whole lot of loss here, but some sections are recovering slowly. On the other hand, one section of East Grand has gained well, almost to 2006 levels.

Ferry Beach. C-. One section of this beach got an F. There was a dramatic loss of beach, that continues to erode at all sites. Peter is very concerned about this beach, but is hopeful that the time will help. Oddly, a section of the beach just south from the section that received an F recovered very well, getting an A. This section was helped by human addition of sand to the dune, and is a positive sign for recovery.

Goose Rocks Beach. B-. This beach is heavily influenced by the nearby rivers. The recovery will continue to change a lot, mostly due to continued channel movement. Other areas are less influenced by rivers and haven't recovered very well.

Drakes Island Beach. B-. Waves have pushed sand down the beach, and southern ends of the beach have recovered very well. The story up the beach, though, is different. This section got a D, with erosion continuing in 2008 and 2009.

Wells Beach. A. This beach has fared very well. Some areas have increased over their 2006 levels, others gained sand and elevation from the Patriot's Day Storm.

Overall, the grade for the State is a B/B-. Peter is happy with this. The Patriot's Day Storm was a huge event, and the fact that we've come this far is encouraging. He cautions that the data may be affected by other spring storms in 2008 and 2009 right before the collection of data. Overall, armored beaches (Goochs, Wells) have fared well getting back to their pre-storm starting elevations. Similarly, there have been good recoveries at beaches where people have come in and planted vegetation, planted snow fences, and taken other beach management measures. Only time will tell if our beaches will recover in time for another big storm event.

Question: Going back to the overall report card, the questioner has had a hard time getting sand back to the beaches. It's an enormous task for local beaches groups to get permits to fix beaches and/or work on them. MGS is more than happy to work with communities to work on plans for their beaches. Moving sand does require permits from the Department of Environmental Protection, but Peter isn't really qualified to speak on that process, he says.

Question: Are any islands included in the beach studies? No.

Question: Laudholm Beach does not have a seawall, Wells beach does. Do seawalls cause erosion or help recovery? Peter was surprised to see armored beaches do so well. He thinks that it has a lot to do with the specific geography of the beaches and how the sand and sediment travels when it enters the water. What about the other beaches with seawalls? Peter says that Goose Rocks has some seawalls, Goochs is all seawalls. Some do and some don't.

Question: One thing about Laudholm, river mouths can affect the position of sand. A lot of the sand from Laudholm has gone to Crescent Beach across the Little River inlet.

How To Preserve Your Beach Community

2009-07-10T12:57:00.001-07:00

Janice Parente, Moderator, member of Surfriders Northern New England Chapter

Welcome, this session is about what you can do in your community. Janice is with the Maine Beaches steering committee representing the recreational beach user community.
She surfs all year round, and is an active member of the Surfrider Foundation, Northern New England Chapter. She regularly meets people who have been noticing changes in there local spots, water clarity or dune erosion, access, wildlife. The steering committee took these concerns into consideration and designed this session to address them. Common issues raised are sustainability, health and access. The speakers today will address these as well as other topics.

Judy Barrett, Public Health Nurse, Town of Kennebunkport

Judy will be sharing programs that the Town has used to educate and empower townspeople. Kennebunkport is the only town in the area that has a publicly funded position to address town health.

When Goose Rocks Beach was labeled one of 10 most polluted in the country the Town went to work addressing potential sources of pollution. In 2004 they put up signs warning people to stay out of the tide pools. In 2005 the selectmen approved participation in the Maine Healthy Beaches program. They received an advisory from the first testing. There is a 24 hour waiting period for testing samples. There was a delay in posting areas of the beach, or signs needed to be moved from one spot to the next.

They were getting very high counts, 1000 colonies. DEP helped identify sources of contamination. Livestock appeared to be an issue. No one was willing to take responsibility. Other sources investigated included cruise ships, seals, beavers, everything that wasn't human caused. Maine Healthy Beaches program determined that the sources were coming down the river. Tax payers were coming in looking for a tax rebate because it was driving down there property values. Residents were saying that volunteers and the lab were partial, or biased.

They eventually hired FB environmental to shadow the volunteer testing effort, using a secret lab. This found that the volunteer testing was accurate. Bacteria counts were found as far upstream as Route 1. Kennebunkport and Biddeford share the Little River, and Code Enforcement officers from each town coordinated efforts, using GIS to analyze survey efforts of septic systems. FB Environmental suggested testing for optical brighteners to track sources of contamination. This would cost $30,000. They agreed to do this in August of 2006.

Very little of Goose Rocks Beach is on sewer. An independent tester came in to test the sewer for leaks, but the results were negative. After the issue of pharmaceutical contamination surfaced the Town developed a collection system for unused pharmaceuticals and medications. Septic systems close to high tide were major sources of leaching. Many properties were developed in the 50's and many septic tanks were not being pumped out regularly. Donations from Rotarians and other civic groups helped to mitigate problems on individual properties such as oil tanks.

In August they planned to test for optical brighteners. It was very dry and tests came back inconclusive. This was not well received. They decided to scale back signage efforts to avoid anger. Selectmen were thinking of withdrawing from the Maine Healthy Beaches program.

They decided to create a Town-wide education program. They contacted Chris Feurt at Wells Reserve to help by drafting her UNE class to host a “Septic Social”. It was televised on Town cable channel. The event was very well attended. People were able to ask questions about regulations. They did a mass mailing to all waterfront property owners to highlight things that could help water quality. A gardener from the University of Maine came and gave a presentation about native plantings and how to control invasive species. They held a river day, DEP EPA and Wells Reserve were involved. Students from the New School contributed a watershed map. The Kennebunkport Historical Society made a display of the history of the Kennebunk River. They felt that a watershed approach was beneficial because habits and problems were common throughout the watershed.

Boaters started complaining about lack of pump out stations. They started working on developing a public pump out facility in the Kennebunk River. They now have a pump out station online 2009.

Eventually water samples began to improve in quality. The town began to implement small improvements. Including bathrooms at the beach, and dog cleanup stations.

Mike Horn, Chair, Ogunquit Conservation Commission

Ogunquit has a high percentage of elderly residents, but there is large support for the work of the Conservation Commission. Ogunquit approved a yearly budget of $25,000 for land acquisition, which has now added up to enough to move forward on some projects.

Mike related a story:

Ogunquit Beach has a dune system that is vital to the estuary and the beach. It supports many species of fish and birds, as well as rare plants. The dune had been degraded by pedestrian traffic, ave 30,000 visitors/weekend day and 10,000 visitors/weekday respectively. Traffic in the dunes caused compaction and erosion and damaged plant life.

In 1971 the dune was breached by a storm, but the Town repaired it. In 1974 the York County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Department of Agriculture and the town began reconstruction and restoration of the dunes. In subsequent years the agencies passed maintenance responsibilities to the Town.

In 2005, a storm demolished fencing which had been put in place by the Town. A large storm in 2007 caused damage to most of the remaining structure on the ocean side. FEMA, US FWS, and the town of Ogunquit have come into conflict over dune management. USFWS recommended that FEMA withhold funds to reconstruct the snow fencing because of perceived detrimental effects to plover nesting. Despite studies by Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that show no correlation between plover nesting and the presence of fences.

After 2.5 years of negotiation, the Town and the USFWS reached an agreement on reconstruction of the fence. The fence not only deters pedestrian traffic but also captures sand and promotes dune growth. Mike shared a map of the river, dune and estuary system in Ogunquit.

The dunes are a result of building in the 70's and the builders lacked the knowledge of dune construction and built a dike with gravel, which doesn't support the same community of plants and animals as a natural sand dune.

The lesson learned is that these challenges must be met head on despite challenges in dealing with government bureaucracy.

Mike brought with him a history mapping of the Ogunquit beach and dunes produced by Steve Dickson.

Kristen Grant, Extension Associate, Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Kristen presented an overview and demonstration of the newly released “Accessing the Maine Coast” web site http://www.accessingthemainecoast.com/. The website contains information to help waterfront users, coastal communities, and land owners address issues related to coastal access. The intent of this website is to offer communities specific tools that address their specific needs.

Access is a key theme in communities all over coastal Maine. Maine is distinct from 45 other states in that the intertidal zone is generally deeded to the abutting property owner, rather than held by the State, as is true in most states. The website is a resource that can benefit Maine communities coast-wide. The hope is that with these resources communities can work out there issues cooperatively and avoid litigation.

Maine Sea Grant, UM Cooperative Extension and other partners held workshops between 2003 and 2006 to identify needs. There was a need for legal information related to access. Sea Grant received significant funding to conduct legal research. University of Maine Law School student developed a 40 page memo on tools available for managing access. A web site was determined to be the best format for presenting this information.

In the end the research showed that the 3 things you need to determine are: your access needs; your existing rights; what tool best suits your need. Tools include: buying access, contracting for access, regulating for access, and taxing to control access.

They decided to help people find the tools they needed by asking them to identify themselves as one of 3 stakeholder groups – private waterfront land owners, government or public interest entities, and waterfront user . In addition there are tabs to jump to tools and laws, as well as FAQ's. The information is presented based on the most pertinent questions for each stakeholder type. Different tools are discussed in detail including tax policy, contracting, acquisition, planning, etc. Major headings are pulled out and highlighted. Terms are linked in the Glossary. There is also a bibliography that highlights useful resources. The FAQ section is continuously updated and provides an interactive feature for users of the site.

Planning for Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Coastal Infrastructure

2009-07-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Moderator Zack Steele- Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Presenters Paul Kirshen –Battelle Memorial Institute
Samuel Merrill – University of Southern Maine

-Apply Science to make better decisions

Old Orchard Beach, Maine Case Study

www.oobmaine.com
Businesses at rise; 1/3 at risk during hurricane season
Mitigation and Adaptation
Payback time
IEC sea level rise modeling company
Storm surge and sea level rise
Property values
Can look into the future at probability of damage
Graphs showing investment
How to share the information?
Outreach vehicle

Topics

Impacts of Climate Change
Infrastructure
Ecosystems
Environmental Justice Communities
Scenario-Based Risk Assessment Approach to Adaptation Planning
Example Application to Coastal Storm Surge Planning

Future Sea Level Rise

2007 estimation
50cm-140cm by 2100
Greenhouse gases change
Uncertainty in program
Local effects
Changes in frequency of current “100 year storm” events,
Ecosystem services
Ex. Loss of wetland, won’t be able to absorb storm surge
Lower income communities will see higher damages vice versa (not publishable information)

Adaptation Strategies

Reactive-wait until impacts have occurred
Proactive-take actions before major impacts have occurred, shown to be more cost effective

Do nothing
Protection-attempts to manage the hazard with hard structures such as seawalls and groins or soft measures such as beach nourishment
Accommodation elevate buildings or retreat

Natural Environment Adaptation Actions

Keep natural environment healthy

Proactive Adaptation Design Challenges include:

Need to consider climate change in planning now so proper adaptation can occur
When to invest in adaptation?
Other driving forces on infrastructure
Unknown future GHG levels and mitigation acheived
Stakeholder Involvement at all levels is Critical
Interactions with other infrastructure sectors and the environment

Way Forward for Design

Use Principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Adaptive Management
Life Cycle Analysis
Use of Co-Benefits
Precautionary Approach
Plan for the worst
Take action now
Big in Europe
Robust Solutions (work over range of outcomes)
Risk-based Scenario Analysis

Scenario-Based Risk Assessment

Consideration of system performance over all conditions, moves away from traditional design event approach
Explicitly recognizes that uncertainty (lack of quantified probabilities) exists in the process and must be addressed through scenario analysis
Relies upon two way communication with stakeholders-adaptation is local action
“Safe to Fail, not Fail Safe”
Most cost effective way of planning

Application to SLR Impacts in Old Orchard Beach

Determine areas vulnerable to SLR permanent flooding and storm surge flooding for 2100 SLR2 of 50, 100, 150 cm
Determine Expected Value of Damage to Building so 2010 and 2100 under SLR scenarios
Use above values to estimated expected values of impacts 2010 or 2100
Discuss adaptation action with OOB and Southern Maine RPC

Possible Adaptation Options

Dune construction and beach nourishment
More tide gates
Reconfigure existing beach access
Increase required building elevation above the flood plane
Regional approach

Next steps

Refine method with OOB including benefits and costs of various adaptation options under various scenarios

Q-Question, A-Answer R-Response to communication question by presenters

Q: Is this modeling only applied to Old Orchard Beach
A: Work in the process

Q: Explain Co-Benefits further
Co-Benefits are actions that not only help adaptation but also have non climate related benefits. There are also no regrets actions which are beneficial today and tomorrow regardless of changes in sea level.

Q: Everything seems too uncertain. Put money somewhere else.

A: Climate Change I don’t do that research. Researchers say 50-150, I believe them.

Q: Are the specific actions up to the communities?

A: Believes will be driven by communities, money from government

Q: Meeting in Italy 80% reduction of 1990 by 2050, 2 C degree, where do these numbers come from?

A: Scientists have said these are the numbers that can not be exceeded without dire effects.

Q: Communication, tide gates won’t be allowed in Maine

A: Adaptation strategies are not based on current political regulations

Q: Isostatic rebound, some land is going up does the modeling take this into consideration?

A: Rebound is occurring in Canada; In Maine we are going down.

R: Local Level, so how we gonna pay? Federal money is not there for adaptation or mitigation, replacement structures to move is not supported financially

R: Tax impact calculator, Mill Rate

R: Whose costs are they going to be

R: Real damage, 3-D maps

R: Look at political and social effects

R: Full cost accounting

R: 100 year flood that happens in 5 years? How is that possible, what is it?

R: Adaptation, level of confidence, jetties and breakwaters, I thought they were already proven as not working

R: 3-D something that we recognize. You don’t speak English, and you don’t draw things that we see, things will make sense, dollars are dollars, I understand it but could not communicate what I learned today,

R: Relate to historic storms like the Patriots day storm, so we know what we are dealing with

How Do State and Federal Laws Affect My Coastal Property?

2009-07-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Sue Baker, Maine Floodplain Management Program
Dawn Hallowell, Department of Environmental Protection

Dawn Hallowell: Eager to answer questions/concerns of property owners

Sea Level Rise & Coastal Sand Dune Rules

Revised in 2008 and 2006; incorporated a 2 ft rise in sea levels over the next 100 years

Focus on how sea level rise plays into coastal sand dune rules

CSDR regulate on csd systems; restrict size, placement of buildings

Why 2 feet? → best data they had at time of revisions; widely agreed upon by MGS that 2 ft rise in sea level for this area is reasonable; decrease from 3 ft in 1996 to 2ft in 2008

Factor for reconstruction projects, additions, new buildings in frontal dunes

4 Standards

Shoreline changes - if property may erode in 100 years, project may be put on hold
Mitigation and enhancement – project may not be approved if it interferes with movement of sand/water (mitigation – dune construction, moving structures landward, planting native beach vegetation) Example – vertical edition project in Scarborough, proposed that a dune be built in order to provide protection to properties
Sand and water movement – reconstructing frontal house, in an eroding area; standard that requires that structure be elevated to account for 2 ft of sea level rise plus 1 ft buffer; must allow for movement of wind, water or sand
Unstable back dune areas – erosion hazard areas (any area that can be expected to become a coastal wetland area in the next 100 years), new/reconstructed buildings must meet foundation standard

Examples of foundations in houses that can be used

Cobble-trapping fences are proposed to be added to the PBR in 2010 (relative confusion over what a ‘cobble-trapping fence’ is due to it being new legislation, discussion between homeowners on what it is/how it could be utilized on their property)

Copies of Coastal Sand Dune Rules – http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/06/096/096c355.doc

Q: Are the CSDR up for review every 5 years and are they up for review soon? A: Not to her knowledge, if you would like to see changes in the rules you need to contact your representative

Sue Baker: National Flood Insurance Program

NFIP – 3 Parts: Flood Mapping, Regulations and Insurance
Flooding a problem in Maine? – YES, February ’78 and April ’87, October 1991 ‘Halloween Storm’

1968 – Congress established NFIP – distributed responsibility of floodplain management to all levels of government

Resulting effects – better building codes, acquired and relocated buildings from era’s without standards, retrofitting buildings, levees/sea walls and other systems to protect homeowners

Quid Pro Quo – mutual agreement between Feds and Community; community will regulate development in mapped floodplains; in return anyone in a community can purchase flood insurance

Mapping – FEMA developed and mapped flood hazard data; insurance and lenders use maps
FEMA maps ‘base flood’ (100 year flood)

30-Year Mortgage – for house located in Special Flood Hazard Area 26% chance you will have a flood; SFHA is darkly shaded area on a floodplain map that has 1% chance of being flooded in any given year

Base Flood Elevation (BFE) – elevation water’s expected to reach in 1% chance flood

Zone A – no BFE’s determined
Zone AE, A1-30 – BFE’s determined
Zone AH – flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (areas of ponding)
Zone AO – flood depths of 1 to 3 feet (areas of movement)
Zone V1- flood depths of 1 to 3 feet with wind/tide effects (coastal velocity zones)

Regulations Local Ordinance (development – any change to improved or unimproved real estate)

Why require local permits for developments? – balance needs of envi and pressure of development, protect natural and beneficial functions of floodplains, protect life and property, goal is to break cycle of having flooding – damage - repair

Ordinance Standards in a Floodplain

Minor Improvements – normal maintenance, non-structural: adequately anchored, flood damage resistant materials, construction methods and practices to minimize flood damage
New Construction/substantial improvements; 50% of more improvement in the value of the building only; lowest floor must be elevated to 1’ above the base flood elevation; 2’ in some coastal communities; there are different methods for different zones of flooding to elevate a structure

Q: Do Zone A structures require raised foundations? YES, can be more difficult to determine an elevation to construct at
Flood Insurance

Floodplain construction and its effects on flood insurance rates: build it right and insurance premiums will be affordable; build it wrong and premiums will be expensive
Mandatory purchase requirement: if you’re taking a loan from a federally backed lending institution

Ways to cut flood insurance premiums; elevate lowest floors of structures above BFE, Maine requires 1 ft

Floodplain deals with elevation where DEP deals with setbacks (pushing structure back from area of risk); DEP and grandfathering – if you’ve had fire/need to replace you have 1 or 2 years to rebuild, if building is in floodplain your building isn’t grandfathered in, it’s considered as ‘new construction’

Questions

How does FEMA decide on 50% increase in value? FEMA can use market value but that means different things for different communities; rates are increased for that building’s owner, not for the community at large

Limit of $250,000 for any residential building on structures in a floodplain
Are there communities opposed to the NFIP? Yes, about 40 statewide. They’re penalized indirectly (loans for property in flood zones harder to acquire in towns who don’t adopt NFIP)
Is there a minimum amount of insurance you have to buy? No, you buy what you need up to $250,000

If your property is damaged, does flood insurance cover all damage up to the $250,000 max depending on how much you bought? Yes, if you purchased say $250,000 and receive $100,000 in damage, you get $100,000 of coverage

Would a house that was condemned due to property damage (collapsed land due to flooding) receive coverage under flood insurance? No because that house was damaged indirectly by flooding

Adaptations to Create Resilient Beach Communities

2009-07-10T12:20:00.000-07:00

Jon Lockman of the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission will moderate a panel that includes: Bob Hamblen, Saco's City Planner; Greg Tansley, Biddeford's City Planner; and, Gary Lamb, the Director of Planning and Community Development of Old Orchard Beach.

This presentation is to help us "get real" about what towns can do to create resilient beach communities.

Jon, or JT, introduces the Coastal Hazard Resiliency Tool Project, an multi-year effort funded by the Maine Coastal Program. He's involved 6 communities so far. The program helps encourage communication between town planners in regards to sea level rise and resiliency issues. JT is getting tired of just talking about the problem and wants to start doing something about it. He cleaned out his library recently and found a whole shelf of material in this very issue...from 1979.

JT presents some examples of Municipal Adaption Action, including a Sea Level Adaptation Working Group in Saco Bay that would help: comment on federal or state beach nourishment/erosion control; and, help identify infrastructure vulnerable to storms and sea level rise such as culverts, storm drains, bridges or tide gates, etc. JT talks about the duties of the SLWAG, which could include recommending the standardizing of floodplain management standards and building code interpretations to rise higher above 100 year storm events. They could also recommend standards affecting shorelands adjacent to Saco Bay. These recommendations may either be binding or non-binding.

In talking about improving shoreland zoning, JT puts up a map of a coastal town (I believe it's Old Orchard Beach) which shows the highest high-tide levels rising over the past few years. The effect of increasing high tides is that the shoreland zoning buffer of 250 feet must be redrawn further inland. On the marsh side, the buffer is also squeezing in. The overall effect is that some properties that have never been subject to shoreland zoning restricting may now be.

JT now presents some questions to the gathered panel. Each presenter has 5 minutes.

First, do elected officials and citizens in your community believe that actions need to be taken to adapt to sea level rise?

Gary Lamb: Old Orchard Beach is a small town, when you don't count tourists. The town is very concerned about sea level rise. The citizens need to be better educated. Poor building placement is a problem, sometimes it's human activity from long ago.

What are the obstacles going forward? Quite simply, time and money. OOB has only one person who could do this, and raising money is very hard, especially in this climate.

OOB, he says, does not slope downward. There used to be a natural outlet into the sea from the saltwater marsh, but since humans have come in, there has been a trench dug that takes water out to Route 9. The trench could be re-dug for $4 million, but hasn't yet. The trench has thus prevented stormwater from escaping the marsh into the ocean, and will soon require OOB to start pumping stormwater out. This will have to happen in the next couple years, and they won't really have a choice in the matter. Gary points out several areas where stormwater pool up, creating big problems, now and in the future.

What construction projects considered in OOB? Creating wastewater and stormwater stations. He'd like to remove some railroad tracks (temporarily) in order to eventually restore flow to the ocean. OOB is a town-owned beach, which is unusual, and will help in future efforts to create access to the beach for stormwater.

What's the top priority? Safety. In the event of a big storm, you can't have people in trouble.

Bob Hamblen: In regards to how concerned Saco's officials are about sea level rise: they're not very concerned. To his knowledge, the topic just hasn't come up. Erosion is an issue, he knows, but sea level rise is a separate issue. Camp Ellis has had a long history of dealing with erosion, but sea level rise is something else. While the city may be aware of the issue, they're not doing much to tackle it.

What are the obstacles? Lack of knowledge. A greater understanding of the issue and how Saco could be affected will all help.

Are there construction projects being considered? There are certainly things that could be done, especially after the Patriot's Day Storm a couple years ago. In terms of adaptations, though, there isn't anything particular being considered.

Camp Ellis' shoreline position has been changing a lot over the past century. There are already a whole bunch of neighborhood that is underwater, as many as 38 structures.

Regulatory Actions? He talked about trying to raise the 100 year storm structure heights to a foot higher than they are now, and some people were receptive, but the City of Saco itself was not very receptive.

Greg Tansley: JT's questions were very interesting. Greg was hoping that he could just point to other speakers and copy their answers. In response to the question of whether citizens are aware of the problem, he thinks they are aware of the issue, but not sure that the citizens are associating sea level rise with their backdoors. Are these citizens looking at certain rocks and saying "wow that never used to be underwater!" Greg isn't sure if people are making that connection.

What are the obstacles in the way? It's hard for people to think sometimes when these problems are 90 years down the road. The second obstacle is that the term "potential" is being used. When "potential" is used, and sea level changes are competing with actual, real needs for schools and roads...urgent, current needs will win. Another obstacle is that many don't want new regulations to deal with a potential problem 90 years from now.

Greg now shows a slide of Biddeford Pool showing what would happen if there was a 2 foot sea level rise during the highest tide. Many areas would now be underwater, the most significant of which is the intersection with Bridge Road. Greg said he brought this up to town engineers, and some concern was raised. A problem at this intersection would essentially create an island out of Biddeford. There may not be money to do anything. But if they had money, they would want to raise the road with fill (that would affect wildlife areas and existing homes). They could built levees...but we all remember New Orleans. We could also just do nothing.

Regulatory actions, like in Bob's case, have not really been discussed.

Question: What is your position, JT?

JT: I work for the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission. We're independent, but we receive grants from the state. 90% of his work is paid for through consulting from fee-for-services.

Question: Would the townships be interested in partnering together, maybe with the state, to apply for federal grant funds?

JT: Conceptually, yes, but we haven't even gotten it together to get a regional group together to figure out what we could apply for. Applying for federal grants is far down the road.

Question: Does the opportunity for a grant inspire towns to get together?

JT: Yes, the Coastal Program and SPO encourage them to get the working group going in order to see what's out there.

Question: What level of federal grant program would it take to get towns interested?

Gary: The Scarborough Marsh fix would take 6 million dollars. There are other things that may need to happen first.

Bob: It wouldn't take a lot of money to get Saco to the table. They recognize that they're a low-lying community.

Parting Thoughts

2009-07-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Peter Slovinsky hopes that we will leave today having learned something more about Maine beaches, and that we have spent our time well. He rests with a nice quote from Rachel Carson. Thanks for attending the 2009 Maine Beaches Conference, everyone!

Building Community Resiliency Walking Tour

2009-07-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

Building Community Resiliency – A Walking Tour with Stephen Dickson, Maine Geological Survey

Notes

• Coastal Resiliency: How the coastline bounces back after storm or other disaster
Geological resiliency is how the natural beach-dune system responds to storms and how quickly it can return to pre-storm conditions
Resiliency of development is how the built environment survives storms and how soon economic activity can resume

• Sand Budget – ebb and flow of sand is like a financial budget
Dunes are like the savings account in a bank
Beach is a checking account – more active day-to-day

• Maine’s Coastal Sand Dune Rules build resiliency in both the natural environment and in the developed areas

• Willard Beach is a pocket beach between rocky headlands with sand from glacial sediments

• Dunes have been restored by people through beach management plans created by the Willard Beach Neighborhood Association and additional city efforts
American beach grass traps sand. Planted with simple broomstick method. Planted late winter (March, early April) while dormant. Volunteers throw dried seaweed onto dunes as fertilizer. Plants only flower an spread when significantly covered in sand. There will naturally be non-vegetated patches that are okay. Sand or rope fence lines are placed seaward of existing dunes to allow seaward growth of beach grass through the summer.
Access paths are made curved so they do not create a direct path for storm surges to go through the dunes and flood neighborhoods and roads
Snack shack in direct danger of flooding and waves; play area creates break in dunes, water can go straight to the snack shack as well as around to the back side of the dunes and road.
Punt storage is limited to certain areas so launching and storage in dunes doesn’t kill too much beach grass

o Patriots’ Day Storm in 2007
Took 30-40 feet of dune out but no homes were damaged
Both the beach and dune were able to recover extremely well with the help of the local community setting fences, planting beach grass, fertilizing with seaweed
In two years more than 20 feet of dune has been restored
The most damaging storms come at spring high tide that allows extra flooding and wave action high into the dunes – as was the case in 2007

o 1930s to 1950s Willard Beach had no dunes
The dune and beach were a “working waterfront”
Properties were much more vulnerable to storm flooding and erosion than they are now

• FEMA flood insurance will pay up to $250,000 to help rebuild structures damaged by storms. Many of these structures are worth more than that so a protective dune can reduce personal economic losses from storms.

• Maine’s Coastal Sand Dune Rules have storm-damaged structures rebuilt higher, farther landward if possible, and may require dune restoration seaward of a building with the intent of not having repeated damage to the environment or buildings.