Shawn Dalton, Ph.D.

Principal and Senior Consultant

May 6, 2011
A. Characterize present and future estuary and
shoreline conditions
B. Determine ecological, engineering, and
economic, (SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL) trade-
offs of shoreline management options
C. Characterize shoreline decision-making arenas
and opportunities (FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF
USERS)
D. Demonstrate (TO WHOM? WHY?) innovative
shorelines and best management practices
E. Create shoreline decision tools (FOR WHOM?)
and communicate results (TO WHOM, AND
HOW?)
! What is ecologically possible
! What is economically viable
! What is socially acceptable
! Area: 16 063 sq. mi.
! 308 sq. mi. of water
! 15 sub watersheds
! Portions of 50 counties
! Portions of 5 states
! >600 inhabited
places (i.e.
municipalities, villages,
etc.)
! Population within 1 mile of ESTUARY: @ 1 000 000
! Watershed population: 14 054 913
! 13 158 289 (93.6%) urban
! 896 624 (6.4%) rural
! 1 630 716 people (11.6%) live below poverty level
! We need to be clear about why questions
we are asking and why
! We need to be specific about the
expertise we need to answer those
questions
! We dont have unlimited time
! We dont have unlimited funds
! How/do different communities (age, gender,
cultural background) value the Hudson River
and its shoreline?
! Visual preference/uses who likes what, where, and
why? Who DOESNT like what, where, and why?
! Market study figure out how to sell soft
shorelines. Who cares and why? Who DOESNT
care, and why?
! Problem-specific focus group(s) with
multiple representation:
! Demonstration site from soup to nuts.
Whats the process, how does it work, where
are opportunities for innovation, what are
likely barriers to innovation, how do we
overcome them?
! What are sources of conflict within and
between sectors, and how do we overcome
them?
! Power structure within the shoreline
community who wins, who loses, who says?