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A Geographic Information System-Based Protocol for Tidal Shoreline Classification and Management

EPA Grant Number: U915203
Title: A Geographic Information System-Based Protocol for Tidal Shoreline Classification and Management
Investigators: Groszkowski, Kevin M.
Institution: College of William and Mary-VA
EPA Project Officer: Thompson, Delores
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through January 1, 1999
Project Amount: $68,000
RFA: STAR Graduate Fellowships (1997)
Research Category: Fellowship - Environmental Law , Economics and Decision Sciences , Academic Fellowships

Description:

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to develop a geographic information system (GIS)-based tool that can be used by managers and policymakers for facilitating the process of making decisions regarding tidal shorelines within their jurisdiction.

Approach:

The use of the GIS tool will be as follows. Through a graphical interface, the decisionmakers can use the GIS to extract information about the area of shoreline in question. The GIS will include details about the current shoreline situation and any structures that may be present, the adjoining land use, and data describing the physical environment of the shoreline and its adjacent water body. These variables will be used to divide the reaches of shoreline into a variety of shoreline types. The GIS will output the data regarding the area of shoreline interest as well as the shoreline type. For each general shoreline type, the available management options will be detailed so that it can be referenced in the decisionmaking process. James City County and Gloucester County, Virginia, have been chosen as the localities to be used in the development of this protocol. Both jurisdictions recently have completed updated shoreline inventories. Once all available data have been encoded into one ARC/INFO line-based coverage for each county, the shoreline will be classified according to its type.

Supplemental Keywords:

fellowship, decisionmaking, geographic information system, GIS, tidal shoreline classification, tidal shoreline management, shoreline, shoreline type, policymakers.

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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