Coastal Issues | Public Involvement | Case Studies
Public Involvement: Case Studies
Below are a few examples of projects states have supported with their coastal zone management funding:
- Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board
- New Hampshire Beach Clean-up Programs
- Guam Conducts Comprehensive Public Education and Outreach Campaign
Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board
The Lake Michigan Coastal Program receives input and guidance from the Coastal Advisory Board. The Board is comprised of 27 members, 19 voting and 8 ex-officio. The Board provides a forum for public input on regional issues affecting Lake Michigan coastal resources. Meetings are held quarterly and rotate among locations in the coastal region.
The Indiana Coastal Advisory Board provides stakeholder representation, assists with priority setting, and provides a forum for public input into coastal management decisions.
Guided by the Indiana Coastal Program Document, which was developed through a combined effort of federal, state, and local agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the public, the Coastal Advisory Board performs vital roles including:
- Stakeholder Representation: Providing a diverse perspective on coastal issues and a close connection between the Lake Michigan Coastal Program and local communities and citizens.
- Priority Setting: Assisting in setting priorities for the Coastal Grants Program through Board meetings, public meetings, and by recommending grant program guidance and project evaluation criteria.
- Public Involvement: Providing a forum for public input on the Coastal Grants Program through annual public meetings for comments on program guidance and through opportunities for public comment at quarterly meetings.
- Planning and Coordination: Assisting the Lake Michigan Coastal program with identifying and planning Coastal Areas of Significance.
New Hampshire Beach Cleanup Programs
New Hampshire’s Coastal Program supports several Beach Clean Up Programs to expose citizens to coastal issues and remove trash and other marine debris from the state’s beaches.
Club Finz members during an Adopt-a-Beach Program cleanup on Wallace Sands Beach in Rye, New Hampshire. Club Finz fosters community spirit through social and volunteer activities.
Each September, the Blue Ocean Society, a non-profit organization in New Hampshire, hosts approximately 20 cleanup sites along the coast with funding from the New Hampshire Coastal Program. The cleanup is as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, an annual event held around the world where volunteers collect trash from local beaches and record the amount and type of trash collected. Thanks to support from the New Hampshire Coastal Program, the Blue Ocean Society is able to hire an intern to organize the event, purchase cleanup supplies, and produce a coordinator's handbook for site leaders as well as an information packet teachers can use to educate their classes about the cleanup and the impacts of marine debris.
New Hampshire's Coastal Program also supports an Adopt-a-Beach Program in partnership with the Blue Ocean Society. Adopt-a-Beach involves student, business, and non-profit groups as well as families and individuals who take part in monthly beach debris monitoring and cleanups at their "adopted" beaches. Adopt-a-Beach volunteers receive a handbook outlining their responsibilities and the importance of cleaning up marine debris. An Adopt-a-Beach sign with the name of the group is placed at the cleanup site to help raise awareness and appreciation of our beaches.
Guam Conducts Comprehensive Public Education and Outreach Campaign
In an effort to increase the public's environmental awareness, particularly with respect to Guam's coral reefs, the Guam Coastal Management Program has led efforts to implement a comprehensive public education and outreach campaign about coastal management issues. The campaign uses a variety of outreach tools to get their messages across including: a quarterly newsletter, "Man, Land and Sea;" radio talk shows; theater intermission and tourism ads; in-flight videos; posters; publications; and even a puppet show that travels around the island to educate children about the importance of protecting Guam’s watersheds and coral reefs. Established in April 2004, clownfish “Professor Kika Clearwater” is the marine icon with the tagline “Our coasts. Our future.” She is featured on all public outreach materials with a message that highlights the importance of natural resource management. The Program also engages community volunteers in several hands-on environmental activities throughout the island. For example, to increase the public's awareness about nonpoint source pollution, or polluted runoff, and how it is impacting coral reefs, the Coastal Management Program involved citizen volunteers in several tree planting projects in southern Guam. Sedimentation has been a significant threat to coral reefs in southern Guam due to the region's highly erosive soils.
Sea Life kiosks were installed along Tumon Bay as educational guides for both tourists and locals. Written in English and Japanese, the kiosks illustrate the vast marine life within Guam's marine protected area.
The Guam Coastal Management Program assessed the effectiveness of their education and outreach campaign through a public opinion poll conducted by an independent evaluator. They found that not only had the public received and integrated these environmental messages but they were also steadily becoming more aware and active on environmental issues as a result of their outreach efforts. Public outreach remains a vital component for the Guam Coastal Management Program. By understanding society’s needs and wants, they are able to stimulate behavior change so that all will act to sustain the environment.