hudson river sustainable shorelines project report: decision‐making regarding shoreline design and...
TRANSCRIPT
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HudsonRiverSustainableShorelinesProjectReport:
DecisionMakingRegardingShorelineDesignandManagementShawnDalton,Ph.D.
PrincipalandSeniorConsultant
May17,2011
Preparedfor:
HudsonRiverValleyGreenway
HudsonRiverNationalEstuarineResearchReserve
Aspartof:
HudsonRiverSustainableShorelinesProject
25ColonialHeights
Fredericton,NB
Canada E3B5M2
506.449.1395
www.shawndalton.com
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TableofContents
I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 4
II. METHODSANDLIMITATIONSOFSTUDY.............................................................................................. 5
III. FINDINGS........................................................................................................................................... 7
a.
General
Lessons
Learned..................................................................................................................
7
b. ClimateChangeandSeaLevelRise.................................................................................................. 9
c. AdoptionofInnovationinShorelineDesign................................................................................. 10
d. InformationSharingandTrainingNeeds...................................................................................... 11
e. TheRailroads.................................................................................................................................. 14
IV. OBSERVATIONSANDRECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................... 16
a. General........................................................................................................................................... 16
b. Recommendations......................................................................................................................... 17
V. CONCLUSION.17
AppendixA: Resources............................................................................................................................... 22
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EXECUTIVESUMMARY
Duringthe
fall
of
2010
and
spring
of
2011,
interviews
were
conducted
with
experts,
consultants,
developers,andrailroadrepresentativesinvolvedinthemanagementoftheHudsonRivershoreline,
anddesignsforshorelinestabilization,restoration,anddevelopment. Thegoalsofthisworkareto
documentwhetherandhowclimatechangeandsealevelrisearecurrentlyviewedandincorporated
intoshorelineplanninganddesignalongtheHudson;toidentifyanddocumentbarrierstotheadoption
ofsoftshorelineengineeringtechniquesintothedesignprocess;andtoidentifypotentialtrainingneeds
andmechanismsofinformationsharingamongactorsinthisorganizationalnetwork.
Findingsindicatethatincorporationofsealevelriseandclimatechangeintoshorelineplanningand
designrangefromnonexistenttocentral,dependinguponprojectgoals,timingofdesign,intended
uses,regulatoryrequirements,fundingandavailablepersonnel. Barrierstoadoptionofsoftshoreline
engineeringtechniquesincludeintendeduses,limitedavailablearea, access,knowledgebaseof
designerorengineer,lowlevelsofconfidenceinthelongevityofsoftshorelines,andcostorperceived
costofconstructionandmaintenance. Theneedfortrainingisconsideredtobeuniversal,butthetype
anddepthofrequisitetrainingvarieswithpriorexperience,organizationalmissionormandate,and
specificworkonshorelineprojects(i.e.design,engineering,construction,landscaping).
TheHudson
River
Estuary
is
acomplex
system,
ecologically,
hydrologically,
socially,
economically,
organizationally,andpolitically. Thiscomplexitypresentsbothopportunitiesandchallenges. Oneofthe
basictenetsofresiliencyscienceisredundancyinthesystem,andthisisapervasivefeatureofthe
HudsonRiverEstuary. Itisbothpossibleanddesirabletomakeuseoftheterrificcomplexityofthe
HudsontomeetthegoalsoftheSustainableShorelinesProject.
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I. INTRODUCTION
Duringthefallof2010,onbehalfoftheHudsonRiverSustainableShorelinesProject,ThriveConsulting
conductedinterviewswithexpertsandconsultantsinvolvedinthemanagementoftheHudsonRiver
Shoreline,anddesignsforshorelinestabilization,restoration,anddevelopment. Thegoalsofthiswork
areto
document
whether
and
how
climate
change
and
sea
level
rise
are
currently
viewed
and
incorporatedintoshorelineplanninganddesignalongtheHudson;toidentifyanddocumentbarriersto
theadoptionofsoftshorelineengineeringtechniques1intothedesignprocess;andtoidentifypotential
trainingneedsandmechanismsofinformationsharingamongprofessionalsinthisorganizational
network.
Tomeetthesegoals,15professionalsinvolvedinHudsonRivershorelinestabilization,restoration,and
developmentprojectswereinterviewed. Theseinclude5engineers,3planners,1environmental
consultant,1villageadministrator,2municipaleconomicdevelopmentofficers,and3coastalresource
specialists. Theseprofessionalsrepresentnotonlyavarietyofperspectivesontheactualmanagement
oftheshoreline,butalsogeographicdistributionalongtheestuary.
Subsequently,anduponreviewoftheinterimreportonthiswork,thedecisionwasmadetoexpandthe
rangeofintervieweestoincludedevelopers,representativesoftherailroadsoperatingalongthe
HudsonRiverEstuary,thenonprofitsector,andadditionaltypesofpractitionersandprofessionals.
Theseadditionalinterviewswereconductedinthespringof2011,foratotalof26interviews.
ThepurposeoftheHudsonRiverSustainableShorelinesProjectistoprovidesciencebasedinformation
aboutthebestshorelinemanagementoptionsforpreservingimportantnaturalfunctionsoftheHudson
RiverEstuarysshorezone,especiallyassealevelriseacceleratesandstormsincreaseinintensity. The
projectisgeneratingnewinformationaboutengineeringperformance,economiccosts,projectedriver
conditions,legalandregulatoryopportunities,andtheneedsandprioritiesofkeyaudiences. The
presentdocumentreportsupontheoutcomesofasmallerstudynestedwithinthismuchlargerproject.
II. METHODSANDLIMITATIONSOFSTUDY
TheHudsonRiverSustainableShorelinesteaminitiallyprovidedalistofpotentialinterviewees,whoare
consultantsandexpertsworkingonoralongtheHudsonRiverEstuary;andsubsequentlyaddedother
typesofprofessionals(developers,conservationists,andrailroadrepresentatives). Adraftofinterview
questionswasdevelopedbytheconsultant,andreviewedandamendedbytheHudsonRiver
SustainableShorelinescoordinationteam. Basedonthesequestions,asemistructuredinterview
formatwasusedtoguidetheconversationswithexpertsandconsultants. Notethatsemistructured
interviews
are
exactly
that;
therefore,
while
every
effort
was
made
to
cover
overall
topics
in
each
conversation,theywerenotalwaysdiscussedintheorderinwhichtheyappearedinthelistof
questions,orinsomecasestheywerenotdiscussedatalliftheinterviewerdeterminedthattheywere
notpertinenttotheintervieweeduringtheinitiallineofquestioning. Forexample,therearequestions
ontheinterviewformatthatdiscusstheprosandconsweighedbyconsultantsclientsinmaking
shorelinetreatmentdecisions;however,insomecases,theintervieweesthemselvesweretheclientsso
1Itshouldbenotedthatsoftshorelineengineeringtechniquesincludeawidespectrumoftreatments,from
plantingsdirectlyintoexistingsubstratestoinstallationofriprapandjointplantings.
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thosequestionswerenotrelevanttothem. Inaddition,thereweretimeswhenrespondentseitherdid
nothaveanopinionaboutaparticularsubject,ordidnotfeeltheyhadsufficientexpertisetoprovidea
reliableanswer.
Potentialrespondentswereinitiallycontactedviaemailtodeterminepotentialwillingnesstoparticipate
inthe
study,
and
follow
up
telephone
calls
were
made
based
on
responses
to
the
emails,
and/or
distributionofprofessionsandgeography. Asnowballsamplingtechniquewasalsousedtoidentify
otherpotentialintervieweesinthenetwork,whichwerenotontheinitiallistprovidedbyHRSSP. This
yieldedminimalresults,asveryfewadditionalsuggestionsweremadebyrespondents. Eachinterview
tookbetween20and60minutes,dependinguponthelevelofengagementandresponsibilityofeach
respondentintermsofshorelinemanagement. InterviewswereconductedbetweenSeptember,2010
andMarch,2011. Inthesecondroundofinterviews,thesemistructuredinterviewquestionnaire
servedasageneralguidelineforconversationsbutbecausethenatureandtypeoforganizationsand
projectsunderdiscussion,aswellasprofessionaltrainingoftherespondents,thedetailsofthe
questionswerelargelyabandonedandthesubjectswerecoveredbroadly. However,additional
informationwasbroughttotheprocessbytherespondentsthemselves,whoseinterestinand
interactionswiththeHudsonarevariedanddistinct.
Whilethisoverallapproachprovidesrichanddetaileddatafromwhichtodrawobservationsandto
summarize,itdoesnotcapturetheopinionsofarepresentativesampleofthecommunitystudied:the
samplewasnotrandom,butratherwascomposedofkeyinformantsidentifiedbystrongleaderswithin
thesystem. Itispossiblethatsomeperspectivesarenotrepresentedamongtheintervieweesinthe
study. Everyattemptwasmadetoprovideadistributionofexpertiseandgeographicrangealongthe
Hudson;however,thiswaslimitedbythewillingnessofpotentialrespondentstoparticipateinthe
study. Thereisalsothepossibilitythatshiftingbaselinesplayedaroleinthedistributionofresponses,
asthestudywasconductedoverthespanofseveralmonths,asopposedtowithinashortertimeframe.
TypeofExpert Count Percent
Engineer(municipalandconsultant) 5 19
Planner(municipalandconsultant) 2 8
LandscapeArchitect 1 4
EnvironmentalConsultant 2 8
Village/townadministrator 1 4
EconomicDevelopmentOfficer 2 8
CoastalResourceSpecialist 3 12
RailroadRepresentative 4 15
Architect
1 4
Developer 3 12
PortAuthorityRepresentative 1 4
ConservationNGO 1 4
TOTAL 26 100
Figure1.Distributionofrespondenttypesbycountandpercent.
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Readersareadvisedtokeepinmindthatthisworkrepresentstheperspectivesofspecificframesof
referencewithintheorganizationalnetwork,andthereforealsoreflectsthelimitsofthisgroup
respondentsarelikelytohavefilteredthequestionsandtheirresponsestothemthroughtheirroles
withintheirorganizations,andtheirorganizationsprioritiesandgoals.Inaddition,thisisaverysmall
sample,drawnfromanorganizationalsystem,theextentofwhichisunknownbothintermsofitssize
andcomposition.
Thus,
while
these
results
are
informative,
they
cannot
be
taken
to
represent
the
opinions,mindsetsorapproachesofthelargerwhole.
Thefindingsfrombothsetsofinterviewshavebeencombinedandreportedbelow,withoneexception.
Theresultsofdiscussionswithrailroadrepresentativesarereportedinaseparatesectionfortwo
reasons:1)therailroadsplayadistinctroleintheHudsonRiversystem,whichwouldbemaskedif
incorporatedintotheoverallfindings,and2)thevarietyoftheresultswithintherailroadsectorwould
beobscuredifintegratedintothecombinedreport.
III. FINDINGS
a. General
Thisgroupisverydiverse:thereisatremendousrangeinthebackgrounds,rolesandresponsibilitiesof
differentactorswithinthenetwork,aswellasarangeintheirlevelsofexpertiseregardingshoreline
managementandstabilizationingeneral,andtheirfamiliaritywithbioengineeringtoolsandtechniques
inparticular.
Ingeneral,however,landowners(includingmunicipalitiesanddevelopers)withinthesystemrelyonthe
expertiseofengineersandlandscapearchitectstoprovidethemwithguidanceregardingwhattypesof
designwillbestmeettheirgoals,andtostepagivenprojectthroughtheregulatorypermittingprocess.
Thus,landscapearchitectsandengineershavesubstantialinfluenceonthedesignsandconstruction
materialsusedinanygivenproject. Traditionallytrainedengineersareconservativeintheir
approaches
to
shoreline
design,
in
that
they
have
a
professional
duty
to
design
in
a
way
that
ensures
longevity. Thereisthepotential,then,tooverdesignagivenproject,sotheyfeelcomfortableputting
theirprofessionalstamponthework. Thereisalsoatensionbetweenthetrainedengineers
commitmenttothelongtermviabilityoftheirworkandtheregulatorsdesiretocarryouttheminimal
engineeringnecessaryforthestatedusesofaparticularsiteorproject.
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Theregulatoryframeworkisincreasinglyleaningtowardsoftshorelinestabilizationtoolsand
techniques;however,thisisaslowprocessasfordecadestheregulatoryframeworkinplacewas
designedtoprotectdevelopmentandinfrastructurewithhardshorelines,especiallyreplacementof
existingstructures. Notsurprisingly,then,thetransitionfromoneparadigm(hardenedshorelines)to
another(softshorelines)isadifficultoneforallinvolved. Thissystemisinthemiddleofthattransition,
andis
experiencing
the
predictable
attendant
difficulties
it
implies:
confusion
within
agencies
and
organizationsregardingthedesiredoutcomesandhowbesttomeetthem;protracted,timeconsuming
andthereforeexpensive,negotiationsaboutwhatisandisnotpermittedatanygivensite;frustration
amongproponentswhowanttomoveforwardefficientlyandeffectively;andtheappearanceof
inconsistencyintheguidanceofregulators(Thenexttownovergotapermittohardentheirshoreline;
whycantwe?).
Animportantfactorinmovingprojectsforwardappearstobetherelationshipbetweenengineersand
regulators. Inthosecaseswherepositionalbargainingseemedtobepresent(i.e.bothregulatorsand
engineersdugintheirheelsandtheinteractionsbecamedifficult),andnewtechniqueswerebeing
encouragedbypermittersbutresistedbyengineers,theredidnotappeartobeparticularlystrong
workingrelationshipsbetweenthetwogroups. Engineersdescribedregulatorsprojectrequirementsas
unrealistic.Another
factor
is
the
degree
and
variety
of
expertise
among
engineers
those
with
facility
inbothhardandsoftshorelinedesigntoolsseemtonavigatethepermittingprocessmorereadilythan
thosewithmoretraditionalengineeringbackgrounds.
Thereisalsoremarkablylittleconsiderationgiventotheappropriateandpotentialeffectsofaparticular
projectontheHudsonRiverEstuaryasawhole. Thatis,inahomerulestate,thereislittleopportunity
forcollaborativeorregionalapproachestoeconomicdevelopment,resourcesharing,ornatural
resourcemanagement;therefore,thereislittleornoincentiveorneedtoconsideranindividual
shorelineparcelinthecontextofthelargersystem. Additionally,thiscreatesanincrediblycomplex
organizationalstructureandconfoundsopportunitiestodistributeinformationbroadly. Forexample,
thereisverylittleinteraction,andthereforelimitedopportunityforlearningmoments,among
municipalities,engineers,
or
other
consultants.
Thereisconsistencyamongrespondentsregardingthedriversofdecisionmakinginshoreline
management:access
to
the
water
is
the
most
important
parameter
considered
when
projects
are
designed. Costsarealsocritical,ofcourse,andtherearesomedifferencesofopinionaboutthe
comparativecostsofsoftshorelinesoverhardenedones. Manypeoplefeltthatsoftshorelinesare
probablylessexpensivetoinstall,butmoreexpensivetomaintainoverthelonghaul. Somefeltthat
softshorelinematerialscanbemoreexpensiveupfront,butholdupwellovertime. Thereisalsosome
confusionoverexactlywhattypesofmaterialscanbeconsideredacceptableinabioengineering
context. Onerespondentsaidthat,justbecauseitsnotbiodegradable,thatdoesntmeanitsnot
green. Clarificationoverthis,andmorebroadly,moreprecisedefinitionsofsofttoolsandtechniques,
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wouldprobablybehelpful. Expertiseandexperiencecompriseanotherdriverofdecisionmaking
triedandtrueoftentrumpsnewtechniques,especiallywhenexternalfundingisinvolved. Funders
arereticenttomakesignificantinvestmentsinaproject,whentheyarenotsureitwilllastformore
than510years. Finally,theadditionalcostsintermsoflandrequiredforinstallationofsofttechniques
isalsoaconcern:oftendeveloperswerecitedaswantingtomaximizetheirprofits,andtogiveupland
tosoft
shorelines
(i.e.
in
order
to
create
the
gently
graded
slopes
that
will
broadly
distribute
and
dissipatewaveenergy)wouldreduceprofitability. Again,thereweredifferencesofopinionhere,as
somerespondentsalsobelievethattheamenityvalue,ortheefficiencyinmovingaprojectthroughthe
permittingprocess,outweighthecostsofincompleteinformationandexperienceintheiruse. Also,it
wasmentionedthatanyinfrastructurerequiresmaintenanceatsomepoint,regardlessofitsperceived
durability. Thismaybepartofthereasonthattherearesomanyfailingprojectsalongtheshoresofthe
Hudsontoday. Hardenedshorelinesmaysimplydeferthatcosttofuturegenerations. Most
respondentsindicatedthathabitatvalueofpotentialinstallationsiseithernotconsideredatallorisat
thebottomofthelistofpriorities. Therarecaseswheretheresponseonthisdifferedwerebecausethe
consultantsknewthattheregulatorswerebeginningtorequirelandownerstomanagetheirshoreline
parcelstoimproveorprotecthabitat,sowereabletoconvincetheirclientsthatitwouldbe
advantageous(i.e.moreefficientandeasytogettheirpermits)iftheyincludedthisvaluefromthe
outset.
b. ClimateChangeandSeaLevelRise
Whileclimatechangeandsealevelriseareunderstoodtobepotentialthreatsinthefuture,thereare
twoissuesthatconfoundtakingthemseriouslyinthecurrentdesignprocess: first,relativetoother
pressingandimmediateissues,theirimportanceisdiminished;second,modelsaresufficientlyimprecise
thattheirlocaleffectsarenotwellunderstoodandthereforedifficulttoincorporateintodesignstoday.
Despitethisfact,however,mostrespondentsrealizethatitwillbecomeincreasinglycommonfor
regulatorstorequirethatSLRpredictionsbeincorporatedintoprojectdesign. Onepersondidmention
thatthe
increased
frequency
and
intensity
of
storms
associated
with
climate
change
are
more
likely
to
beanissueforthemthanissealevelrise,becausetheshorelineintheirjurisdictionisparklandand
alreadyfloodseveryspring. Uplandinfrastructure,anditscapacitytohandleincreasedvolumesof
runoff,isofmoreconcern. And,inthecontextofalocalwaterfrontparkdevelopment,thisamenitywas
consideredtobeatlessrisktoSLRthanothernearbyinfrastructureincludingbuildingsandrailroads.
Theremayalsobelimitedunderstandingofpotentialeffectsofsealevelriseandclimatechangeonthe
habitatoftheHudsonRiver. Asindicatedearlier,thisvalueisnotgenerallyincludedindecisions
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regardingshorelinedesign. OneoftheprimaryconcernsamongbiologistsworkingintheHudsonRiver
Estuaryistheminimizationofspaceforthemigrationofwetlandsandothertypesofhabitat,duetothe
hardeningoftheshorelinealongtheriver. Itislikelythatthisconcerniseithernotimportantto
shorelinedevelopers(whetherpublicorprivate),ortheecologicalprocessesaresopoorlyunderstood
thattheissueisnotevenontheradar. Itisnoteworthythatscientificstudiesoftheecologicalvalueof
theshoreline
zone
were
ranked
much
lower
than
other
potential
sources
of
information
as
being
helpful
inshorelinedesignwork(seeFigure2,below). Itisalsonoteworthy,however,thatthisrankedhigher
thaneitherlocalprojectionsofsealevelriseandclimatechange,orhighresolutionmappingofthe
HudsonRiversenergyregime.
Anotherissueregardingconflictingmessagesandmandates: whileEPAhasbeenpushingsoft
engineeringtechniquesforstormwatermanagement,inpartbecauseofclimatechangeprojections,
FEMAdoesnotincludeclimatechangeorsealevelrisewhenupdatingitsfloodplainmaps,whichisdone
onlyevery20years. AfinalnoteontheeffectsofchangingglobalconditionsontheHudsonRiver:as
thepriceoffossilfuelscontinuestoclimb,theviabilityofthetruckingindustrytomovegoodsislikelyto
diminish. ThisisverylikelytoincreaseshippingtrafficontheHudson,aswellasfreighttraintrafficnear
it,tomovegoodsintoandoutoftheregion,whichwillcreateadditionalpressuresforinfrastructureand
additionalhazards
for
wildlife
along
the
river.
Responsesregardingtheincorporationofsealevelriseandclimatechangeintoanyplanningordesign
processwerehighlyvaried.Insomecases,itwasnotconsideredatallbecausethedevelopmentwas
wellabovethehighwaterline,orbecausethedesignswereapprovedyearsagobeforeitwasrequired
toincorporateSLRandclimatechangeintotheprocess. Somepeoplesaidthathabitatprotectionand
ecologicalstructureandfunctionwereparamounttotheprocessbecausethepermittersarerequiringit
now;otherssaiditwasnotreallyontheirradar. Somerespondentsundertakeecologicallysensitive
designandconstructionastheirmajorbusinesslineandthereforeincorporateclimatechangeandsea
levelriseprojectionsintotheirworkasamatterofcourse;othersaretraditionalengineers,ordonot
haveconfidenceintheaccuracyofprojections. Auniversalneedwasarticulated,forbetter,more
accurate,higher
resolution,
local
projections
in
this
regard.
c. AdoptionofInnovationinShorelineDesign
Respondentshadvariedandstrongopinionsregardingadoptionofsoftshorelinemanagement
techniques. Thereisaperceptionthatstateagencystaff(policyandregulators)regulatorsarepushing
softshorelines,butthatstaffwhoreviewpermitsandmakesitevisitsarenotsufficientlywellversedin
thetechnologiesofthetradetobeabletoeffectivelyassessdesigns. Thissuggestsaneedfortraining
inthisareaamongfieldstaffatDEC,andpossiblyACOE,SoilandWaterConservationService,andDOS
aswell.Itwasmentionedmorethanonce,however,thatengineersarethetargetaudiencefor
manufacturers
of
new
bioengineering
products,
and
so
they
are
likely
to
be
more
up
to
speed
than
regulatorystaffbecausetheyarenotifiedregularlyofnewtechnologies. Thisimpliesanopportunityto
introducethebioengineeringproductsindustrytoanimportantbarriertotheuptakeoftheirwares,
andrepresentsacommunicationneedunanticipatedattheoutsetofthisstudy.
Onerespondentmentionedhavinghadtheoppositeexperienceinthisregard,andhasbeenableto
workveryeffectivelywithregulatorstogethisclientsprojectspermitted. However,heworksprimarily
intheareaofsoftengineeringdesignforstormwatermanagement,andmaybebenefittingfromthe
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factthatthesetoolshavebeeninplaysincethe1990sanddonotrepresentanewapproachto
shorelinedesign. AnothertwomentionedthattheefficiencyoftheapprovalprocessforDECpermits
dependsupontherelationshipsbetweentheproponentsortheirrepresentative,andindividualDEC
staffpersons. Thatis,ifthereisahistoryofeffectiveworkingrelationships,andtwowaytrustinthe
desiredoutcomes,theapprovalprocessismuchsmootherthaniftheDECstaffpersonisunfamiliarwith
theproponent
or
their
representative.
Inaddition,thereareperceivedfinancialconstraintsamongclientsoftenclientsthinkthatsoftor
alternativeshorelinemanagementtechniquescostmorethanconventionalones. Onerespondentsaid,
Developersjustwanttomaximizetheirprofit.Therefore,theyarenotwillingtoengageininnovative
designprojectsbecausetheythinkthiswillslowdowntheprocessofdevelopment. However,another
respondentmentionedthatbecausesoftengineeringtechniquesareincreasinglyrequiredby
permitters,itisbecomingmorecosteffectiveandefficienttoincorporatethemintoadesignfromthe
outset.
Municipalitiesaregenerallysupportiveinprincipal,butarehavingadifficulttimeobtainingfundsfor
alternativetechniques. Fundersareconservativeandmoreinclinedtocontributemoniestoprojects
whosedesigns
are
tried
and
true.
Themostoftencitedbarrierstotheadoptionofgreenengineeringtoolswerelackofpriorexperience
andexampleswithaproventrackrecord;andlackofgeneralknowledgeaboutsoftengineering
techniquesandhowtheywork,whattheymightcost,andtherelativetradeoffsbetweenconstruction
costsandlongtermmaintenance. Mostrespondentsspokequiteenthusiasticallyabouttheneedfor
informationsharingandtrainingopportunities.
Timeisalsoanissuethatwasmentionedrepeatedly:thelengthofthepermittingprocessforany
shorelinedevelopmentisamajorissue(oneinterviewee,bywayofcomparison,reportedthatittook8
monthstobuildtheEmpireStateBuilding). Additionaltimeisoftenrequiredtoeducatepermitters
aboutthe
relative
merits
of
new
soft
engineering
tools,
products,
and
techniques
again,
despite
the
policyframeworkthatencouragessoftengineering,theactualprocessofdesign,approval,and
implementationremainsfraughtwithobstacles.
d. InformationSharingandTrainingNeeds
Thereisrelativelylittledirectinformationsharingamongprofessionalsinthisfield. However,thereare
centralcommunicationstools,includingprofessionalorganizationsdevelopmentopportunities;
journals;andregularmeetingsthatarewellattended,especiallyamongtheengineeringcommunity.
Oneengineermentionedthattrainingotherengineersintheareatodesignsoftshorelineprojects
would
be
improving
his
competitors
abilities
in
this
field.
In
general,
municipalities
and
developers
rely
ontheexpertiseoftheirengineersandlandscapearchitectstoguidethemindecisionmakingregarding
shorelinemanagement. Engineersandotherconsultantstendtobequiteaggressiveaboutpursuing
informationinthisregard,butnotatallinclinedtoshareitwiththeircolleagues. Thisishardly
surprising,giventhecompetitivenatureoftheprofession,andthefactthattimespentsharing
informationwithcolleaguesgenerallydoesnotconstitutebillableprojecthours. Thus,timespenton
professionaldevelopmentisnarrowlytargetedtodevelopingspecificskillssetstorespondtoparticular
marketniches,ortogatherinformationaboutaspecificproject.
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Thereis,however,substantialinterestamongengineersanddevelopers(inparticularthosewhohave
theirowninhouseengineeringstaff)inincreasingtheirexpertiseandskillsetinthisarea. Several
respondentsindicatedthatthistrainingwouldbeofparticularinterestifofferedaspartofaformalor
certifiedprofessionaldevelopmentopportunity.
Acrossthespectrumoforganizationsandprofessionsrepresentedinthissample,respondentsfeltthat
theDEC
and
DOS
staff
who
review
permit
applications
and
conduct
site
visits
would
benefit
from
trainingonsoftshorelinedesigntechniquesaswellasnewtechnologiesavailableforapplicationinthe
field. Forexample,permittingstaffhavenotapprovednewbioengineeringmaterialsforshoreline
managementbecausetheyarenotfamiliarwiththem. Plannersandothermunicipalrepresentatives
tendtobelessuptospeedinthisareathantheconsultantstheyhire,ortheregulators. Theyrelyon
theirconsultantsandmaytaketheiradvice;butthereissomeevidenceofpushbackfrom
applicants/propertyownerswhentheythinksoftengineeringtechniqueswilleithernotgetthemthe
outcomestheywant,ormaycompromisetheirabilitytogetpublic(countyorstate)fundstocarryout
projects.
Mostrespondentsfeltthattheentiresystemwouldbenefitfromaonedayworkshopthatcoversnot
onlybasic
principles
of
soft
engineering,
including
new
products
and
materials
on
the
market,
but
also
comparativecostsofeachtypeoftechniqueagainstitscounterpartamongtraditionalengineering
approaches. Theyarequiteinterestedinacompletemenuofapproaches,fromwhichtheycanchoose
tomeettheirownparticularneeds. Thereisconcernthatonesizedoesnotfitall,bothintermsofthe
regulatoryframeworkguidingdecisions,andthedesignalternativesattheirdisposal. Tworespondents
indicatedthattheywouldbeinterestedinhelpingtodeveloporcapableofdeliveringthisworkshop. A
numberofengineersalsosaidthattheyhadworkedoutcomparativecostsfortheirclientsforspecific
projects,andthereforehaveinformationonwhichtobuildintermsofcontentforatrainingworkshop.
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Rating 1 2 3 4 5
Casestudiesofexistingtraditionalandalternativeshorelineprojects
coveringdesign,costsandprocess 6 3
Demonstrationsiteorsitesshowinghabitatfriendlysoftshoreline 6 1 2
Scientificstudies
of
the
ecological
value
of
the
shoreline
zone
5
2
2
Guidancedocumentswithliteraturereviewofalternativeshoreline
stabilizationtechniques 2 6 1
Anexpandedengineeringanalysisofthefunctionofselectedshoreline
stabilizationtreatmentsundertheuniqueconditions(currents,wave
andwakeenergy,andice)oftheHudsonEstuary 6 1 2
Localprojectionsofclimatechangeincludingsealevelrise 2 1 5 1
GISbasedmappingcharacterizingtheenergyregimeswithinthe
Hudson,baseduponahighresolution(10mgridresolution)versionof
theNYHOPS3Dcirculationmodel(includingthewindwavemodule)
forcedwithhistoricaldata. NewYorkHarborObservingandPrediction
System(NYHOPS) 2 2 1
Figure2.
Distribution
of
ranked
responses
to
the
question,
How
helpful
would
the
following
be
for
you
in
your
shorelinedesignwork? Rank15(1isveryuseful;5isnotuseful).2
Theaudienceforthisworkshop,itwasfelt,shouldincludeeverybody: proponents,designers/engineers,
municipalrepresentatives,regulators,andcontractors.Morethanonerespondentindicatedthatthere
arepotentialproblemswiththeefficacyofsoftshorelinetechniquesbecausecontractorsinstallingthem
havelimitedexperiencewiththem. Thisexacerbateshesitancytousethem,sincethelimited
experienceofcontractorsalsomakesitdifficultforthemtoestimateinstallationcostsandmaycause
contractorstoshyawayfromtheiruse. Thisshouldbeconsideredinthedesignofanytraining
materials. Itwasalsosuggestedthatthepermitdocumentincludearequirementthatasupervisor
trainedinsoftshorelinedesignandinstallationbeonsiteatalltimesduringinstallation. Thisiswhere
thereisthegreatestriskofcreatingatreatmentthatwillfailcontractorsanddaylaborersoftendo
nothavesufficientunderstandingofwhattheyaredoingorthepotentialoftheirownactionstocausethesitetofail(e.g.onerespondenthadtotrainlabourerstowalkaroundsensitiveareasinsteadof
throughthemduringasiteinstallation). Thus,perfectlyacceptable,wellwrittensitespecifications
(`nobodyreadsthespecs`)maystillnotbeinstalledproperly. Thisnotonlycausesthefailureofthat
particularproject,italsocausesgenerallackofconfidenceinbioengineeringtechniquesamongother
potentialproponents.
Itwasmentionedthatthegeneralpublicdoesnotnecessarilysupportalternativetoolsforshoreline
management. Often,inpublicreviewofshorelinedevelopmentprojects,citizensdonotrankthe
protectionoftheHudsonRivershorelineasworthyoftheirtaxpayersdollarsincomparisontothe
investmentsneededtoupgradeagingwaterandsewerinfrastructureinmanycommunities.Public
commentgenerally
tends
to
focus
on
upland
amenities;
rarely
is
the
shoreline
itself
mentioned
and
it
seemstobetakenforgrantedthattheshorelinewillbestabilizedinawaythatsupportsintended
uplanduses. Thissuggeststhataneducationalcampaigngearedtowardthegeneralpublicmightbeof
use. BythisIdonotmeanthetraditionalcommunicationtoolsusedbyenvironmentalorganizationsto
sharetheirmessages: Isuggestthatanadvertisingcampaign,usingthecontractedservicesofa
2NB: Resultsbasedonfirstroundinterviews(engineersandconsultants)only.
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professionaladvertisingagencywhocanidentifytargetaudiencesandtailormessagesspecificallyto
them,wouldbemoreeffective.
e. TheRailroads
Railroadsline
asubstantial
proportion
of
the
Hudson
shoreline.
The
railroad
track
on
the
east
side
is
ownedbyMetroNorthasfarnorthasPoughkeepsie,withCSXowningthelinenorthofthatpoint.CSX
ownsthetrackonthewestsideoftheHudson.CSXmovesfreightandoperatesonbothsidesofthe
HudsonRiverbutmoresoonthewestsideoftheriver. MetroNorthprovidescommuterrailservice
overthelinesitowns.AmtrakoperatesintercitypassengertrainsfromNewYorkCitytoAlbany
RensselaerandpointsbeyondusingtrackontheeastsideoftheHudson,butownsonlyasmallfraction
ofthattrack.
RailroadintervieweesincludedrepresentativesofCSX,Amtrak,andMetroNorth. Thusbothpublicand
privatesectorsarerepresented. CSXisaninvestorownedfreightrailroadowning21,000milesoftrack
intheUSAandCanadawithanetworkextendingupanddowntheeastcoast,andlineswestasfaras
NewOrleansandChicago. Theaveragerightofwayoftherailroadis5075`. Aquickcalculation(using
theouter
limit
of
75)
indicates
that
the
total
area
of
land
of
CSXs
railroad
rights
of
way
sums
to
only
298squaremiles. Giventhegeographic,ecological,andculturalimpactoftherailroad,thisisa
remarkablefact. Onecanassumethattheothershaveasimilarlysmalllandbase,butequallyprofound
effectonourcollectiveconsciousness. PhotographsofCSXstrainsoftenfeatureHudsonRiversettings.
MetroNorthisacommuterrailroadoperatingfromNewYorkCitytoPoughkeepsie(approximately75
miles)onitsHudsonLine,andhasbeeninexistencesincethe1980s. Priortothisthesystemwas
operatedbytheConsolidatedRailroadCompanyandpriortothatbyotherpredecessorrailroads.
Currently,some6065%ofMetroNorthsbudgetcomesfromticketsales;thebalancefromstateand
federalmonies. Therailbedwasbuiltinthe1800s: muchoftherockusedtherewasfromthe7story
excavationforGrandCentralTerminal. MetroNorthrepresentativessuggestedthatconstructionofthe
railroadalongtheHudsonwouldbeadifficultprocessintodaysworldbecauseoftheenvironmental
impact
analyses
that
would
be
required.
It
was
also
posited
that
the
building
of
the
railroad
may
have
ultimatelycreatedanumberofmarshes,assmallcoveswerecutofffromtheriver,siltedinovertime,
andbecamemarshes. Thishasnotbeenverified,however.
Allthreerailroadsarealreadydealingwiththeeffectsofclimatechangeintermsofflooding,in
particularduringtheincreasinglyfrequentextremesummerstormevents. CSXhasalreadyseen
floodinginsomesectionsoftheirtrack.MetroNorthiscurrentlyundertakingastudyofthreeflood
proneareasoftheirsystem,inparticularintermsofthecapacityofculvertsintheseareas. Metro
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Northhassentletterstothemunicipalitiesinwhichtheyarelocatedtorequestthattheybeinformedof
anymajoruplanddevelopmentsplannedorunderconstructionastheyareconcernedthatuplandstorm
watermanagementpracticesmayadverselyaffectMetroNorth. Thestudywillalsocomprisea
literaturereview,pilotstudy,hydrologicalanalyses,floodriskanalysesandassessment,andaddress
MS43requirements. ManyoftheMetroNorthculvertswereconstructedinthe1800s,underno
requiredspecifications
(thus,
they
differ
from
one
another),
and
in
fact
the
location
of
some
of
the
MetroNorthculvertsisunknown,sothestudywillalsoincludeaninventoryandmappingprocess.
Amtrakisnotactivelyengineeringatthemomentinresponsetoclimatechangeorsealevelrise;
however,23yearsago,theyundertookaverylargeculvertimprovementengineeringplan. And,they
haveincorporatedadaptationstrategiesintotheiroperatingpracticesforexample,whenthereis
heavyrainintheforecast,theycleanouttheirculvertsinadvanceofthestorm.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthattherailroadsrepresentasignificantfeatureonthelandscapeandshoreline
oftheHudsonRiver. Allthreerailroadsconsiderclimatechangetobenotonlyanoperatingchallenge
butalsoapotentialsourceofincreaseddesirefortheirservices.Thereappearstobeadirectcorrelation
betweenthepriceofoilandtheusershipofMetroNorthcommuterservicesaswellasAmtrakslonger
distancepassenger
services.
There
is
also
acorrelation
between
the
increasing
price
of
oil
and
the
demandforCSXfreightservices4. Inaddition,becausethetwolargerrailroads(i.e.CSXandAmtrak)
operatealongtheeasternseaboard,theyalreadyhavetheskillsandengineeringtoolsrequiredto
operateunderwarmerclimateregimes. So,forexample,ifNewYorksclimatebecomesmorelikethat
ofRichmond,VA,therailroadsalreadyoperateinRichmondandknowhowtodealwiththatclimate. As
requirementstoreducecarbonemissionsbecomemorestringent,therailroadsfeelthattheyarewell
positionedtoprovidealternate,lowercarbonmeansoftransportationforbothgoodsandpassengers.
Inordertocontinuetoprovidetheseservices,however,itispossiblethatadditionalmeasureswillneed
tobeundertakentoensuretheproperandsafeworkingorderofthetracksandtheirinfrastructure
(culverts,bridges,riprapshorelinesupport,etc.).Thus,thereisthepossibilitythattherailroads
impactson
the
Hudson
River
shoreline
will
increase
over
time,
rather
than
diminish.
The
railroads
performsomeoftheirshorelinestabilizationandmaintenanceandculvertcleanoutandmaintenance
activitiesundertheArmyCorpsNationwidePermitregime;othermoreextensiveactivitiesrequire
individualpermitsfromthatagency.
Forasignificantlengththerailroadrightofwayisafairlynarrowcorridorwithmainlyripraponthe
riversideandsteepslopesand/ordevelopmentalongthelandside.Toreplacethepresenthard
shorelinewithasoftenedslopedshorelinewouldlikelyrequireeitherthemovementoftherailroad
inlandtofreeupshorelineareaorrequiretheplacementorfillmaterialintotherivertoprovidethe
necessaryareaforsoftening. Theseoptionspresentprofoundacquisition,relocation,excavationandfill
andpermittingissues.
3AccordingtothefederallawcommonlyknownasStormwaterPhaseII,permitsarerequiredforstormwaterdischargesfrom
MunicipalSeparateStormSewerSystems(MS4s)inurbanizedareasandforconstructionactivitiesdisturbingoneormore
acres.ThepermitsarepartoftheStatePollutantDischargeEliminationSystem(SPDES).(Source:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8695.html)4ThisisalsotrueoftheeffectsofhigheroilpricesonshippingpatternsthePortofAlbanysaw46oceangoingvesselsin2010.
Thiswasconsideredaslowyearwiththe56vesselsin2009beinganumbermorerepresentativeofgeneralshippingpatterns.
CommoditiesshippedintoAlbanyincludemolasses,woodfibre,andareshippedfromasfarawayasAustralia.
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IV. OBSERVATIONSANDRECOMMENDATIONS
a. General
Itisworthnotingthatthroughoutdiscussionswithawidevarietyofstakeholdersinvolvedinshoreline
protection,restoration,development,andstabilizationalongtheHudsonRiverEstuary,notoneperson
mentionedthepossibilityoftailoringhumanactivitytoaccommodatethenaturalprocessesofthe
shoreline,as
opposed
to
managing
the
shoreline
to
suit
human
intentions.
The
implicit
assumption
and
mindsetamongvirtuallyallstakeholdersseemstobethattheriveristheretobeusedashumansseefit.
TheintimaterelationshipbetweenshorelinecommunitiesalongtheHudsonandtheriveritselfspans
200yearsormore;thus,itishardlyasurprisethatwewanttousetheriverandmanageitaggressively
forthosedesireduses. However,muchofthenewpressureforaccesstotheriverseemstobebasedon
adesiretouseitforrecreationalpurposes,includingyachting,kayaking,canoeing,fishing,andenjoying
thescenery. Thisisarelativelynewuse5,andonethatisdifficulttomeetinmanyplacesalongthe
traditionallyindustrialshoreline. Often,theriverisseparatedfromtheshorelinecommunitiesbyalarge
road,highway,orrailroadtracks. Thereisanopportunitytomakethecasetoallstakeholdersalongthe
Hudsonthatthequalityofrecreationalexperiencesonandalongtheriverdependsupontheecological
integrityofthewholesystem,andtousethatfactasameansofbuildingalargerconstituencyforsoft
engineeringoftheshoreline.
Respondentsdidmentionmorethanoncethatanimportantcomponentofprivatedevelopmentisalso
wateraccess,sothereisapotentialtomarketnewdevelopments(residential,commercial,andmixed)
asecologicallysoundandthereforebothdesirableandhealthyplacestoliveandconductbusiness.
However,theprocessofdevelopinganythingalongthewaterfrontissoonerousfromapermitting
perspectivethatonedeveloperhaschosentogive2.5acresofa14acreparceltothemunicipality,
ratherthanundertakethecreationofarecreationalamenityaspartoftheoverallmixedresidentialand
commercialdevelopment. Thedevelopmentprocessisalreadyahighstakesgamedevelopersinvest
millionsofdollarsupfrontwithnoguaranteethattheywillhavemarketuptake. Insomecases,these
investmentsincludegoingthroughthelong,complicatedprocessofreclaimingformerindustrialsites
(i.e.brownfields),whichitselfoftenrepresentsaconsiderableinvestmentofresources.Thus,developers
arereticent
to
undertake
additional
activities
that
cost
time
and
money,
but
do
not
necessarily
guaranteeorprovideareturnontheirinvestment.
5NB:Itispossiblethatrecreationaluseisoverrepresentedinthisparticularsamplebecausethisistheactivityfor
whichrespondentsaredesigningandplanningatthemoment.
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Severalrespondentsalsomentionedtheneedforaregionalapproachtoplanningthiswouldbeastep
towardtheneedtoconsiderhowthemanagementofanindividualparcelmightaffectthelarger
ecosystem. Itwouldalsocreateopportunitiestoreduceredundancyandincreaseefficiencyintermsof
needsandintermsoftherelativeappropriatenessofdifferentsectionsoftheshorelinetosupport
thoseneeds(i.e.allowingtheHudsontoshapehumanactivityasopposedtotheotherwayaround).
AvarietyofrespondentsalsostressedthefactthattheenergyregimeontheHudsonisaseriousissue
inshorelinedesignandmanagement. Oneinterviewee,forexample,whospentover25yearsdesigning
andinstallingsoftengineeringsolutionsfortributariestotheHudson,andwhoisverysupportiveofthis
approachingeneral,stressedboththedifficultiesindealingwithwaves,wakes,andiceaswellasthe
needtoreconciledesignapproachestotheintendedusesofthesite. Anothersuggestedthatacost
effectivealternativetobuildingbulkheadsforboatdocking istoinstallspudbargesjustoffshore,
leavingtheshorelinenatural.
Givennationaltrendstowardtheuseoftrucksandcarstomovegoodsandpeople,andthedeclineof
heavyindustryalongtheitsshores,isinterestingthatthereisnoindicationthathumanactivityonor
alongtheHudsonRiverisdecline. Ifanything,theoppositeappearstobethecase,withaccessfor
recreationalactivitiessuchaskayakingandcanoeingingreatdemand. Acomparativeanalysisof
historicaluseswiththoseoftodaywouldbeinformativeanduseful,notonlyintermsofmodelingthe
comparative
effects
of
those
changes
on
the
rivers
ecology,
but
also
in
terms
of
helping
to
predict
desiredfutureusesandhowthosemayaffecttheshorelinedirectly.
b. Recommendations
TheHudsonRiverEstuaryisacomplexsystem,ecologically,hydrologically,socially,economically,
organizationally,andpolitically. Thiscomplexitypresentsbothopportunitiesandchallenges. Oneofthe
basictenetsofresiliencyscienceisredundancyinthesystem,andthisisapervasivefeatureofthe
HudsonRiverEstuary. Itisbothpossibleanddesirabletomakeuseoftheterrificcomplexityofthe
HudsontomeetthegoalsoftheSustainableShorelinesProject. Belowaresomesuggestionsonhowto
dothis:
Takefull
advantage
of
the
existing
expertise
and
experiencein
the
Hudson
River
system
engineers,planners,landscapearchitects,andotherprofessionalsareabundant,welltrained,
energetic,andcommittedtotheHudsonRiver. Theriverisadefining,ifnotthedefining,
featureoftheentiresocialandeconomicfabricoftheplace.
Conductseveralfocusgroupstodetermineinmoredetailthetrainingneeds,intermsof
design,content,andtimingofthevariousaudiencesinthesystem. Itislikelythatmorethan
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onetypeofworkshopwillberequiredtobringsomeplayerswithinthesystemuptospeed,and
toadvancetheworkingknowledgeofotherswhoareaheadofthecurve.
Buildtrainingopportunitieswithprofessionaldevelopmentcredit,atlocalorregional
conferencesofprofessionalengineers,aswellsasthroughtheInternationalErosionControl
Association,and
Certified
Professional
Erosion
and
Sediment
Control.
Createopportunitiestoshareinformationandexperience. Thesemayalreadybeavailable,and
havegoneunidentifiedintheinterviewprocessasitwasnotanexplicitquestiononthesemi
structuredinterviewguide. However,itshouldhaveemergedfromthequestiononsharingof
information,anddidnot. Becausetheorganizationalsystemissolarge,varied,andcomplex,it
isdifficulttodeterminehowbesttoenternewinformationintoit. Thiswarrantsmorethought,
however,becauseatthemomenttheconsiderableexpertiseintheareaissiloed.
Createopportunitiestobuildtrustandunderstandingamongdifferenttypeofstakeholders.
Thereisagenerallackofsensitivitytotheopportunitiesandconstraintsunderwhichdifferent
actors
operate.
This
will
be
difficult,
given
the
general
busy
ness
of
people
in
the
Hudson
River
area. Anyopportunityofthissortmustbedevelopedbasedonincentivestoparticipateit
mustbeamutuallybeneficialinvestmentoftime.
Developfieldbasedtrainingopportunities,whichprovidehandsonexperienceaswellas
networkingopportunities. Despitethefactthatmostrespondentssuggestedaoneday
workshoptolearnmoreaboutsoftengineeringdesigns,tools,techniques,itisnotcleartome
thatthiswillbeatallsufficient. Thisistricky,complicatedstuff,andthereisnoconsensuson
whatworkswellinwhichsituations. Expectingpeopletolearnallthisinonedayseemsrather
unrealistic. Itmaybenecessarytoofferaseriesofworkshops,eachasaseparateprofessional
developmentmodule,coupledwithfieldbasedtrainingmodules.
Createopportunitiesforpermittingstaffinregulatoryagenciestointeractdirectlyand
regularlywithotherexpertsinthesystem,inordertoencouragemutuallearningregarding
opportunitiesandconstraintsintheirlinesofwork.Permittershavemuchtolearnfrom
landscapearchitects,engineers,designers,developers,environmentalconsultants,and
contractors,andviceversa.
DevelopanHRSSspecificappliedresearchprogram,whichanswersvitalquestionsinshort
timeframes. Thiswouldcompriseshorttermresearchprojects,appropriateforupperlevel
undergraduatesormastersstudents. (SeeAppendixAforsomeexamplesofprojectsthatwere
identifiedduringthecourseofthisstudy.) Harnesstheenthusiasmofyoungpeopletodowork
inservicetoarealworldproblem,andthestateoftheartknowledgebaserepresentedbythe
combinationof
university
faculty
members
coupled
with
in
the
field
practitioners
create
supervisorypartnershipscomprisedofacademicsandpractitioners.(Onerespondent,
representingapublicentity,suggestedthatgrantsmightbeaneffectivewaytogether
questionsansweredbecauseyouhavetousegrantmoneyforwhatitsdesignatedforthe
statecantreallocateit).
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V. CONCLUSION
Thiscomplexsystemwarrantsfurtherinvestigation,notonlybecausethelimitednumberof
intervieweesin
this
particular
study
leaves
one
wondering
to
what
extent
other
experts
in
this
area
wouldagreeordisagreewiththesefindings,butalsobecausethewealthofexperienceandexpertise
revealedheresuggeststhattheinvolvementofadditionalstakeholderswouldenrichtheprojectoverall.
Asummaryoflessonslearnedincludesthefollowing:
Thisisaverydiversegroupofactors evenwithinasmallsubsetatremendousrangeofskills
andtraining,rolesandresponsibilities,approachestoshorelinemanagement,andvalueswere
detected.
Landowners,bothpublicandprivate,dependupontheengineersanddesignerstheyhireto
walktheirprojectsthroughthepermittingprocess. Createsasubstantialopportunitytowork
withatargetedgrouptopromotesoftshorelines.
Thereisverylittleconsideration,ifany,ofthepotentialeffectsofanindividualprojectonthe
ecologicalstructureandfunctionoftheHudsonRiverEstuaryasawhole. Thisisexacerbatedby
thefactthatNewYorkisahomerulestate,andthateachmunicipalityisactinglargelyin
isolationofothers. Aregionalapproachtoplanningwasmentionedasapossiblemeansby
whichthiscouldbeovercome.
Projectdesignandtheopportunitytoemploybioengineeringtechniquesdependtoagreat
extentuponintendeduses softshorelinessupportkayakandcanoelaunches,boardwalks,etc.,
butlargepowerboatsrequiremoresolidinfrastructure.
Thereis
no
consideration
of
tailoring
human
uses
and
activities
to
the
shoreline;
virtually
all
respondentsmentionedtheopposite,designingandmanagingtheshorelineforhumanuses.
Despiteahighlevelofexpertiseandexperienceinvariousaspectsofshorelinedesignand
management,verylittleinformationsharingtakesplaceamongtheactorsinthisgroup. There
isgreatopportunitytoshareknowledgeandskillsthroughstagingnetworkingopportunities.
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Sealevelriseandclimatechangeareunderstoodtobeissuesofconcern,buttheirimportanceis
consideredtoberelativelylowcomparedtoother,moreimmediate,concernsfacedby
shorelinelandowners. Inaddition,predictionsoftheeffectsofclimatechangeandsealevelrise
areconsideredtobetooimprecisetoincludeinthedesignprocess.
Railroadsbelieve
climate
change
to
be
apotential
source
of
increased
desire
for
their
services.
aswellasamanagementchallenge.Increasedpressuretoreducegreenhousegasemissions,as
wellasrisingpricesofgasoline,willmakerailroadsmoreattractiveforthetransportofboth
goodsandpeople.
Barrierstotheadoptionifsoftshorelinetechniquesinclude: lackofknowledgeintermsof
designandinstallation;perceivedcostsofinstallationandmaintenance;uncertaintyregarding
theirlongevityandefficacyintheuniqueenergyregimeoftheHudsonRiver;lossofland
requiredtodesigninlandoftheshore;intendedusesofasite;difficultyinobtainingpublicfunds
fornontraditionaldesigns;timerequiredtointroducepermitterstonewsoftengineeringtools
andmaterials;andlackofsupportforshorelinetreatmentsbythegeneralpublic,inlightofthe
factthatotherinfrastructuresuchasstormsewers,waterlines,andsanitarysewersare
malfunctioninginsomeplaces.
Trainingneedsarepervasiveandvaried,rangingfrombasicintroductiontosoftshorelinetools
andtechniquesinvarioussettingstohighleveltrainingforengineeringfirms. Virtuallyalltypes
ofactorsneedtraining: planners,landscapearchitects,engineers,contractorsandtheir
seasonalstaff,andpermitterswereallcitedasneedingtraininginsoftshorelinedesignand
management.
Thereisageneraldisconnectbetweentrainingneedsandtheamountoftimepeoplearewilling
tospendintraining mostrespondentsthoughtaonedayworkshopwouldbesufficient. Thisis
highlyunlikely.
Animportantfindingofthiswork,butonethatdoesnotfitneatlyintothisanalysis,istheobservation
repeatedbyseveralintervieweesthatthegeneralpublicdoesnotseemtowillingtocommitlocalpublic
resourcestotheprotectionorenhancementofHudsonRivershorelines. Thiscertainlycanposea
roadblocktothebestintendedshorelinedesignandmanagementefforts,andtheHRSSPwouldlikely
benefitimmenselyfromfurtherexplorationofthisissue. Aclearerunderstandingofpublicvalues
regardingtheshorelinewouldinformeffectiveoutreachandcommunicationstrategies.
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Thisstudydemonstratesthecomplicatednatureoftheregulatoryframework,andvarietyofexpertise
andexperienceofprofessionalsworkingwithinittodesignandmaintaineffectiveshorelinetreatments
foravarietyofuses. Italsorevealsthatprocessofshiftingtheregulatoryfocusandgoalsfrom
hardenedshorelinedesigntobioengineeredshorelinesisadifficultone. TheHRSSPwouldlikelybenefit
fromfurtherprobingofthisorganizationalsystemtosolicitinputfromthoseengagedinthework
regardinghow
this
shift
can
be
brought
about
efficiently
and
effectively.
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AppendixA:Resources
1. Examplesofpossible(graduate)studentresearchprojects:
Historicalanalysis
of
the
effects
of
railroads
in
terms
of
marsh
creation
GeoreferencedvegetationstudylocatesiteswhereparticularspeciesofSAVsare
thrivingandfigureoutwhy,intermsofmorphology,substrate,andhydroperiod
A. ComparativeanalysisofhistoricalusesoftheHudsonRiveranditswaterfrontwithpresent
dayuses,andplanneduses. Thiswouldincludenotonlyactivities,butalsocountsofthose
activitiesontheriver.
B.
OpportunitiesforandbarrierstoregionalplanningalongtheHudsonRiver
PinelandsNursery: Pinelandsnursery.comwasnotedbyonerespondenttoprovidetraining,and
isalocalsourceofbioengineeringmaterials. Therearelikelymanyothernurseriesthatprovide
similarservicesandmaterials.
2. NewYorkStandardsandSpecificationsforErosionandSedimentControls(August,2005):
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/29066.html TheNewYorkStateDepartmentof
EnvironmentalConservationannouncestheavailabilityoftheupdatedNYStandardsand
SpecificationforErosionandSedimentControl.Thisdocumentprovidesstandardsand
specificationsforselection,designandimplementationoferosionandsedimentcontrol
practices.
3. CertifiedProfessionalErosionandSedimentControl: http://www.cpesc.org/ Thepublic
demandsevidenceofprofessionalcompetencefrompersonswhoseactivitiesaffectthephysical
andeconomicalwellbeingofpeoplethroughouttheworld.Suchprofessionalsincreasinglymust
beabletoshowevidenceoftheirqualifications.TheCPESC,Inc.certifiesindividualsbasedon
thoroughexaminationandreviewofanindividual'seducational,scientificandserviceactivities
inboththepublicandprivatesector.CPESC,Inc.hasdevelopedstandardsandproceduresfor
certifyingpersonsqualifiedtopracticeinthefieldoferosionandsedimentcontrol.
Individualswhodemonstrateanestablishedminimallevelofcompetencethroughthe
applicationreviewprocessandanexaminationprocesswillbecertifiedinerosionandsediment
controlfield
by
CPESC,
Inc.
This
certification
program
is
based
upon
scholarly
preparation,
knowledgeandexperience.Certifiedprofessionalslistedontheregistrywill(a)meetthe
educationalandpracticalexperiencestandards,(b)subscribetothecodeofethics,(c)qualify
forparticularidentificationofspecialabilities,and(d)passaqualifyingexamination.
4. InternationalErosionControlAssociation:http://www.ieca.org/ TheInternationalErosion
ControlAssociation(IECA)istheworldsoldestandlargestassociationdevotedtohelping
memberssolvetheproblemscausedbyerosionanditsbyproductsediment.IECAconnects
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8/11/2019 Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project Report: DecisionMaking Regarding Shoreline Design and Management
23/23
ThriveConsulting
May17,2011
23
youto3,000memberswhospecializeinstormwatermanagementandnaturalresource
protection.
5. TheSustainableSitesInitiative(SITES)isaninterdisciplinaryeffortbytheAmericanSocietyof
LandscapeArchitects,theLadyBirdJohnsonWildflowerCenteratTheUniversityofTexasat
Austinand
the
United
States
Botanic
Garden
to
create
voluntary
national
guidelines
and
performancebenchmarksforsustainablelanddesign,constructionandmaintenancepractices.