hudson river sustainable shorelines project report: decision‐making regarding shoreline design and...

8/11/2019 Hudson River Sustainable Shorelines Project Report: DecisionMaking Regarding Shoreline Design and Management

1/23

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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14

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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youto3,000memberswhospecializeinstormwatermanagementandnaturalresource

protection.

5. TheSustainableSitesInitiative(SITES)isaninterdisciplinaryeffortbytheAmericanSocietyof

LandscapeArchitects,theLadyBirdJohnsonWildflowerCenteratTheUniversityofTexasat

Austinand

the

United

States

Botanic

Garden

to

create

voluntary

national

guidelines

and

performancebenchmarksforsustainablelanddesign,constructionandmaintenancepractices.

hudson river sustainable shorelines project report: decision‐making regarding shoreline design and...

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