Posted on February 11, 2020
An Oregon land use policy creates a large economic value for some private homeowners who are allowed to protect their shoreline against erosion, according to a new Oregon State University study.
The study, published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, also comes at a time when the future of coastal management in Oregon is up for discussion given the threats of sea-level rise due to climate change.
Oregon’s Statewide Land Use Planning Goals inform mandatory and comprehensive land-use plans at the local level. Goal 18 sets rules for protecting beaches and dunes from development and reducing impacts from natural hazards, including a prohibition on “armoring” private property. Armoring the shoreline with sloped structures composed of large rocks slows down erosion on that property – but it has potential to change sediment flows, redirects wave action, and disrupts recreation access and aesthetics.
Source: coastalnewstoday.com
