Photograph: © SAF — Coastal Care
Excerpts;
The Surfrider Foundation released the 2017 State of the Beach Report Card, which evaluate 30 states and the territory of Puerto Rico on policies to address coastal erosion, sea level rise and extreme weather events.
The results reveal that 22 out of 30 states, and the territory of Puerto Rico, are performing at adequate to poor levels, with the lowest grades located in regions that are most heavily impacted by extreme weather events.
Surfrider’s report card clearly denotes that not only do the majority of states need to make improvements, but they also require continued support at the federal level for the Coastal Zone Management Act and funding for agencies such as NOAA, to protect our coastlines for the future…
Thirteen states scored a D or F, including states that have fared the worst in hurricanes over the past several years. Every single Gulf state scored a D or F – except Texas, which scored a C. As about 40 percent of the U.S. population lives along America’s coastlines and the ocean economy contributes more than $352 billion to U.S. GDP annually, the protection of our beaches and coastlines is not only important for our environment but it’s also in the nation’s best economic interest.
Read Full Article, Surfrider Foundation (11-07-2017)
“2017 State of the Beach Report;” By Surfrider Foundation (11-07-2017)
