Join the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee for the third installment of its webinar series.
Unpacking Property Owners’ Shoreline Modification Decisions: Evidence from Coastal Virginia
Coastal Virginia is facing a loss of shoreline due to sea level rise and storm surge. These coastal areas are home to a large population with significant investments in coastal real estate. Because of this, many property owners already have modified or in the near future will modify their shorelines to protect them from erosion. The goal of our project is to better understand how owners make decision about managing their shoreline property. The choice of management option has implications not only for the property owners’ property but also for neighboring property and the larger ecosystem in which the property lies. In particular, we would like to better understand how to encourage property owners to install living shorelines on their properties to stabilize shorelines, reduce erosion, and provide valuable habitat that enhances coastal resilience.
Presenter: Dr. Sara L. Stafford is the Chair of the Economics Department and a Professor of Economics, Public Policy and Law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Stafford earned a B.S in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Stafford is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications in economics, public policy and interdisciplinary journals as well as a number of articles in law reviews. She has received grants from a number of organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency’s Science to Achieve Results Program, the National Science Foundation, the Blue Moon Foundation and Resources for the Future. Dr. Stafford served as the Secretary of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists from 2009 to 2013. She is currently a Director of the Eastern Economic Association and a member of the Editorial Council for the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. Her current research focuses on examining the impacts of sea level rise on individuals, local communities, and government and helping those entities prepare for and adapt to their changing environment.