ABSTRACT
Public policy actions to promote the use of living shorelines have been implemented by regional and national governmental entities in the United States and Europe. In the United States, many coastal states have opted for either legislative requirements or the more popular option of employing incentives or fiscal aid for the implementation of living shorelines as a preferred shoreline management approach. The living shoreline management approaches represent a paradigm shift as they work with rather than against natural nearshore processes. Many of the criticisms voiced are related to the misidentification of a practice that does not meet standard criteria as a living shoreline. While living shorelines are grounded in well-established restoration science and practices, these projects are designed in different ways to accommodate both human use and ecological goals. The potential added value of a dynamic living shoreline serving as a climate adaptation strategy to conserve coastal resilience makes that goal particularly meaningful.
