The Arithmetic of Coastal Retreat with Rob Young

October 4, 2020

Rob is back to repot on his new study on buyouts in NTB

On this episode, Peter and Tyler speak with Rob Young, Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines at Western Carolina University. Rob and his teammates have recently completed a the first in a series of case studies aimed at "examining the feasibility and economics of targeted acquisition strategies in oceanfront, resort communities." The first study, released last month, targets the north end of North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, an area battling severe coastal erosion. We talk with Rob about his methods, findings, and conclusions.

Link to report.

Show Transcription

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Peter Ravella & Tyler Buckingham

Peter and Tyler joined forces in 2015 and from the first meeting began discussing a project that would become Coastal News Today and the American Shoreline Podcast Network. At the time, Peter and Tyler were coastal consultants for Pete’s firm, PAR Consulting, LLC. In that role, they worked with coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, engaged in grant writing, coastal project development, shoreline erosion and land use planning, permitting, and financial planning for communities undertaking big beach restoration projects. Between and among their consulting tasks, they kept talking and kept building the idea of CNT & ASPN. In almost every arena they worked, public engagement played a central role. They spent thousands of hours talking with coastal stakeholders, like business owners, hotel operators, condo managers, watermen, property owners, enviros, surfers, and fishermen. They dived deep into the value, meaning, and responsibility for the American shoreline, segment-by-segment. Common threads emerged, themes were revealed, differences uncovered. There was a big conversation going on along the American shoreline! But, no place to have it. That's where CNT and ASPN were born.