(Photo: Peg Van Patten)

Conference Description

Population and economic growth in the years ahead are likely to intensify the pressure for additional coastal development. The conflict between coastal development and conservation calls for a balancing of private development goods with public rights to preservation. One of the most contentious issues in local land-use control for coastal protection is the regulatory takings problem. The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the state from taking private property except when the property is taken for public use and the owner receives just compensation.

Associated with coastal development are numerous threats to the quality and ecological functions of coastal environments. For example, these systems are important as spawning sites, nurseries and/or feeding grounds for estuarine-dependent fishes, including many commercially and recreationally important species. They also provide critical habitat for migratory shorebirds. Among the factors that threaten the health and continuity of such productive coastal habitats are increased nutrient loading and relative sea rise.

The overall goal of the conference is to explore the issue of land-use controls for preserving New England coastal areas and the takings problem. In this respect the conference will focus on the important legal and ecological issues associated with coastal development, as well as the issue of private use and public protection of coastal areas. The mix of speakers and topics should appeal to a wide audience of college students and faculty, concerned citizens, environmental lawyers and activists, NGO representatives and government officials.