Decision tools for sea level rise adaption in San Juan County: Connecting the dots between shoreform response and vulnerability to identify appropriate adaptation approach.

Gaining public awareness and technical resources are critical first steps towards climate change adaptation. San Juan County is comprised of over 420 miles of shoreline and over 4,600 privately owned waterfront parcels. Many of these shores comprise valuable habitats that provide the ecosystem processes, structure and functions upon which the marine food web depends. The lack of major population centers in San Juan County and the relatively rural character of the islands provide a unique opportunity for adaptation to sea level rise within a context with far fewer constraints than more urban shores. Coastal Geologic Services (CGS) has been working with Friends of the San Juan’s over the past several years to develop sea level rise planning tools for the County including a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment of San Juan County. Most recently CGS has introduced a series of decision tools (with supporting graphics) that help shoreline property owners understand how different shoretypes will naturally respond to sea level rise, the sources of vulnerability most likely to affect their shores, and the range of adaptation options for various shoretypes and levels of vulnerability. Making these connections is critical as there is a broad spectrum of shoretypes and a wide range of vulnerability across the county. Therefore there is no uniform approach or recommendation that can be applied county-wide. These tools enable property owners to identify a suite of appropriate adaptation options that fit the needs of their property. Various adaptation options are described in the project report including the costs and benefits associated with each option. These guidance materials were developed with the premise that informed decisions are better decisions and shoreline property owners are increasingly ready to move ahead with adaptation strategies