September 15, 2004; 7:00-9:00 pm
The Future of Falmouth's South Shore: A Discussion with the Falmouth Coastal Resources Working Group
Falmouth Public Library
123 Katherine L. Bates Rd., Falmouth

If some present coastal management practices in Falmouth do not change, the results will be beaches that have to be artificially nourished because natural sediment sources have been blocked, few if any dunes, narrower shorelines as sea level rises, increased property damage from storms because protective beaches and dunes have shrunk or disappeared, an increased need for armoring, reduced public access, loss of habitat, loss of attractive coastal vistas, and rising costs to artificially maintain a coastline that cannot sustain itself. In response to these and other coastal concerns, the Falmouth Board of Selectmen, in 2000, appointed the Coastal Resources Working Group (CRWG) to: 1) identify key factors dictating the current condition of the sediment system along the south shore; 2) explore reasons for the current condition; 3) develop future scenarios of the coastal zone based on physical processes and coastal management; and 4) provide community outreach concerning coastal processes. The CRWG presented its findings and recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on May 12, 2003, and has since made presentations to several town committees and civic organizations.