Seacoast Online covers Beaches Conference
Seacoast Online reported on the 11th Beaches Conference held in Wells and hosted by the Maine Sea Grant College Program at the University of Maine. The conference, which is held every two years, was expanded this year to include New Hampshire, according to the article. “The focus of this conference is to bring the diverse beach stakeholders — from landowners to businesses, municipalities, researchers and conservation groups — together to provide for exchange of the most current information and to present the findings from Maine and New Hampshire beach-monitoring programs,” said event organizer Kristen Grant, a marine extension associate with Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension. The proximity of coastal New Hampshire and Southern Maine to urban centers such as Boston, has translated into significant population and development pressure as these metropolitan areas expand, the article states. “We want to help all the stakeholders in these coastal communities plan for the future and adapt to the changing issues,” she said. “Our goal is to engage everyone in the conversations about the issues facing our beaches.”