Washington State Parks Shoreline Classification and Inventory Process: Using Geospatial Information to Assess Potential Climate Change Impacts

Park managers are given the specific and challenging responsibility of acting as stewards of the natural environment for the public (Sternloff and Warren, 1984). The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission mission statement states that the agency “protects a diverse system of recreational, cultural, historical and natural sites”, “fosters outdoor recreation and education” as well as provides “a valued legacy to future generations” (Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, 2005). It is however difficult to balance public recreational use and protecting shoreline natural resources, especially when confounded by additional stresses and environmental changes potentially resulting from climate change (Suffling and Scott, 2002). For example, it is predicted that sea level rise along Washington State may be as high as 22 inches by 2050 and 50 inches by 2100 (Mote et al. 2008).

The overall goal of this project is to develop guidance on how to prepare effective marine shoreline assessments for park planners that provide an adequate baseline for assessing potential impacts of climate change. Coastal managers need to incorporate socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors, and their interactions, in a scientifically sound and timely manner (Burbridge 1998; Westmacott 2001). Crucial to the development of effective park plans that protect coastal systems is an inventory and assessment of various physical processes, biological features, and land use alterations (Fimbel et al. 2004). First, all the Washington State coastal parks will be classified according to coastal type, using a marine classification decision support system previously developed by CSI. A pilot subset of three coastal parks representing different coastal types will be chosen to be further assessed using a modified approach that has been developed to conduct shoreline inventories and analyses in Washington State (Donoghue et al. 2006; Gabriel et al. 2005). Specific variables to be included will be based on needs identified in the Washington State Parks Natural Resource Management Policy (Fimbel et al., 2004). Extensive, comprehensive and easily accessible data sources, including aerial photographs, maps and digital databases, have already been compiled by RGIS-PN as part of a decision support system developed with the Washington Department of Ecology. The baseline inventories of abiotic, biological and cultural conditions for each park and its associated drift cells will identify existing conditions, determine functions and values of shoreline resources, and explore opportunities for conservation and restoration of park shoreline resources and ecological functions.

The guidance will explore the various methods of how to obtain and overlay climate change scenario data (e.g. temperature, precipitation and sea-level rise forecasts) at appropriate scales and describe what specific characteristics of physical, biological and land use modifications must be considered in relation to potential climate change impacts noted in the scientific literature (e.g. Park et al., 1993). These findings will also provide a framework to collect and evaluate geospatial information to meet management, including a natural resource database, habitat assessment and monitoring, land classification and conservation planning, and protection of biodiversity and geologic processes (Fimbel et al., 2004).