| In order to be responsive to the array of conditions and issues along New York's thousands of miles of shoreline, the Division of Coastal Resources engages in many local initiatives. Over 201 communities are working in partnership with the Division. These local initiatives are geared to the specific environmental, economic, and cultural characteristics of each community - developing public access, providing recreational opportunities, protecting historic and natural resources, improving water quality and revitalizing communities by enhancing their waterfronts. On this website the Division of Coastal Resources celebrates some of these successful local initiatives and relates their stories and experiences to help others create and implement a community waterfront vision.
Most importantly, the Division of Coastal Resources, recognizes that local governments and communities are in the best position to determine their waterfront needs. The Division of Coastal Resources encourages waterfront communities to guide the beneficial use, revitalization, and protection of their waterfront resources by implementing Local Waterfront Revitalization Programs (LWRP) - a locally prepared, comprehensive land and water use plan for a community's natural, public, working and developed waterfronts. The Program provides a comprehensive management structure enabling a community to resolve critical coastal issues.
A recent initiative of the Division of Coastal Resources is the New York State Coastal Resources Interpretive Program. This is New York's first comprehensively designed interpretive signage system for use in all coastal and waterfront communities. Whether the community is located on marine waters or fresh waters, lake, river or ocean, NYSCRIP can be used to interpret common themes that define New York's coasts and waterfronts.
Across New York State’s coasts and waterfronts a series of interpretive signage systems have appeared. Some are localized, while others encompass many miles of shoreline spanning several communities. In many cases, there is little to no coordination among these systems, with no design element linking them.
The NYSCRIP signage system is designed to provide that coordinating link - if a person views a NYSCRIP sign on Long Island and then views another on the Hudson River and then another on Seneca Lake, that person will recognize that all the signs feature the same design look, and the messages are similar, yet unique for the community, part of a state-wide system.
NYSCRIP signage will be used by communities to connect people living along New York State’s coasts and waterways, to encourage residents and visitors that travel along New York’s coasts and waterways to enjoy the historic, cultural, and natural coastal resources, and to heighten the awareness of the environmental, social and economic value of New York State’s coasts and waterways. Funding to enable communities to implement NYSCRIP is available through the Environmental Protection Fund. |
