Nature-Based Stabilizing Shorelines, Permitting & Monitoring Info for NY’s Coastal Communities

OSWEGO – Oswego, New York; October 19, 2026. New York Sea Grant, the New York State (NYS) Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), NYS Department of State (DOS), and representatives of local agencies will present a free, 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Stabilizing Shorelines with Nature-Based Solutions webinar on November 13, 2026, to help communities facing flooding, coastal change, and other challenges impacting coastal areas from New York’s Great Lakes and Hudson River regions to New York City and Long Island. Shoreline project contractors, engineers, and practitioners; floodplain and land managers; residents and not-for-profits interested to participate in this Stabilizing Shorelines with Nature-Based Solutions webinar can register at nyseagrant.info/NBS2026. For assistance, contact New York Sea Grant at 315-312-3042.

This webinar will include:
. nature-based shoreline management success stories and case studies,
. shoreline project permitting requirements (DEC),
. monitoring program information (DOS), and
. resources available to help New York state’s coastal communities.

New York Sea Grant provides this assistance with partial support from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Great Lakes Program.

New York Sea Grant Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialists Roy L. Widrig and Kathleen M. Fallon, Ph.D., will host the webinar. Fallon notes, “While hardened structures have traditionally been used to address shoreline erosion risk, there is increased interest in integrating natural and nature-based features to improve resilience.”

Widrig adds, “This webinar will share information on the types of shorelines where nature-based features can be helpful, how to stream project permitting, and how to monitor a project’s effectiveness and use data to adapt management as the local shoreline changes over time.”

In 2025, more than 90 percent of 450-plus participants in New York Sea Grant-facilitated forums, workshops, and symposiums held downstate indicated they expected to apply what they learned about nature-based shoreline management.

Upstate, New York Sea Grant has responded to requests for educational events for area residents to learn about the coastal processes, sandy shoreline dynamics, and the requirements for projects to manage flooding and shoreline erosion along the Great Lakes. In Sodus Point, New York Sea Grant assisted a dune restoration project that was recognized with a Best Restored Beach Award from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York with a statewide network that integrates research, education, and extension services focused on coastal community economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and citizen awareness and understanding about New York’s Great Lakes and marine resources. New York Sea Grant is one of 34 university-based programs under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program.

PHOTO: This nature-based living shoreline installation was in response to high water flooding and erosion in 2019. Photo: New York Sea Grant