A risk assessment approach to management of estuarine dunefields

A land use-based risk assessment was applied to dunefields in Virginiaʹs portion of the Chesapeake Bay in response to natural resource managers’ concerns and questions about the status of the resource, and the assumption that a new regulatory program should be initiated to manage development in dunefields. The risk assessment used social and physical metrics to focus the managers’ concern to a limited number of high-risk areas of significant natural resource value. Management alternatives were developed and adopted that were based on the conclusions of the risk assessment. The managers rejected their initial ideas of expanding the jurisdictions of existing programs or developing new regulatory programs and instead will implement land control for the areas of greatest value and highest risk. The risk assessment was successful in guiding the managers toward the most effective and cost efficient management strategy.