NY Sea Grant Coastal Communities Specialist
to help protect freshwater resources

The New York Sea Grant has hired John Herring as a coastal communities specialist. Herring will work out of Sea Grant's Buffalo office, one of three Great Lakes region office in New York. His duties with New York Sea Grant's Great Lakes program will be to develop educational programming and resources that will help local elected officials, planning and zoning boards, volunteer community leaders, Chambers of Commerce, homeowners groups and nonprofit groups. He will also focus on environmental protection, particularly of water resources; land use planning and issues associated with development.

"I am looking at the opportunities to develop resources and technical assistance programming that will help communities address common issues such as water quality protection and dealing with development pressure. The goal is to help communities approach land use planning and development in a way that balances environmental and economic interests while maintaining the local character," Herring said.

Examples of the types of resources NY Sea Grant may develop for communities include training to assist local officials such as planning board members understand their roles, including what they legally must and must not do and what is subject to their discretion. This information can be useful in assuring that developers meet all relevant requirements such as specifications for new roads and other structures, thus reducing costs to the community as a whole. With adequate information, local governments can take an active part in developing their community in the way they choose, rather than simply react to outside interests.

Herring coordinated the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control program with NY Department of State's Coastal Management Program, and has been an environmental consultant. He can be reached at New York Sea Grant's Buffalo office at SUNY Buffalo, 204 Jarvis Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260-4400, 716-645-3610.

November 26, 2006