§ 34-0101 — Statement of findings

§ 34-0101. Statement of findings.\n 1. Certain sections of the coastline of the state of New York are\nprone to erosion from action of the adjacent water bodies. Such erosion\nmay be caused by the action of waves, currents running along the shore,\ntides, wind-driven water and ice as well as human activities such as\nconstruction and shipping. Such areas are also prone to erosion caused\nby the wind, runoff of rain water along the surface of the land, or\ngroundwater seepage as well as by human activities such as construction,\nnavigation and certain forms of recreation.\n 2. Coastal erosion causes extensive damage to publicly and privately\nowned property and to natural resources as well as endangering human\nlives. When this occurs, individuals and private businesses suffer\nsignificant economic losses, as does the state's economy, either\ndirectly through property damage or indirectly through loss of economic\nreturn. Large public expenditures may also be necessitated for the\nremoval of debris and damaged structures and replacement of essential\npublic facilities and services.\n 3. Man often contributes to erosion-related problems by building\nwithout considering the potential for damage to property, by undertaking\nactivities which destroy natural protective features such as dunes or\nvegetation and by building structures intended for erosion prevention\nwhich may exacerbate erosion conditions on adjacent or nearby property,\nand by water action produced by wakes from boats.\n 4. Programs to build erosion protective structures, either with\nprivate or public funds, are costly, often only partially effective over\ntime, and may even be harmful to adjacent or nearby properties, and in\nsome sections of the state major erosion protective structures of great\nlength would be required to effectively reduce future damages due to\nerosion.\n