New York Sea Grant Offers Training for Great Lakes Shoreline Communities

Two-part webinar series focuses on moving from planning to action on coastal resilience

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:07pm

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An extremely blurred, impressionistic photograph of a coastal shoreline, with waves gently lapping at the sand and a hazy horizon line visible through soft, warm pools of light and color, conceptually representing the transitional nature of moving from planning to implementation for coastal resilience initiatives.New York Sea Grant's training series aims to help coastal communities turn their resilience planning into on-the-ground action.NYC Today

New York Sea Grant has announced a two-part webinar series for municipal leaders involved in land use management planning and implementation along New York's Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River shorelines. The webinars will cover coastal processes impacting the region and provide tips for successfully transitioning from community planning to on-the-ground action.

Why it matters

Coastal communities along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River face unique challenges in adapting to changing shoreline dynamics and implementing resilience plans. This training series aims to equip local leaders with the knowledge and strategies to turn their planning efforts into tangible results that benefit their communities.

The details

The first webinar on May 26, 2026 will cover how shorelines respond to the natural, dynamic action of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. The second webinar on June 9, 2026 will feature a panel of local government representatives sharing best practices for keeping planning initiatives active and achieving desired community objectives. The webinars are free and open to supervisors, mayors, code enforcement officials, planners, and others involved in local land use decision-making.

  • The first webinar will be held on May 26, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • The second webinar will be held on June 9, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The players

Roy Widrig

New York Sea Grant Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist, who will provide information on how shorelines respond to the natural, dynamic and changing action of the waters along New York's Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River shorelines.

Mary Austerman

New York Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Specialist, who emphasized the importance of understanding coastal processes and regulations for land use decision-making.

Lauren Darcy

New York Sea Grant Coastal Resiliency Specialist, who works with communities along the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River and noted the webinar series is designed to maintain momentum from planning to implementation of community goals.

New York Sea Grant

A statewide, university-based program that connects research, outreach, and education to the needs of New York's coastal communities, environments, and economies.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

A partner organization providing support for New York Sea Grant's Resilient Communities and Economies programming.

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What they’re saying

“It is critical for those at the forefront of land use decision making and implementation to understand the coastal processes that impact the land in their area, as well as New York State regulatory and permitting requirements.”

— Mary Austerman, New York Sea Grant Coastal Community Development Specialist

“A lot of visioning and work go into comprehensive, open space, climate smart, and local waterfront revitalization planning, this webinar series is designed to keep that momentum going to ensure that the planning goals come to fruition.”

— Lauren Darcy, New York Sea Grant Coastal Resiliency Specialist

What’s next

Interested municipal leaders can register for the free webinars at nyseagrant.org/ccd or call 315-312-3042 for more information.

The takeaway

This training series demonstrates New York Sea Grant's commitment to supporting coastal communities in transitioning from planning to tangible action on resilience initiatives, equipping local leaders with the knowledge and strategies to turn their visions into reality.