Examining coastal sense of place through community geography in Island County, Washington

Abstract

The world’s coastlines are changing, partly the result of population growth and shoreline development (e.g., infrastructure). Coastal landscape changes are reflected and experienced at the local scale, where landscape modifications and their impacts take place. Island County, Washington (U.S.) is experiencing such changes. Island County’s 349 kilometres of coastline are being impacted by the growing threat of coastal infrastructure, which hardens the shoreline and negatively impacts natural nearshore processes and habitats. Coastal changes also impact communities and their connections to the landscape. Through a community geography approach, this paper examines Island County residents’ coastal sense of place. Respondents overall have a strong coastal sense of place, including shared place meanings. This strong sense of place is associated with shoreline visit frequency and feelings about change. The paper’s findings demonstrate how residents feel and connect to the coastline, and why such local insights matter to coastal planning and recovery.

Keywords:

• Sense of place
• community geography
• coastal landscape
• Puget Sound

Acknowledgements 

The authors would like to acknowledge the support and close collaboration of the Island Local Integrating Organisation, Puget Sound Partnership, and other partners in the region. The authors would also like to acknowledge the Indigenous communities who have stewarded the region’s coastal landscapes since time immemorial.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Background research, survey implementation, and data tabulation were supported by Oregon State University’s Human Dimensions Lab, American Association of Geographers’ AAG Research Grant, and EPA STAR early career award #83694601. 

Notes on contributors

David J. Trimbach

David J. Trimbach (PhD 2016 in geography from the University of Kansas) is the Conservation Social Scientist with the Washington (USA) Department of Fish and Wildlife. He was previously a Research Associate in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University. He is an applied social scientist focussed on examining people-place relationships and human-environment interactions, including sense of place.

Lori Clark

Lori Clark is an Adaptive Management Program Supervisor at the Washington State (USA) Department of Natural Resources. She was previously the Island County Local Integrating Organisation Coordinator.

Laura Rivas

Laura Rivas is an Ecosystem Recovery Coordinator at the Puget Sound Partnership, a Washington State (USA) agency. She works with local communities to foster specific actions for salmon and ecosystem recovery plans, including with the Island County Local Integrating Organisation.

Barbara Lyon Bennett

Barbara Lyon Bennett, Gwendolyn A. G. Hannam, John Lovie, and PaulBen McElwain are all active members of the Island Local Integrating Organisation, a watershed and ecosystem recovery group, based in Island County, Washington (USA).

Gwendolyn A. G. Hannam

Barbara Lyon Bennett, Gwendolyn A. G. Hannam, John Lovie, and PaulBen McElwain are all active members of the Island Local Integrating Organisation, a watershed and ecosystem recovery group, based in Island County, Washington (USA).

John Lovie

Barbara Lyon Bennett, Gwendolyn A. G. Hannam, John Lovie, and PaulBen McElwain are all active members of the Island Local Integrating Organisation, a watershed and ecosystem recovery group, based in Island County, Washington (USA).

PaulBen McElwain

Barbara Lyon Bennett, Gwendolyn A. G. Hannam, John Lovie, and PaulBen McElwain are all active members of the Island Local Integrating Organisation, a watershed and ecosystem recovery group, based in Island County, Washington (USA).

Jacqueline Delie

Jacqueline Delie is an Independent Researcher, currently based in Corvallis, Oregon (USA). Her work explores human-wildlife relations and landscape use for community-based organisations and public land management agencies.