5.3 SHORELAND HABITATS 



Shoreland habitats for this discussion include the portions of the inter- 

 tidal zone above mean low tide — brackish water marshes, fresh water wetlands, 

 and all terrestrial habitats such as beaches, dunes, old fields, and wood- 

 lands. 



The Mid Atlantic region (New York through Virginia) estuarine and 

 nearshore environments are dominated by large estuaries, barrier islands, and 

 coastal marshes which form in the quiet estuarine and barrier island lagoon 

 environments (23). All of these areas, as well as the barrier beaches and 

 sea islands of the South Atlantic region, are of importance to regional wild- 

 life, waterfowl, and marine species. Impacts of these areas must be consid- 

 ered adverse and significant. The most conspicuous wildlife in the Atlantic 

 coastal region are the numerous migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. A 

 major segment of the Atlantic Flyway bird population passes through this 

 region each spring and fall, and many overwinter. More than 75 percent 

 of the Flyway' s Canada goose population winters on or near tidewater, 

 from Kent County, Maryland to Hyde County in North Carolina. The marshes 

 and grain fields of the Delmarva Peninsula are particularly attractive to 

 Canada geese and to grain-feeding black ducks and mallards. About half of 

 the whistling swans in North America winter on the estuaries of Chesapeake Bay 

 and Currituck Sound. The total wintering population of waterfowl exceeds 

 3,000,000 birds. The region is the center for waterfowl hunting in 

 the eastern United States, and each year it attracts thousands of hunters. 



The extensive marshes along the coast and streams of the coastal plain 

 provide habitat for innumerable species of aquatic birds (both resident and 

 migratory) and mammals. Additionally, the estuarine marshes are a vital link 



58 



