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historical emphasis on economic growth and industrial expansion has 
allowed this to happen without the full realization of the extent to 
which such uses exclude all others. As a result, 40 percent of all the 
manufacturing plants in the United States today are located within 
the borders of the coastal counties. This is clear evidence of the con- 
sequences of nonexistent land use planning. The use of coastal acreage 
for industrial or commercial purposes should be restricted to those 
enterprises with a demonstrated need for ocean accessibility. For 
example, some industries (tanker-oriented oil companies and chemical 
plants) require multifathom harbors, while others (paper, primary 
metals, power generation) require substantial water supplies in the 
course of normal operations. Yet use of coastal land for these uses 
alone has resulted in the loss of many miles of scenic shoreline. In 
‘California, for example, power companies have occupied large stretches 
of the coast for the siting of power generating facilities. Even for 
industries such as this, ways should be sought out to satisfy the opera- 
tional requirements for water while minimizing the usurpation of 
coastal land for this purpose (see accompanying article, ref. 57). 
Second, the expanding and coastward-shifting population has 
placed fantastic pressures on the shoreline for private development. 
This trend is accelerated by continuing increases in disposable income, 
leisure, and mobility. The demand for vacation homes and resort 
communities by the sea have sent land values skyrocketing. In South 
Carolina, the price of a front foot of shoreline is $1,600, while in 
Massachusetts the price of an acre of shoreland has increased by a fac- 
tor of five since 1965 to $50,000. Even the relatively wild areas of 
North Carolina and Maine, far removed from population centers and 
lacking in good transportation facilities, are now in the hands of spec- 
ulators who are assured a fantastic profit in the not too distant 
future. They are well aware of how the craving for vacation space by 
the ocean “has led to the development in such places as Virginia 
Beach, Va., and Ocean City, Md., of coastal sections in which houses, 
motels, and hotels are built as close as 6 feet apart for many miles 
along the beach.” § 
A third major factor contributing to the decrease in available 
shoreline areas for recreation is pollution, which has destroyed 
countless fish and shellfish areas and fouled beaches in and around 
every major coastal city. In Boston Harbor, many islands would offer 
excellent opportunities for a variety of water-related activities were 
it not for the poor water quality, due in part to high bacteria counts 
resulting from municipal sewage dumping and storm sewer overflow. 
Oil spills, pesticides, and industrial effluents have also taken their 
toll of valuable shoreline resources. The case of the death of Lake 
Erie is probably the most celebrated example of this serious problem. 
A final element contributing the the decreasing supply of coastal 
land is shore erosion, which is often accelerated by improper land use 
that stems from a lack of knowledge of the dynamics of beach areas. 
A recent article entitled “America’s Shoreline is Shrinking’’® points, 
out the seriousness of this problem: 
From Cape Cod to California, America’s ocean shoreline is being cut and fur- 
rowed by erosion. Much of this is the result of the ceaseless action of waves and 
8 Tbid. 
§ John Bunker, ‘‘America’s Shoreline is Shrinking,” Boston Herald Traveler, p. 23, Oct. 18, 1970. 
