Abstract

The 2015 Maine and New Hampshire Coastal Resident Survey helps identify the perceptions, values, and attitudes of Maine and New Hampshire residents about water quality along the Gulf of Maine coast. The survey also identifies perceptions of risk, assesses information gathering behaviors related to water quality, and provides the context to improve the alignment of coastal management practices with resident attitudes.

Project Description

As increases in tourism and recreational opportunities bring more coastal visitors to the Gulf of Maine, coastal water quality becomes an increasingly serious public health and environmental issue. The Maine and New Hampshire Coastal Resident Survey is part of a larger research effort through the New England Sustainability Consortium (NEST) Safe Beaches and Shellfish Project to address data gaps and provide scientific information to inform policy assessment and design. The survey focuses on the valuation, perceptions, and attitudes of Maine and New Hampshire residents regarding water quality along the Gulf of Maine coast. The goals of this survey include:
 

• Gather information on attitudes about local and state government agencies: trust in government, effectiveness of the government to address coastal issues, and responsibility toward water quality
• Identify resident priorities for coastal management, resident understanding of factors contributing to water quality, and resident evaluation of the consequences of impaired (and improved) waters
• Assess resident willingness to pay to improve coastal water quality
• Capture how personal characteristics of the individual—including climate change beliefs, trust in science, and other environmental behaviors—may influence knowledge and choices about coastal water quality
• Provide insight and context to better align management practices with resident perspectives for improved policy effectiveness