North Carolina Division of Coastal Management Sea Level Rise Scoping Survey
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North Carolina Division of Coastal Management Sea Level Rise Scoping Survey Final Report January 19, 2010 Prepared by Tancred Miller N.C. Division of Coastal Management N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources 400 Commerce Ave Morehead City, NC 28557 Introduction The North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM) conducted a non-scientific sea level rise perception and scoping survey in the summer of 2009. The survey represented one of the beginning steps in the Division’s and Coastal Resources Commission’s (CRC) work on sea level rise as a discrete subject. The survey was intended to serve multiple purposes. The CRC and DCM are interested in the public’s perception of the reality and magnitude of sea level rise, and their perceived vulnerability to its effects. The survey also presented respondents with a number of potential response actions, and asked respondents to indicate which ones they would support and to what degree. Respondents were given, and took, the opportunity to add their own ideas through a series of open ended questions. Respondents were asked who, if anyone, they thought should be taking action on sea level rise, either in a lead or supporting role. Another purpose of the survey was to communicate to the public that the CRC and DCM have begun to approach sea level rise as a distinct subject, and are actively seeking to engage the public in the process. The Division and CRC will use the results of this survey as a tool to help understand public perception of sea level rise, to design public education and outreach efforts, and to foster collaborations with interested respondents. Open ended responses will be particularly useful for gaining insights, gathering new information, and networking with potential collaborators across the state. Methodology Staff at DCM drafted the survey instrument using the SurveyMonkey website. The instrument contained ten questions of various types, including rating scale and open ended questions. The instrument was tested and refined with the assistance of the CRC, the Coastal Resources Advisory Council, the CRC Science Panel on Coastal Hazards, and staff at DCM, the N.C. Coastal Reserves, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The survey was intended to be non-scientific. The survey was administered online through SurveyMonkey from July 21 – August 31, 2009. Respondents were solicited through direct email, DCM’s website, and various listservs. The survey also received significant coverage in the print, television and radio media during the administration phase. Respondents were ultimately self selected, and because of the broadcast nature of the solicitation, it is impossible to know how many individuals were invited to complete the survey. A copy of the survey instrument is included with this report. 1 1. Total number of clean responses North Carolina: 1076, 620 of whom own NC coastal property Non-NC: 100, 53 of whom own NC coastal property NC Counties: 77 out of 100 CAMA Counties: 18 out of 20 U.S. States: 26 out of 50 Total clean responses: 1176, 673 of whom own NC coastal property 2. Number of NC responses by county Clean responses were received from 77 of the 100 counties in North Carolina. Wake County had the highest number of responses with 204. The average number of responses per county was 14. COUNTY RESPONSES COUNTY RESPONSES COUNTY RESPONSES # # # Alamance 7 Gaston 9 Orange 57 Alexander 2 Gates 1 Other 1 Alleghany 1 Granville 3 Pamlico 13 Beaufort 39 Guilford 22 Pasquotank 7 Bertie 3 Halifax 1 Pender 18 Brunswick 63 Harnett 6 Perquimans 2 Buncombe 27 Haywood 5 Person 1 Burke 1 Henderson 3 Pitt 24 Cabarrus 2 Hoke 1 Polk 1 Caldwell 2 Iredell 6 Randolph 5 Camden 2 Johnston 10 Robeson 1 Carteret 92 Jones 1 Rockingham 3 Catawba 3 Lee 2 Rowan 2 Chatham 9 Lenoir 5 Stanly 4 Chowan 7 Lincoln 1 Stokes 1 Columbus 2 Macon 1 Transylvania 1 Craven 25 Madison 1 Tyrrell 1 Cumberland 16 Martin 1 Union 4 Currituck 7 McDowell 1 Wake 204 Dare 73 Mecklenburg 19 Warren 1 Davidson 5 Mitchell 1 Washington 3 Duplin 3 Montgomery 1 Watauga 7 Durham 33 Moore 6 Wayne 3 Edgecombe 4 Nash 6 Wilkes 3 Forsyth 20 New Hanover 114 Wilson 5 Franklin 2 Onslow 26 Yadkin 1 2 3. Number of responses by CAMA county Clean responses were received from 18 of the 20 CAMA counties in North Carolina. New Hanover County had the highest number of responses with 114. The average number of responses per county was 28. COUNTY RESPONSES COUNTY RESPONSES COUNTY RESPONSES # # # Beaufort 39 Currituck 7 Pamlico 13 Bertie 3 Dare 73 Pasquotank 7 Brunswick 63 Gates 1 Pender 18 Camden 2 Hertford 0 Perquimans 2 Carteret 92 Hyde 0 Tyrrell 1 Chowan 7 New Hanover 114 Washington 3 Craven 25 Onslow 26 3 4. Number of responses by state Clean responses were received from 26 of the 50 states in the U.S., including Hawaii. After North Carolina, Virginia had the highest number of responses with 28. STATE RESPONSES STATE RESPONSES STATE RESPONSES # # # Alabama 1 Maryland 3 Oregon 1 California 2 Massachusetts 1 Pennsylvania 8 Connecticut 1 Minnesota 1 South Carolina 23 Washington DC 1 Missouri 1 Tennessee 4 Florida 3 New Hampshire 1 Texas 5 Georgia 2 New Jersey 1 Vermont 1 Hawaii 2 New York 3 Virginia 28 Illinois 1 North Carolina 1076 West Virginia 1 Kentucky 1 Ohio 4 4 5. NC Respondents who believe that sea level rise is occurring, by county 805 of 1076 NC respondents, or 75 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring. Among CAMA counties, 346 of 496 respondents, or 70 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring. COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL RESP. RESP. RESP. Alamance 6 7 Gaston 4 9 Orange 52 57 Alexander 2 2 Gates 1 1 Other 0 1 Alleghany 1 1 Granville 3 3 Pamlico 7 13 Beaufort 28 39 Guilford 11 22 Pasquotank 5 7 Bertie 3 3 Halifax 1 1 Pender 15 18 Brunswick 43 63 Harnett 4 6 Perquimans 2 2 Buncombe 21 27 Haywood 5 5 Person 1 1 Burke 1 1 Henderson 2 3 Pitt 20 24 Cabarrus 2 2 Hoke 1 1 Polk 0 1 Caldwell 2 2 Iredell 2 6 Randolph 4 5 Camden 1 2 Johnston 8 10 Robeson 1 1 Carteret 63 92 Jones 1 1 Rockingham 1 3 Catawba 2 3 Lee 2 2 Rowan 2 2 Chatham 8 9 Lenoir 3 5 Stanly 3 4 Chowan 4 7 Lincoln 1 1 Stokes 1 1 Columbus 2 2 Macon 1 1 Transylvania 1 1 Craven 17 25 Madison 1 1 Tyrrell 1 1 Cumberland 9 16 Martin 1 1 Union 2 4 Currituck 3 7 McDowell 1 1 Wake 172 204 Dare 46 73 Mecklenburg 11 19 Warren 1 1 Davidson 2 5 Mitchell 1 1 Washington 3 3 Duplin 2 3 Montgomery 1 1 Watauga 6 7 Durham 30 33 Moore 5 6 Wayne 2 3 Edgecombe 3 4 Nash 6 6 Wilkes 3 3 Forsyth 11 20 N. Hanover 84 114 Wilson 4 5 Franklin 2 2 Onslow 20 26 Yadkin 1 1 5 6. NC Respondents who do not believe that sea level rise is occurring, by county 127 of 1076 NC respondents, or 12 percent, do not believe that sea level rise is occurring. Among CAMA counties, 84 of 496 respondents, or 17 percent, do not believe that sea level rise is occurring. COUNTY DON’T TOTAL COUNTY DON’T TOTAL COUNTY DON’T TOTAL BELIEVE RESP. BELIEVE RESP. BELIEVE RESP. Alamance 1 7 Gaston 1 9 Orange 57 Alexander 2 Gates 1 Other 1 Alleghany 1 Granville 3 Pamlico 4 13 Beaufort 6 39 Guilford 5 22 Pasquotank 7 Bertie 3 Halifax 1 Pender 2 18 Brunswick 9 63 Harnett 1 6 Perquimans 2 Buncombe 2 27 Haywood 5 Person 1 Burke 1 Henderson 3 Pitt 24 Cabarrus 2 Hoke 1 Polk 1 Caldwell 2 Iredell 6 Randolph 1 5 Camden 1 2 Johnston 10 Robeson 1 Carteret 22 92 Jones 1 Rockingham 3 Catawba 3 Lee 2 Rowan 2 Chatham 9 Lenoir 1 5 Stanly 1 4 Chowan 3 7 Lincoln 1 Stokes 1 Columbus 2 Macon 1 Transylvania 1 Craven 7 25 Madison 1 Tyrrell 1 Cumberland 4 16 Martin 1 Union 2 4 Currituck 2 7 McDowell 1 Wake 9 204 Dare 16 73 Mecklenburg 5 19 Warren 1 Davidson 1 5 Mitchell 1 Washington 3 Duplin 1 3 Montgomery 1 Watauga 1 7 Durham 2 33 Moore 6 Wayne 3 Edgecombe 4 Nash 6 Wilkes 3 Forsyth 4 20 N. Hanover 9 114 Wilson 1 5 Franklin 2 Onslow 3 26 Yadkin 1 7. Number of NC Respondents who believe they will be affected by sea level rise, by county 407 of 1076 NC respondents, or 38 percent, believe that they will be affected by sea level rise. Among CAMA counties, 169 of 496 respondents, or 34 percent, believe that they will be affected. 158 of 1076 NC respondents, or 15 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring, but do not believe that they will be affected. Among CAMA counties, 63 of 496 respondents, or 13 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring, but do not believe that they will be affected. 240 of 1076 NC respondents, or 22 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring, but do not know if they will be affected. Among CAMA counties, 114 of 496 respondents, or 23 percent, believe that sea level rise is occurring, but do not know if they will be affected. 6 COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL COUNTY BELIEVE TOTAL AFFECT RESP.