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WHAT IS THE LICA is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 1989 to give coastal communities, property owner associations, condominiums and co-ops, individual property owners, and coast-related and maritime business people a voice in the coastal policy-making process. Too often, the interests and rights of these groups are lost sight of as a myriad of government agencies jockey for position in their effort to carry out their various "mandates." Federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and many others have valid roles to play with respect to coastal policy. At the state level, key players include the Departments of State and Environmental Conservation. City, county and town governments are also involved, particularly with respect to land use and zoning issues. Each of these governments and agencies employ experts to develop, implement and enforce coastal policies that affect citizens’ rights with respect to the ownership, use, protection and enjoyment of their coastal properties. LICA provides a forum for discussion of the policy issues and periodic conflicts that arise from coastal activities. Through its newsletter, Coastal Reports, the issues are regularly reviewed and analyzed. Among those covered have been the attempts by government to remove leaseholders from beaches, the engineering debacle represented by the Westhampton Beach groinfield, the impact of sewage treatment plants on the effort to clean up Long Island Sound, Governor Cuomo’s Coastal Erosion Task Force, Governor Pataki’s South Shore Estuary Reserve, inlet bypassing and many others. No other Long Island publication covers these issues regularly or in depth. LICA holds Long Island’s only annual coastal conference each April, attracting speakers on technical, economic, social and environmental issues related to the coastline. Federal, state and local elected and appointed officials, engineers, scientists, lawyers, lobbyists and individual property owners have all appeared at the LICA Conference. The conference proceedings provide a summary of the development of coastal policy on Long Island since 1990. Coastal Reports, Inc. is a consultancy formed in 1989 by Gerard Stoddard, a public affairs and communications specialist, to provide management services to LICA and publish Coastal Reports. Mr. Stoddard, Chairman of LICA and a summer resident of Fire Island since 1965, has been president of the Fire Island Association since 1987. Supporting Long Island’s Coastal Communities and Businesses 263 West 20th Street e-mail licafia@worldnet.att.net
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