With the vast majority of land-use decisions made at the local level, community officials are instrumental in influencing and directing development and conservation efforts. The S.C. Coastal Communities Initiative is a collaborative land-use planning and water quality small grants program for local decision-makers.  The purpose of the Initiative is to assist coastal communities with the development and implementation of land management policies and practices to reduce polluted stormwater runoff, protect local natural resources, and encourage sustainable development. Coastal communities participating in the Initiative are eligible to receive grants ranging from $2500 to $5000 to address a variety of issues related to open space preservation, natural resource-based planning, water quality management, alternative transportation, sustainable community planning and design, and zoning ordinances and regulations.

The Watershed Game is an interactive tool that helps community leaders understand the connections between land use, clean water and their community.  Participants learn how a variety of land uses impact water and natural resources and learn how their choices can prevent adverse impacts.  

With funding from Sea Grant's Community Climate Adaptation Initiative (CCAI), Maine Sea Grant/UMaine Extension and UMaine researchers working with the City of Ellsworth have been co-developing adaptation planning tools for decision making, mapping complex governance structures for stormwater infrastructure, downscaling modeling of extreme storm events for including seasonal changes affecting timing for city maintenance of stormwater infrastructure, developing simple scenario interactive mapping to assist in determining priorities, educational materials developed for residents on stormwater, and completing and airing of the documentary produced by Maine Public Broadcasting Network, “Culvert Operations.”

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program, a component of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium's Outreach Program, provides legal research, education, and outreach services to coastal communities in Mississippi, Alabama, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico.