Abstract

The Albemarle-Pamlico Conservation and Communities Collaborative (AP3C), in partnership with the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, hosted a series of seven public listening sessions during the summer of 2008. The goal of these sessions was to provide residents of the Albemarle-Pamlico watershed with an opportunity to voice their concerns about the combined impacts of sea level rise and population growth and elicit their ideas about solutions. They were also intended to gauge public perceptions about landscape and social change, population growth, and sea level rise for the purpose of improving public outreach and education projects. More than 100 residents attended the sessions, representing a broad array of backgrounds and knowledge about the issues. Their comments illustrate different views about the implications of and solutions to sea level rise and population growth and provide the basis for further education and outreach.