This study examines the process of shoreline regulation through the citizen-led permitting process by local wetlands boards in Virginia, focusing on the perceptions of the permit decision-making team and the factors considered in their decision making. Analysis of the decision process reveals the intricacies of the management of tidal wetlands and how they affect the long-term sustainability of wetlands. Results show that the process of compromise and negotiation with property owners is valued highly as part of the permit-seeking process, resulting in very few permits being denied. Decision makers perceived that environmental change and increased flooding are risks to their community, but also that their decisions are balancing environmental concerns and protecting wetlands. This perception that permit decisions appropriately protect tidal wetlands is at odds with studies by wetlands scientists that suggest the citizen regulatory process fails to achieve the no net loss of wetlands policy goals and does not result in sustainability for wetlands.

本研究探讨了弗吉尼亚州当地湿地委员会通过公民主导的许可程序进行海岸线监管的过程，重点关注许可决策团队的看法以及他们在决策中考虑的因素。对决策过程的分析揭示了潮汐湿地管理的复杂性以及它们如何影响湿地的长期可持续性。结果表明，作为寻求许可证过程的一部分，与业主的妥协和谈判过程受到高度重视，导致很少有许可证被拒绝。决策者认为环境变化和洪水增加对他们的社区构成风险，但他们的决定也是在平衡环境问题和保护湿地之间。这种认为允许决策适当保护潮汐湿地的观点与湿地科学家的研究不一致，这些研究表明公民监管过程未能实现湿地无净损失的政策目标，并且不会导致湿地的可持续性。