Just about anyone that loves the beach wants to live right on it.

I'm guilty of this too. Unfortunately, the more I have learned about coastal erosion, the more I realize that it might not be the best for the beach.

Building property right on the beach hardens the shoreline, and makes it unable to adapt to the ever-changing coastal region.

Being from New Jersey, I saw first-hand the effects of Hurricane Sandy on our beaches. Homes were washed right into the ocean.

Moving down to Wilmington, I have also seen the erosion in the Fort Fisher area. The condos that are practically sinking into the ocean, being protected by out-of-date sand bags.

It's homeowners vs. the beach now

People understandably don't want to lose their property. Environmentalists don't want to lose the beach.

Theres got to be a way that we can have both.

Along with the many different coastal management practices, and the pros and cons that are attributed to them, so far the best way I have seen is having living shorelines and habitat restoration.

Living shorelines and habitat restoration have plants and dunes that protect your property as well as the beach.

There is unfortunately no right answer to solve the coastal erosion problem, but having homeowners and environmentalists work together, we can come up with solutions that protect the beach while also allowing you to keep your property.