Abstract
The United States of America (US) is a coastal nation. The majority of its citizens, and its largest cities, exist within sensitive coastal habitats. Observed and predicted sea level rise is threatening the integrity of coastal ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to describe and contextualize the existing national policy paradigms of coastal development in the US and contrast that paradigm with the needs of both humans and costal ecosystems moving forward in an era of climate change. The goal is to show how forces of path dependence and existing policy paradigms can inhibit meaningful policy solutions aimed at protecting and preserving valued ecosystem resources.