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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Coastal storms and other natural processes pose particular challenges to those planning to build or buy property along the Oregon coast, and a new DVD video produced at Oregon State University provides an objective overview of those challenges and how to deal with them.

"Living on the Edge: Building and Buying Property on the Oregon Coast" is intended for developers, realtors, lenders, and coastal officials as well as builders, buyers, and homeowners. The DVD was co-produced by Oregon Sea Grant at OSU and the Oregon Coastal Management Program of the Department of Land Conservation and Development.

"Coastal communities are experiencing a surge of growth and renewal, accompanied by an influx of new residents who are attracted by the region's natural beauty and recreational opportunities," said Paul Klarin of the Oregon Coastal Management Program. "We want to provide the public with tools that will allow them to make better decisions about where and how to build along Oregon's beaches."

The 25-minute video and four additional short features on the DVD provide essential information about the chronic effects of wave, wind, and rain on coastal beaches and bluffs. While extreme events like earthquakes and tsunamis are not the focus of the DVD, the impact of these catastrophic events as well as the predicted rise in global sea levels are also highlighted. Vivid footage reveals the challenges and issues of shoreline development, while knowledgeable Oregon scientists, engineers, planners, and realtors offer their insights and recommendations to address these challenges successfully.

Jim Good, an Oregon Sea Grant coastal hazards specialist, notes that many visitors and prospective home buyers are lulled by beautiful summer days at the beach. "Beware about how calm and nice it looks in the summertime," said Good in the DVD, "because in the winter we have naturally higher sea levels and big storms that can erode beaches and cliffs. Things are a lot different between summer and winter; and summer is when most people are out looking for property."

"The overall message we want to convey," said Klarin of DLCD, "is to be diligent and informed about the unique risks that need to be considered when developing along the ocean shore."

"Living on the Edge" can be purchased for $9.95 from Sea Grant Communications, OSU, 322 Kerr Administration, Corvallis, OR 97331. Include $2 shipping and handling for the first DVD and $1 each for additional copies.