By Kyle Mittan
The Daily World
A day-long series of panel discussions about the environmental hazards of living on the coast — and the potential solutions — brought almost 50 state and local officials, researchers from the University of Washington and other attendees together on Friday at Westport’s Ocosta High School

The Washington Coastal Connection Series aimed to give leaders an understanding of the threats posed by offshore natural disasters and ways to improve preparation and recovery from them. The Coastal States Organization, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that shapes legislation on behalf of the nation’s 35 coastal states, and the Department of Ecology’s Washington Coastal Management program helped organize the event with Congressman Derek Kilmer.

“It’s an important issue in communities, so it’s important for the state,” said Brian Lynn, the Washington Coastal Management program manager. “It’s an issue that has many facets and many agencies and entities involved and just has a high level of need for collaboration and partnerships.”