North Carolina Coastal FederationNorth Carolina Coastal Federation

Citizens Working Together for a Healthy Coastal Environment

Ted Wilgis – Cape Fear Coastkeeper

EducationEducationStudents and TeachersStudents and Teachers

• Field trips, Field trips,

• Classroom curriculum, Classroom curriculum,

• Teacher training, Teacher training,

• Wetland nursery programWetland nursery program

• Oyster restoration activitiesOyster restoration activities

PublicPublic

• Workshops Workshops

• PublicationsPublications

• Stewardship activitiesStewardship activities

Restoration & PreservationRestoration & Preservation

North River Farm - Wetland RestorationNorth River Farm - Wetland Restoration

Advocacy & Enforcement: Coastkeeper ProgramAdvocacy & Enforcement: Coastkeeper Program

Cape Fear, Cape Lookout Cape Fear, Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras and Cape Hatteras CoastkeepersCoastkeepers

Work w/ other NC Keepers Work w/ other NC Keepers Cape Fear River, New River, Cape Fear River, New River, NeuseNeuse

Advocacy – environmental Advocacy – environmental enforcement and complianceenforcement and compliance

Education and empowerment Education and empowerment

MonitoringMonitoring

RestorationRestoration

  

Miles of ocean beaches: Miles of ocean beaches: 320 320 Miles of estuarine shoreline: Miles of estuarine shoreline:

over 4,000 over 4,000 Acres of sounds, creeks and Acres of sounds, creeks and

marshes: marshes: 2 million-plus2 million-plus # of river basins draining to the # of river basins draining to the

coast: coast: 88 # of NC counties & sq. miles # of NC counties & sq. miles

that drain to the coast: that drain to the coast: 70 & 70 & 32,311 sq. miles32,311 sq. miles

% of East Coast commercial % of East Coast commercial fishery species that depend on fishery species that depend on NC’s estuaries: NC’s estuaries: 50-70%50-70%

North Carolina’s CoastNorth Carolina’s Coast

What Is CAMA?What Is CAMA?

The Coastal Area Management Act, or The Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, is the state law that balances CAMA, is the state law that balances development with environmental protection development with environmental protection along North Carolina’s coast.along North Carolina’s coast.

CAMA established Areas of Environmental CAMA established Areas of Environmental Concern, areas that are subject to natural Concern, areas that are subject to natural hazards or have environmental, social, hazards or have environmental, social, economic or aesthetic significance.economic or aesthetic significance.

CAMA TimelineCAMA Timeline

1972: Federal Coastal Zone Management Act1972: Federal Coastal Zone Management Act 1974 – State Coastal Area Management Act 1974 – State Coastal Area Management Act

(CAMA)(CAMA) 1978 – Feds approve state program1978 – Feds approve state program

CAMA WorkingsCAMA Workings

Affects 20 coastal Affects 20 coastal countiescounties

Rules developed by Rules developed by Coastal Resources Coastal Resources Commission (CRC)Commission (CRC)

Administered by Administered by Division of Coastal Division of Coastal Management (DCM)Management (DCM)

Coastal Resources CommissionCoastal Resources Commission

The 15-member CRC, The 15-member CRC, appointed by the Governor,appointed by the Governor,

establishes policies for the N.C. Coastal Management establishes policies for the N.C. Coastal Management Program and adopts implementing rules for both Program and adopts implementing rules for both CAMA and the N.C. Dredge and Fill Act.CAMA and the N.C. Dredge and Fill Act.

The commission designates areas of environmental The commission designates areas of environmental concern (AECs), sets policies and adopts rules for concern (AECs), sets policies and adopts rules for coastal development within AECs, certifies local land-coastal development within AECs, certifies local land-use plans, and hears permit variance requests and use plans, and hears permit variance requests and appeals.appeals.

NC Division of Coastal Management NC Division of Coastal Management action items:action items:

Permitting and EnforcementPermitting and Enforcement Federal ConsistencyFederal Consistency Land Use PlanningLand Use Planning North Carolina Coastal ReserveNorth Carolina Coastal Reserve Waterfront Access SitesWaterfront Access Sites

““Development”Development”

““Any activity … . . involving, requiring or Any activity … . . involving, requiring or consisting of construction or consisting of construction or enlargement of a structure; excavation; enlargement of a structure; excavation; dredging; filling; dumping; mining; dredging; filling; dumping; mining; bulk heading; driving pilings; clearing bulk heading; driving pilings; clearing or alteration of land as an adjunct of or alteration of land as an adjunct of construction; alteration or removal of construction; alteration or removal of sand dunes; alteration of the shore, sand dunes; alteration of the shore, bank or bottom of the Atlantic Ocean or bank or bottom of the Atlantic Ocean or any sound, by, river, creek, stream, lake any sound, by, river, creek, stream, lake or canal.”or canal.”

Areas of Environmental Concern Areas of Environmental Concern (AEC)(AEC)

Estuarine waters and public trust areasEstuarine waters and public trust areas Estuarine shoreline:Estuarine shoreline: 30 ft. or 75 ft. from mean 30 ft. or 75 ft. from mean

high water, 575 ft. from ORWhigh water, 575 ft. from ORW Coastal wetlandsCoastal wetlands Ocean hazard areas: Ocean hazard areas: ocean beaches, areas near ocean beaches, areas near

inlets, behind the dunesinlets, behind the dunes Public water suppliesPublic water supplies Natural and cultural resource areasNatural and cultural resource areas

Coastal Shoreline RulesCoastal Shoreline RulesBasic StandardsBasic Standards

Less than 30% impervious coverage along Less than 30% impervious coverage along Coastal Shoreline AECs, innovative Coastal Shoreline AECs, innovative stormwater systems acceptable (75’ AEC)stormwater systems acceptable (75’ AEC)

Less than 25% impervious coverage along Less than 25% impervious coverage along ORW coastal shoreline AECs, stormwater ORW coastal shoreline AECs, stormwater systems not allowed (575’ AEC)systems not allowed (575’ AEC)

Permit TypesPermit Types Major Permits: Major Permits: 10 10

state and four federal state and four federal agencies must review agencies must review

General Permits: General Permits: Projects that usually Projects that usually pose little or no threat pose little or no threat to the environmentto the environment

Minor Permits: Minor Permits: Projects that don't Projects that don't require major permits require major permits or general permitsor general permits

Major PermitsMajor Permits

Another state or federal Another state or federal permit, license or permit, license or authorizationauthorization

Excavation or drilling of Excavation or drilling of natural resourcesnatural resources

Construction of one or Construction of one or more buildings that cover more buildings that cover more than 60,000 sq. ft. more than 60,000 sq. ft. on a single parcelon a single parcel

Alteration of more than 20 Alteration of more than 20 acres of land or wateracres of land or water

Beach Fill – Nourishment & Beach Fill – Nourishment & Inlet AlterationInlet Alteration

““Piecemealing”Piecemealing”

Breaking major projects in smaller pieces to avoid Breaking major projects in smaller pieces to avoid major CAMA reviewmajor CAMA review

Cumulative environmental effects of a projects Cumulative environmental effects of a projects are minimizedare minimized

Example The Peninsula of Surf CityExample The Peninsula of Surf City

Reviewing PermitsReviewing Permits

Public process, public documentsPublic process, public documents Required notice in local newspaperRequired notice in local newspaper 30-day comment period30-day comment period Getting there before the ‘dozersGetting there before the ‘dozers

BuffersBuffers

CRC passed rule in 2000CRC passed rule in 2000 30 feet from normal high30 feet from normal high

waterwater Affects only new Affects only new

constructionconstruction Only “water-dependent Only “water-dependent

structures” – docks, boat structures” – docks, boat rampsramps

Vegetation can be trimmed, Vegetation can be trimmed, cutcut

Utilize and protect natural vegetative Utilize and protect natural vegetative buffers – The Goodbuffers – The Good

……the Bad and the the Bad and the

UglyUgly

MarinasMarinas

Can alter shoreline, Can alter shoreline, pollute waterpollute water

Must accommodate at Must accommodate at least 10 boatsleast 10 boats

Rules encourage upland Rules encourage upland sitessites

Open water sites should Open water sites should avoid dredging and can’t avoid dredging and can’t close shellfish watersclose shellfish waters

Example: McGinnis PointExample: McGinnis Point

Marina DevelopmentMarina Development

New marinas located within public trust New marinas located within public trust waters will require initial review through waters will require initial review through the NC State Environmental Policy Act the NC State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process.(SEPA) process.

The outcomes of the Environmental The outcomes of the Environmental Assessment would be either a Finding of Assessment would be either a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) or an No Significant Impact (FONSI) or an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

Land-Use PlansLand-Use Plans

One of CAMA main requirementsOne of CAMA main requirements Collection of policies that serve as a community’s Collection of policies that serve as a community’s

blueprint for growthblueprint for growth Updated every 5 yearsUpdated every 5 years Public participation required, criticalPublic participation required, critical No CAMA permits if inconsistent with planNo CAMA permits if inconsistent with plan Can be useful enforcement tool: Cape Lookout Can be useful enforcement tool: Cape Lookout

Marina, Gallants Channel bridgeMarina, Gallants Channel bridge

Coastal WetlandsCoastal Wetlands Any project involving land Any project involving land

disturbance or construction disturbance or construction adjacent to or within any adjacent to or within any type of wetlands should be type of wetlands should be reviewed by a DCM or reviewed by a DCM or USACOE representative.USACOE representative.

Remember that the EMC’s Remember that the EMC’s 50 ft. buffer in the Neuse and 50 ft. buffer in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins is Tar-Pamlico River Basins is measured from the landward measured from the landward edge of coastal marsh.edge of coastal marsh.

Typical Problems

Routine aerial surveillance flight Routine aerial surveillance flight revealed spoil behind the house in what revealed spoil behind the house in what

appears to be coastal wetlands.appears to be coastal wetlands.

Division of Coastal Division of Coastal Management WebsiteManagement Website

http://www.nccoastalmanagement.nethttp://www.nccoastalmanagement.net

Explosive Population Explosive Population GrowthGrowth

Development & Development & Infrastructure PressuresInfrastructure Pressures

Loss of Coastal Habitats and Loss of Coastal Habitats and their Buffering Capacitiestheir Buffering Capacities

Stormwater Control and Stormwater Control and Run-offRun-off

Issues Facing NC’s CoastIssues Facing NC’s Coast

Loss of Coastal HabitatsLoss of Coastal Habitats Over 50% of coastal plain Over 50% of coastal plain

wetlands in NC have been lostwetlands in NC have been lost

12,000 acres of wetlands 12,000 acres of wetlands ditched & drained under the ditched & drained under the Tulloch exemption in 1998Tulloch exemption in 1998

Approximately 30 miles of Approximately 30 miles of estuarine shoreline habitat is estuarine shoreline habitat is lost each year due to hardening lost each year due to hardening (bulkheads, rip-rap)(bulkheads, rip-rap)

Amount of Pavement = Health of Receiving Amount of Pavement = Health of Receiving WatersWaters

From UNCW – Mallin et al

Effects from Effects from Stormwater Stormwater RunoffRunoff• Closed shellfishing Closed shellfishing areasareas

• Swimming advisories Swimming advisories

• Algal blooms Algal blooms

• Fish killsFish kills

• Flooding & property Flooding & property damagedamage

One local story - Howe CreekOne local story - Howe Creek

19841984 20002000

Opportunity Lost ? South Brunswick Water & Sewer AuthorityOpportunity Lost ? South Brunswick Water & Sewer Authority

Point Source Pollution - NPDESPoint Source Pollution - NPDES

Chronic Violators

Aging Infrastructure

Beach Nourishment and Inlet Manipulation