NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL FEDERATION NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL FEDERATION COSATATES OF T THE REPORT NCCF BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Melvin Shepard, Jr. Sneads Ferry VICE PRESIDENT Dick Bierly Morehead City TREASURER Olivia Holding Raleigh SECRETARY Meg Rawls Beaufort BOARD MEMBERS NCCF’s 11th Annual State of the Coast Report Sam Bland, Emerald Isle; Bill Ducker, Sunset Beach; Susan Edwards, Greensboro; Emily Farmer, Emerald Isle; The intent of the State of the Coast Report is to provide citizens who care about our coast with a tool to Ernie Foster, Hatteras; James Barrie Gaskill, Ocracoke; better understand issues, challenges, and solutions that are key to our coast’s health. We hope this Bill Hunneke, Greenville; Minnie Hunt, Sunset Beach; Jackie Mardan, Wilmington; Mary Hunter Martin, Raleigh; Randy publication will move you to participate in the restoration and protection of our coast. To learn more, call the Mason, Emerald Isle; Edmund “Beau” McCaffray, Wilmington; NC Coastal Federation at 252-393-8185 or check our website, www.nccoast.org. The opinions expressed Dot McGee, Raleigh; Margie Misenheimer, Marshallburg; David M. Paynter, Wilmington; Ely Perry, III, Kinston; in the State of the Coast Report represent the views of the NC Coastal Federation. Lewis Piner, Wendell; John Runkle, Chapel Hill; Bland Simpson, Chapel Hill; Donna Snead, Emerald Isle; John R. (Jack) Spruill, Hampstead; Doug Wakeman, Acknowledgments Pittsboro; Keith Walker, Beaufort; Ginger Webster, Corolla; Stephen Wolfe, Jamesville. This publication required a major effort that combined the expertise of many people. Frank Tursi, NCCF’s Cape Lookout COASTKEEPER®, was the report’s editor and lead author. Jim Stephenson, the DIRECTORS EMERITUS Federation’s Policy Analyst, and Jan DeBlieu, our Cape Hatteras COASTKEEPER® , also contributed major Ann Carter, Bob Daland, Kathryn Howd, Sarah Hamilton and Bob Hall articles. Sally Steele, NCCF’s Development Director, proofread the articles, and Anita Lancaster designed the publication. STAFF We are also grateful to the following people who contributed time and effort: Karen Amspacher, Harkers EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Todd Miller Island; Reed Armstrong, Coastal Conservation League, Beaufort, SC; Gerry Barrett, co-chair, Down East [email protected] VOLUNTEER MANAGER Rachael Carlyle Tomorrow; Barbara Garrity-Blake, member, NC Marine Fisheries Commission; Tracy Bland, Camden [email protected] Citizens’ League; Emory and Emma Campbell, Hilton Head, SC; Willie Mack Carawan, Tyrrell County CAPE HATTERAS Jan DeBlieu COASTKEEPER [email protected] manager; Walter Clark, coastal community and policy specialist, NC Sea Grant; Joanne Baum Clift, Skyco; CAPE FEAR COASTKEEPER Mike Giles [email protected] Anthony J. Criscitiello, director of planning, Beaufort County, SC; David Gallop, Tyrrell County; Daniel HABITAT RESTORATION Sarah King Galloway, Varnumtown; Gary Galloway, Varnumtown; John Holloman, natural resource planner, Beaufort SPECIALIST [email protected] PROGRAM DIRECTOR Lauren Kolodij County, SC; Dave Inscoe, executive director, Carteret Economic Development; Rodney Kemp, Morehead [email protected] City; Walter Mack, deputy director, The Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC; Carolyn Mason, co-chair, BUSINESS MANAGER Jo Ann Marsh [email protected] Down East Tomorrow; Randy Micholson, town planner, Hilton Head, SC; Ralph Middleton, St. Helena PLANNING & Christine Miller S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR [email protected] Island, SC; Bob Oakes, Nags Head town commissioner; Gene Orage, Hilton Head, SC; Willy Phillips, E V I EDUCATION COORDINATOR Sarah Phillips Tyrrell County; Enis Swain, Varnumtown vice mayor; Lorraine Tillett, Wanchese; Rhett White, Columbia H [email protected] C R A OFFICE ASSISTANT Rose Rundel town manager; and Randell Woodruff, county manager, Camden County. O [email protected] T O SENIOR STAFF SCIENTIST Tracy Skrabal H P [email protected] M DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Sally Steele F [email protected] W S PROGRAM ANALYST Jim Stephenson C [email protected] CAPE LOOKOUT COASTKEEPER Frank Tursi [email protected] BIOLOGIST EDUCATOR Ted Wilgis [email protected] North Carolina Coastal Federation 3609 Highway 24 (Ocean) Newport, NC 28570 Phone: 252-393-8185 • Fax: 252-393-7508 E-Mail: [email protected] • www.nccoast.org The North Carolina Coastal Federation is the state’s largest non-profit organization working to protect and restore the coast. The NCCF headquarters is located in Ocean, NC between Morehead City and Swansboro. Visitors are welcome and the offices, Nature Library, Weber Seashell Exhibit and Gift Shop are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. The Patsy Pond Nature Trail is located nearby. LAYOUT/DESIGN: Anita Lancaster, Jacksonville, NC A SIGN OF THE TIMES NORTH CAROLINA COASTAL FEDERATION People Now Fight COSATATE S OF T THE To Protect Water, Culture REPORT BY TODD MILLER Executive Director, North Carolina Coastal Federation TABLE OF CONTENTS love the North Carolina coastal North Carolina. Much as a chastised for adopting kind of people,” were the tidal wave, development surged environmental rules that are too lyrics of a 1970’s over the landscape. tough. Conversely, there’s PAGES 4-5 “I CHANGING THE “I promotional song on Some enlightened state and local widespread and growing public television and radio urging people to leaders coalesced around the idea outrage that government isn’t FACE OF OUR COAST vacation at the North Carolina that it was vital for the future health adequately protecting the coast, and Unprecedented redevelopment threatens the quality of our coastal waters coast. Back then people lived in of the coastal environment and its the welfare of the people and their and the traditional coastal communities and mostly close-knit, rural and small communities to manage communities who have lived here industries that rely on clean water. town coastal communities. Many of development so that it was more in for generations. People are scared them still depended on the land and harmony and balanced with nature. that they’re going to wake up one PAGES 6-7 water to make a living. A Republican governor and day very soon and find themselves NORTHERN COAST But, as another song of the era Democratic state legislature stepped strangers in a changed land. The residents of Tyrrell County hope to noted, the times they were a’- forward, and in 1974 enacted the There are a number of heroes capitalize on their environment, while the Coastal Area Management Act who emerge each year as leaders residents of Wanchese took to the streets to changing. save their town’s heritage. The growth of the “second- (CAMA) ushering in a new era in that help to resurge public interest home” industry along the coast was regulatory approaches to shoreline in coastal protection. We’ve already phenomenal. Flooding the development. recognized a few of these PAGES 8-9 coast were newcomers with lots of The law passed by the slimmest individuals, local governments, and CENTRAL COAST of margins, and many coastal officials by giving them Pelican A grassroots effort attempts to stave off money to buy houses and land. At unplanned development in eastern Carteret first, they started buying old homes residents hotly resented being Awards. What’s most inspiring is County that threatens that area’s rich in established island communities singled out for land-use planning that most of these winners are just maritime heritage. like Hatteras, Ocracoke and Salter and permitting. Opposition was plain ordinary people who Path. The influx of outside money extremely heated in Carteret accomplished extraordinary things PAGES 10-11 pushed up land values overnight, County. In 1976, it was the only by using their imagination, SOUTHERN COAST and suddenly long-time residents county out of 20 that refused to dedication, and pure persistence to A fisherman and a farmer fear found it hard to afford to live in their prepare its own land use plan. So benefit their neighbors and that their way of life is disappearing in the state stepped in and prepared it. environment. one of the fastest-growing counties own communities. in the country. This demand quickly outpaced When the Coastal Resources You’ll also read that most of the the number of older homes available Commission held a public hearing at legal and planning tools exist to in established communities. That’s the county courthouse to receive protect our coast and its people. PAGES 12-13 when most of the undeveloped public input, a mob scene had state We’ve described these tools in this PROTECTING OUR barrier islands were quickly officials fearing for their lives. report. In the final analysis, it all WATER AND HERITAGE Since those days the tide has boils down to active citizen support Experts discuss what the state and transformed into new towns. More coastal counties must do to preserve what’s than a dozen new beach towns risen and fallen nearly 24,000 times. for aggressive coastal management left and offer a toolbox of ideas. incorporated after 1955. Growth in What seemed like intense demand by state and local governments so for coastal property 32 years ago that the coastal environment is these towns took a while to get PAGES 14-15 pales compared to today’s incessant protected. That’s the only way started, but by the 1970s A SUCCESS STORY mushroomed at explosive rates. and irrationally exuberant demand development decisions will be made Residents of St. Helena Island, SC, Already, land prices and for waterfront land. More than ever, that protect the long-term health took steps 10 years ago shortages of barrier-island real estate massive development pressures are and welfare of the people who to protect the last intact had people looking toward the being felt in almost every backwater already reside and visit here. No Gullah community. mainland and its more than 4,500 area of the coast. The ability of silver bullets – what’s needed are miles of shoreline to locate new government to effectively enforce effective land use plans, strong PAGES 16-19 development. More space was environmental standards is implementation and enforcement of THE PELICAN AWARDS needed not only for vacation homes, overwhelmed.