coexist," Hackney counters. "Bad ecology is bad 

 economics and usually more costly if you take 

 into account long-term water quality and quality- 

 of-life issues." 



Public, participation 

 essential 



Getting the public involved in the planning 

 process is a challenge, but essential. Citizen 

 participation usually means that local plans go 

 beyond the basic requirements. "Good local 

 leadership is key," Moffitt says. 



In Carteret County, a citizen steering 

 committee has been working with county 

 officials to develop a comprehensive plan. 

 Assisted by planning experts from the Chesa- 

 peake Group, the Carteret plan is nearing 

 completion. Crossroads, a local environmental 

 organization, has been providing additional 

 citizen backing and input. The process and 

 support could give Carteret a running start in 

 updating its CAMA land-use plan under the new 

 guidelines. 



In Onslow County, planner Michele Bunce 

 is being resourceful in keeping the public's 

 interest through the long planning process. 



"From the beginning we wanted people to 

 know that all aspects of their lives fold into wise 

 planning," she says. "We've been looking at 

 everything that impacts their lives from flood 

 protection to transportation needs. We try to let 

 them know that their input is vital. This is their 

 county. They are planning for future genera- 

 tions," says Bunce. "We're about to wrap up our 

 stakeholder meetings and draft a plan based on 

 their input." 



"Land-use plans now can be better tailored to local 

 government needs ," Moffitt explains. "Clearly, it is in 

 their best interest to create plans that help them 

 control their own destinies. With blueprints for growth, 

 each county or municipality can plan where they want 

 to be and what they will look like in the future. " 



Donna Moffitt, director of the state's 

 Division of Coastal Management 



For nearly a year, Onslow citizens have 

 been developing a comprehensive land-use 

 plan. It will be the foundation of their CAMA 

 plan. In fact, Onslow's land-suitability analysis 

 served as a pilot study for the new CRC rules. 



This meant looking at how development 

 might impact environmentally sensitive areas 

 in the county. Hardly a sector of the 756- 

 square-mile county is without some unique 

 natural feature. There is the Great Sandy Run 

 Pocosin, Hoffman Forest, Intracoastal 

 Waterway, Bogue Sound and White Oak 

 River. 



There's no getting around it. Much of 

 Onslow's history, culture and economy are tied 

 to the water. And, land use is tied to water use. 

 So, protecting the county's many outstanding 

 resource waters and shellfish waters means 

 going beyond minimum efforts, Bunce says. 



Onslow is collaborating with all 

 municipalities in the county and Camp Lejeune 

 on many common aspects of the comprehen- 

 sive plan. Shared borders mean shared 

 responsibility for protecting shared resources. 



The planning process is an exercise that 

 will produce important data for many uses, 

 Bunce points out. The county and collaborating 

 communities will use the data to prepare 

 comprehensive stormwater management plans 

 required by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

 Agency. 



"We all know that we are going to have to 

 take a proactive planning approach and look for 

 new methods of doing things because of new 

 population pressures," says Bunce. 



New ideas tested by fire 



But Leutze knows that new ideas may not 

 be embraced — even in otherwise progressive 

 New Hanover County. A proposal to build a 

 mixed-use development in the Middle Sound 

 area caused more than just a little furor. 

 Residents of a nearby subdivision held fast to a 

 "not in my backyard" position. And Leutze 

 came under attack for supporting the "smart 

 growth" model designed to control suburban 

 sprawl and growing traffic woes. 



Five of the state's fastest-growing counties are on the coast. 



COASTWATCH 19 



