The North Carolina coast 

 is a study in contrasts, 



from bustling boardwalks to sleepy 

 sounds, from ecological wonders to 

 economic windfalls. 



In the past generation, coastal life 

 has changed as more visitors and new 

 residents arrive in the 20 coastal 

 counties. For some, the development 

 seems fast and harsh. Others see 

 economic development hampered by 

 government regulation. 



At the center of coastal debate is 

 the state's Coastal Area Management 

 Act, known as CAMA. Since 1974, the 

 law has set the stage for development 

 decisions in crucial areas. 



property owners to control the use of 

 their land. 



While CAMA requires the state to 

 protect the unique coastal ecosystem by 

 designating areas of environmental 

 concern, the law also calls for economic 

 development in counties that tradition- 

 ally are among the state's poorest. The 

 combined mission is "sustainable 

 development," Clark says. 



Donna Moffitt, director of the N.C. 

 Division of Coastal Management, 

 agrees. "We've got to ensure that the 

 development doesn't ruin the resources 

 that draw people to the coast." 



ancing Envir 



and Economic Needs by Katie Mosher 



CAMA requires counties to adopt 

 land-use plans and establishes the 15- 

 member Coastal Resources Commission 

 (CRC) to set state policy. The commis- 

 sion reflects a variety of interests, from 

 local government to developers, fishers 

 to conservation groups. The panel also 

 includes three at-large members and 

 experts in coastal engineering, marine 

 biology, coastal agriculture and forestry. 

 The CRC also has input from the 

 Coastal Resources Advisory Council, 

 which has representatives from each 

 county. 



The CRC brings many voices to the 

 discussion of coastal issues, often 

 forging compromises on policies, says 

 Walter Clark, coastal law and policy 

 specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant. 



Many debates are split between two 

 distinct philosophies, Clark explains. 

 One calls for the state to protect the 

 health, safety and welfare of the public 

 and the environment. The other calls for 



A Coastal 

 Boom 



In the 1940s, the North Carolina 

 coast had traditional fishing villages and 

 some vacation spots near Wilmington 

 and Morehead City. Compared to 

 Virginia Beach, Myrtle Beach or Ocean 

 City, Md., the North Carolina beach 

 communities kept a simpler flavor, says 

 Charles Jones of the N.C. Division of 

 Coastal Management. "North Carolina 

 has developed into the family beach 

 atmosphere," he says. 



By the dawn of the 1970s, the post- 

 war boom had sprouted new communi- 

 ties on Topsail Island and the Outer 

 Banks. State and local leaders began to 

 see a need for a comprehensive look at 

 coastal development. "There was a 

 tremendous influx of new residents in 

 the coastal area," recalls David Stick, 

 former chairman of the Dare County 

 Commissioners and of the CRC. 



At the same time, the federal 



Coastal Zone Management Act said that 

 if the state did not develop plans for 

 coastal areas, the federal government 

 would. "That scared the devil out of 

 everybody," Stick says. 



CAMA had an early benefit. "For 

 the first time, it forced local officials to 

 take a hard look at the consequences of 

 actions they take," Stick says. 



CAMA has drawbacks, such as an 

 inability of some officials to consider the 

 human side of certain requests. "I've 

 cursed it myself," Stick says of CAMA. 



Webb Fuller, Nags Head town 

 manager, says the timing of CAMA was 

 critical, as an even greater surge would 

 come in the 1980s. "The framers were 

 visionaries. They were able to develop a 

 very broad structure that allowed for 

 specific rules and regulations." 



Looking at the law's core values of 

 conservation, preservation and economic 

 development, Fuller says CAMA has 

 worked. "Nobody gets everything they 

 wanted. If we didn't have this, we would 

 have a hodge-podge of development that 

 could have destroyed some unique 

 natural areas." 



Todd Miller, executive director of 

 the N.C. Coastal Federation, says 

 CAMA started strong but lost steam in 

 the 1980s. "For nearly two decades, the 

 tide has been ebbing on coastal protec- 

 tion efforts in North Carolina. It's too 

 early to say the tide has turned, but the 

 outgoing current has slacked somewhat." 



Yet CAMA has frustrated some 

 business leaders. "It has been more 

 successful on the environmental 

 protection side than on the economic 

 development side," says Donald 

 Kirkman, executive director of the 

 Carteret County Economic Development 

 Council. 



Proposed rules for shorelines along 

 rivers and estuaries now spark strong 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 21 



