LEGAL 



TIDES 



coastal communities and the urban coast. 



The center's birth also coincides with the 

 U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy challenge to 

 states — and the nation — to develop science- 

 based solutions for sustainable coastal and 

 ocean resources. 



And, many of the state's 

 coastal communities are facing 

 complex legal, policy and 

 planning issues that accompany 

 development pressure. 



"For North Carolina, the 

 Coastal Area Management 

 Act has been a management 

 tool since 1974. Now there are 

 new issues. It's time to address 

 these new problems with 

 innovative solutions," 

 says Clark. 



The center is all 

 about public service, 

 Clark and Kalo say. They 

 envision the center as a 

 catalyst: 



• In developing 

 a Southeastern Ocean 

 Policy Report. This 

 entails conducting a 

 comprehensive analysis 

 of North Carolina's 

 — and other southeastern 

 states' — existing 

 ocean policy structure 

 and identifying needs 

 and priorities in ocean 

 management from an 

 ecosystem approach; 



• In collaborating 

 with the Coastal States 

 Organization, NOAA's 

 Coastal Services Center 

 and the Rhode Island Sea 

 Grant Program to conduct 

 a state-by-state analysis 

 of law and regulations 

 related to the ownership, 

 sale and leasing options 

 of state-owned submerged 

 lands; and 



• In researching and assessing the 

 potential for water-use planning for North 

 Carolina's estuarine waters, linking water-use 

 planning with adjacent land-use planning to 

 encourage appropriate resource conservation 

 and economic development. In other words: to 



protect traditional uses of coastal waters while 

 accommodating new uses. 



Clark and Kalo won't be alone in setting 

 an agenda and direction for the center. They 

 will name a board of advisors drawn from 

 coastal and ocean law, planning and policy 

 professionals in coastal communities, state 

 government, the academic community and 

 public interest organizations. 



VEHICLES FOR INFORMATION 



Doing good research is not enough, 

 say the center's co-directors. Getting the 

 information into the public domain is essential 

 — and they plan to utilize several avenues for 

 delivering the research: 



• The publication of scholarly articles on 

 coastal and ocean law, planning and policy in 

 professional journals; 



• The publication of Legal Tides, a 

 quarterly newsletter for lawyers, public officials 

 and interested citizens to address contemporary 

 coastal issues; 



• The continuation of Legal Tides as an 

 occasional feature in Sea Grant's Coastwatch 

 magazine to reach a broader audience; 



• Sponsorship of continuing legal 

 education programs for lawyers and other 

 professionals whose practices involve coastal 

 and ocean issues; 



• Sponsorship of conferences; 



• Outreach to coastal communities and 

 organizations with research assistance; and 



• The development of course materials 

 to enhance the educational experiences of 

 students. 



"We see the center as doing what 

 universities should be doing: listening to the 

 people we serve, searching for solutions, and 

 providing public service," Kalo says. 



"There is an opportunity to build the 

 center into a nationally recognized research 

 and outreach program in coastal and ocean law, 

 planning and policy." Clark concludes. "We 

 have a great coalition of organizations to make 

 it happen." □ 



To request a copy of the Legal Tides 

 newsletter, send an e-mail to walter_ 

 clark@ncsu.edu, or call 919/51 5-9101. 



COASTWATCH 27 



