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In the early 1970s, much of the eastern U.S. coastline
was becoming overdeveloped.
Condominiums, hotels, mansions, seawalls, boardwalks —
the state of North Carolina decided that this would not be the fate
of its coastal environment.
In a bold, unprecedented move, Governor Jim Holshouser
and the North Carolina General Assembly took advantage
of federal incentives to pass the Coastal Area Management Act.
The Act created new protections for environmentally sensitive areas,
and set up a collaborative process for local governments
to develop land use plans.
The Act also established a committee of coastal residents
with business, environmental, and government experience.
They would oversee the process, and enact additional rules
as they saw fit.
The committee placed a ban on seawalls and other hardened
structures that interfere with natural beach erosion.
Although the North Carolina General Assembly
later relaxed this ban in 2011, the rules against hardened structures
along the ocean front placed North Carolina in a national position
of directing how and where development should occur.
The committee also created set-back requirements
for building along beachfronts, a first for the United States.
In 1974, only four coastal counties had land use plans;
today, all 20 counties and over 70 municipalities have them.
All counties also now have hazard mitigation plans
that help reduce the costs of natural disasters, such as hurricanes.
The Coastal Area Management Act is not without its critics.
Some people believe there is too much development,
while others think landowners should have more freedom to build.
Meanwhile, the coast helps support North Carolina's $3 billion
tourist industry, and 50,000 tourism-based jobs.
As the economy and environment change,
finding collaborative solutions that promote economic activity
and protect the environment
are vital.