FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2003
Contact: Jim Stephenson
Phone: 252-393-8185 office; 252-241-1810 cell
Email: jims@nccoast.org
Coastal Federation Applauds New
"Living Shorelines" Law
Ocean, NC -- The North Carolina Coastal Federation today
applauded the
enactment of the Living Shorelines law. Governor Mike Easley
signed House
Bill 1028 into law during a ceremony in the Governor's Office
this morning.
Representative Keith Williams, from Onslow County, introduced the
Living
Shorelines bill on behalf of the NC Coastal Federation. Bill
cosponsors
include Carolyn Justice from Pender County, Rep. Michael Gorman
from Craven
and Pamlico counties, Rep. Robert Grady, from Onslow County, Rep.
Jean
Preston from Carteret County, and Rep. Bonner Stiller from
Brunswick County.
The bill authorizes the Coastal Resources Commission to develop a
general
permit for Living Shorelines projects. Marsh and stone sills are
a brand new
tool for restoring biological diversity to creeks and sounds,
while
protecting estuarine shorelines from erosion. The Coastal
Federation has
designed more than a dozen projects along the coast, including
projects at
Duke Marine Lab, NC Maritime Museum, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores,
Hammocks Beach State Park and Festival Park in Manteo.
"Sills provide an environmentally friendly alternative for
people living by
the water,"
said Jim Stephenson, a spokeman for the NC Coastal Federation.
"They prevent
erosion of waterfront properties and create an ecologically rich
habitat for
fish and wildlife," Stephenson said. The NC Coastal
Federation can provide
technical assistance to contractors and information to homeowners
interested
in learning more about sills. The NC Coastal Federation can be
reached by
calling 800-232-6210.
The new law also gives the force of law to North Carolina's rules
prohibiting hardened structures in ocean and inlet hazard areas.
Senate
President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight ushered the seawall ban
through the
Senate. Seawalls cause the public beach to scour and disappear in
front of
the seawall. Seawalls also increase erosion on adjacent
properties, while
jetties and groins starve nearby beaches by halting the flow of
sand.
"The new law is the best coastal legislation in a very long
time,"
Stephenson said.