We administer the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), which saves taxpayer dollars and encourages the conservation of storm-prone and dynamic coastal barriers by withdrawing the availability of federal funding and financial assistance within a designated set of units known as the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The CBRS includes 3.8 million acres along the Atlantic, Gulf of America, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts.

What We Do

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Our Services

The Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), is responsible for maintaining the official maps of the CBRS and making recommendations to Congress for appropriate changes to the boundaries; consulting with other federal agencies regarding federally funded projects proposed within the CBRS; and working with property owners, project proponents, and other stakeholders to determine whether a specific property or project site is located within the CBRS.

Our Projects and Initiatives

The Service is committed to ensuring accurate and user-friendly maps depicting the CBRS. Through a series of mapping projects, we continue to make progress in modernizing maps for the CBRS using digital technology. These efforts significantly improve public access to information, increase efficiency for infrastructure project planning, and increase accuracy and timeliness in determining whether individual properties are located with the CBRS. View our story map to learn more.

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Our Laws and Regulations

CBRA and its amendments are administered by the Service and affect all federal agencies that spend funds or provide financial assistance within the designated CBRS units. CBRA is a free-market approach to conservation that does not prohibit or regulate development conducted with non-federal funds. 

The Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act or BEACH Act (Pub. L. 118-117), enacted on November 25, 2024, requires all affected federal agencies to revise or issue regulations and guidance to ensure compliance with CBRA for their federally funded projects and financial assistance.

Latest Stories and Topics

Stories
Toppled and uprooted large tree lays over sand on the forefront At a distance, more driftwood poke out of the water with the Atlantic Ocean as backdrop and a cloudy sky blanketing overhead..
Coastal Barrier Resources System 5-Year Review Map Adoption
The Service published a notice in the Federal Register on December 19, 2024, to announce the findings of our 5-year review and availability of final revised maps for 89 John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in Maine, Great Lakes region of New York, Georgia, Florida, and...
U.S. Capitol building in the sun with tops of trees in foreground
Coastal Barrier Resources System Expands under Reauthorization
The bipartisan Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act (BEACH Act), enacted on November 25, 2024, reauthorizes and makes the most significant changes to CBRA since 1990.
Wilson's plover with chicks on Wassaw NWR
Science and Technology
Studies Examine CBRA’s Effectiveness in Saving Money and Reducing Development
Studies find that CBRA has been highly effective in achieving its objectives over the past 40 years.
A satalite image of Hurricane Image from International Space Station
Emergency Management
CBRA Guidance Following Hurricanes and Other Storms
After a Presidentially-declared disaster, federal agencies make expenditures and provide financial assistance to help communities recover and rebuild. Most federal funding for disaster relief is prohibited within System Units of the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), with some exceptions (...
Aerial view of damages left by Hurricane Sandy.
Habitat Restoration
Service Sends Coastal Barrier Resources System Report to Congress with Updated Maps for the North Atlantic Coast
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted to Congress its Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project. The report includes revised maps for 438 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in the nine states most affected by...
Green sea turtles on the beach
Science and Technology
Report about Impacts of Sediment Management on Coastal Barrier Systems
The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jointly release a report on the impacts of sediment removal from and placement in coastal barrier systems.
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Our Library

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Whether you are looking for additional information about the Coastal Barrier Resources System, our current mapping projects, or official maps, you can find it here in our library.

Aerieal view of saltwater (intertidal) wetlands.
Official Coastal Barrier Resources System Maps
The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982 and subsequent amendments established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The CBRS consists of relatively undeveloped coastal barriers and other areas located the Atlantic, Gulf of America, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands,...
Library Collection
25 Items
Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project
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Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project

In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) initiated a project to modernize the maps of the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in the nine states along the North Atlantic coast most affected by Hurricane Sandy: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,...

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Aerieal view of saltwater (intertidal) wetlands.
Coastal Barrier Resources Act Project Consultation
This library collection includes resources and information related to Coastal Barrier Resources Act project consultations, as well as guidance for shoreline stabilization, disaster assistance, and property buyouts.
Library Collection
13 Items