Research

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) completed its initial Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
Learn more about the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System, which was established under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act in 1982.

Learn more about John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
Digital Mapping Pilot Project in 2008, per a directive in Section 6 of the 2000 Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 106-514). The 2008 pilot project report:

  1. contained draft maps that proposed modifications to 70 units of the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS); and

  2. described the methodology and results of the pilot project and the feasibility, data standards and needs, and costs of completing digital maps for the remainder of the CBRS. The pilot project units are located in Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. 

​The draft pilot project maps underwent public review in 2009. In 2016, the maps were revised to incorporate any appropriate changes based on updated aerial imagery, public input, Coastal Barrier Resources Act criteria, and objective mapping protocols. The Service completed its Final Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project in 2016 in accordance with Section 3 of the 2006 Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 109-226). The report (including the final recommended maps) was transmitted to Congress for consideration in 2016. 

Final Revised Maps 

On December 21, 2018, through Pub. L. 115-358, Congress adopted revised maps for 57 of the 65 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units included in the Digital Mapping Pilot Project (pilot project). These units are located in Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The revised maps for eight pilot project units that were not adopted are for Units NC-06/NC-06P in North Carolina and Units LA-01, LA-02, S04, S05, S06, S07 in Louisiana. 

The adoption of the pilot project maps helps to preserve the long-term integrity of the CBRS by adopting maps prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) through a comprehensive process to correct legitimate mapping errors and add qualifying areas to the CBRS. This effort also provides more accurate CBRS maps and digital data for planning coastal infrastructure projects, habitat conservation efforts, and flood risk mitigation measures. 

Search for the official CBRS maps, which include the final revised maps for pilot project areas. 

Access the CBRS mapper to view updated boundaries for pilot project areas. 

View digital CBRS data, which includes updated boundary data for pilot project areas. 

Library

Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project Fact Sheet

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in November 2016, completed its Congress: John Final Report to H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project (pilot project), which includes a set of final recommended maps for 65 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)...

John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project Final Report to Congress

In 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) submitted its initial Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project (pilot project) to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Natural Resources, per...

Draft Report to Congress John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Project

In 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) submitted its initial Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project (pilot project) to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the House Committee on Natural...

Programs

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Aerial view of an undeveloped coastal freshwater pond.
We administer the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), which 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 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)....