Coastal barriers are inherently storm-prone and dynamic systems located at the interface of land and sea. Undeveloped coastal barriers coastal barriers
Learn more about coastal barrier landforms.
Learn more about coastal barriers and their associated aquatic habitat (including wetlands, marshes, estuaries, inlets, and nearshore waters) provide numerous benefits to the economy and society. However, development of these areas puts people in harm’s way and disrupts the natural movement and functions of the barriers, degrading fish and wildlife habitat and increasing shoreline erosion. With the passage of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) in 1982, Congress recognized that certain actions and programs of the Federal Government have historically subsidized and encouraged development on coastal barriers, and the result has been the loss of natural resources; threats to human life, health, and property; and the expenditure of millions of tax dollars each year.
CBRA removed the federal incentive to develop many of these areas by designating relatively undeveloped coastal barriers along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts as part of the 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 (CBRS). With some exceptions, most new federal expenditures and financial assistance are prohibited within the CBRS. CBRA does not regulate or prohibit the development of coastal barriers. Development can still occur within these areas, provided that private developers or other non–federal parties bear the full cost.
The CBRS now includes two types of units, “System Units” and “Otherwise Protected Areas” (OPAs). System Units generally comprise areas that were relatively undeveloped and mostly privately owned at the time of their designation within the CBRS. Most new federal expenditures and financial assistance, including flood insurance, are prohibited within System Units. OPAs are predominantly comprised of conservation and/or recreation areas such as national wildlife refuges, state and national parks, local conservation areas, and private conservation areas, though they may also contain private areas that are not held for conservation and/or recreation. The only federal spending prohibition within OPAs is on federal flood insurance.
Learn more about CBRA prohibitions on federal expenditures.
Federal funds may be spent within System Units for certain exempted activities following consultation with the Service. Examples of such activities include certain types of emergency assistance, military activities essential to national security, exploration and extraction of energy resources, and maintenance of existing federal navigational channels.
Learn more about exceptions to limitations on federal expenditures.
Over the past 40 years, CBRA has helped to reduce the intensity of development in these high-risk coastal areas, protect coastal habitat, and save millions of taxpayer dollars each year. Maintaining the beneficial functions of coastal barriers as natural storm buffers is important as the nation experiences and prepares for increased flooding and erosion associated with climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change impacts, such as sea-level rise and increased storm surge, and more intense and frequent coastal storms throughout the 21st century and beyond. Learn more about the effectiveness of CBRA.
CBRA has been amended several times to replace certain maps with new maps containing modified boundaries.
The Coastal Barrier Improvement Act (CBIA) of 1990 reauthorized CBRA and expanded the CBRS by adding new units in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Great Lakes, and the Florida Keys, and enlarging some previously designated units along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The CBIA also designated a new category of lands called "Otherwise Protected Areas" (OPAs).
The Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 reauthorized CBRA and directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to complete a Digital Mapping Pilot Project that includes digitally produced draft maps for up to 75 units and a report to Congress that describes the feasibility and costs for completing digital maps for all CBRS areas. This legislation also directed the Service to conduct an economic assessment of the effects of CBRA. This assessment, conducted in 2002, estimated how much money CBRA has saved taxpayers by restricting federal spending for roads, wastewater systems, potable water supply, and disaster relief. The assessment estimated that from 1983-2010, CBRA saved American taxpayers approximately $1.3 billion. However, more recent studies have found far greater cost savings.
The Coastal Barrier Reauthorization Act of 2005 (signed into law on May 25, 2006) reauthorized CBRA and directed the Service to finalize the Digital Mapping Pilot Project by: (1) providing a public comment period for the draft maps created through the pilot project (covering approximately 10 percent of the entire Coastal Barrier Resources System, CBRS), and (2) preparing a report to Congress that contains the final recommended digital maps and a summary of the comments received during the public comments period. The 2005 Act also directed the Service to create digital maps for the remainder of the CBRS.
The Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018 adopted 35 revised maps produced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) depicting 59 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These maps constitute the largest legislative update to the CBRS since 1990. Fifty-seven of these units were mapped through the Service’s Digital Mapping Pilot Project, and two of these units were mapped through a separate effort. This legislation required the Service make digital versions of all of the CBRS maps available to the public and directed the Service to submit a report to Congress regarding the progress and challenges in the transition from paper to digital maps and a timetable for completion of the digitization of all maps related to the CBRS.
Testimony
September 28, 2023 –Testimony of Matthew J. Strickler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, Before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries On H.R. 5490, Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act; and H.R. 2437, To revise the boundaries of a unit of the 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 in Topsail, North Carolina, and for other purposes.
May 10, 2023 – Testimony of Matthew J. Strickler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, Before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries On H.R. 524, To amend the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to create an exemption for certain shoreline borrow sites; H.R. 615; H.R. 2689; and H.R. 2872
June 15, 2022 - Testimony of Stephen Guertin, Deputy Director for Policy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, regarding S. 2194, S. ____, the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2022, S. 3069, and S. 3767.
June 22, 2021 - Testimony of Stephen Guertin, Deputy Director for Policy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, before the House Committee on Natural Resources, regarding H.R. 3764, the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act.
February 27, 2018 - Testimony of Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans, regarding H.R. 2947 and H.R. 4880.
April 8, 2014 - Testimony of Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, regarding H.R. 187, H.R. 277, H.R. 1810, H.R. 1811, H.R. 2057, H.R. 3226, H.R. 3227, H.R. 3572, and H.R. 4222.
October 25, 2011 - Testimony of Jim Kurth, Assistant Director of the National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, regarding H.R. 2027 and H.R. 2154.
July 27, 2010 - Testimony of Greg Siekaniec, Assistant Director for National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, regarding H.R. 5331.
April 6, 2006 - Testimony of Dr. Mamie Parker, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 138, H.R. 479, H.R. 1656, H.R. 3280, and H.R. 4165, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans.
November 8, 2005 - Testimony of Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Acting Special Assistant to the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding the Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2005, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans.
November 20, 2003 - Testimony of Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, Chief, Division of Federal Program Activities, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
May 10, 2023 – Testimony of Matthew J. Strickler, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, Before the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries On H.R. 524, To amend the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to create an exemption for certain shoreline borrow sites; H.R. 615; H.R. 2689; and H.R. 2872
September 25, 2003 - Testimony of Clint Riley, Special Assistant to the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 154, H.R. 2501, H.R. 3056, and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
April 11, 2002 - Testimony of Cathleen Short, Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 3470 and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.
May 11, 2000 - Testimony of Daniel Ashe, Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 4070 and other bills, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Ocean.
May 6, 1999 - Testimony of Gary Frazer, Acting Assistant Director for Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, regarding H.R. 34, H.R. 535, H.R. 1489, and H.R. 1431, before the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans.