Library

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.

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Aerieal view of saltwater (intertidal) wetlands.
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 Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and...
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,...

Coastal Barrier Resources Act Program Fact Sheet

This document provides information on our work to implement the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), the ways in which the law benefits the public, and CBRA's accomplishments. 

Aerieal view of saltwater (intertidal) wetlands.
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.
Coastal Barrier Resources Act Consultation Guidance for Federal Agencies

This document provides information for federal agencies regarding federal expenditures within the Coastal Barrier Resources System and the Coastal Barrier Resources Act consultation process. 

Coastal Barrier Resources Act Storm Recovery and Disaster Assistance Fact Sheet

This document provides information for federal agencies regarding Coastal Barrier Resources Act compliance for federal expenditures related to storm recovery and disaster assistance within the Coastal Barrier Resources System.

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act: Harnessing the Power of Market Forces to Conserve America's Coasts and Save Taxpayers' Money

The Coastal Barrier Resources Reauthorization Act of 2000 directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to study the results of the law. We were asked to estimate how much money the Coastal Barrier Resources Act has saved taxpayers by restricting Federal spending for roads, wastewater systems,...

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...

Report to Congress on Inclusion of Pacific Coastal Barriers in the National Coastal Barrier Resources System

The purpose of this report is to recommend to Congress whether or not to implement the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982 (P.L. 97-348) on the Pacific coast. The Act established the Coastal Barrier Resources System (System) on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The Coastal Barrier Improvement Act...

1988 Report to Congress: Coastal Barrier Resources System

This Report to Congress has been prepared as a 22-volume compendium with 4 appendixes. It was compiled under the direction of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks by the Coastal Barriers Study Group, a task force of professionals representing the National Park Service, U.S....

Undeveloped Coastal Barriers: Report to Congress, 1982

This is a report to Congress on the findings and conclusions of the study conducted by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to section 341(d) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (P.L. 97-35).

Frequently Asked Questions for Nonstructural Shoreline Stabilization Projects

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) prohibits most new federal expenditures and financial assistance within the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS or System), including projects to prevent the erosion of or to otherwise stabilize any inlet, shoreline, or inshore area....

Impacts of Sediment Removal from and Placement in Coastal Barrier Island Systems Report: Frequently Asked Questions

This document provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the June 2021 report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the impacts of sediment removal from and placement in coastal barrier island systems (OFR 2021-1062). The report was prepared jointly by the USGS and...

Federal Expenditures and Financial Assistance under the Coastal Zone Management Act Fact Sheet

This document provides interpretive guidance regarding Coastal Barrier Resources Act compliance for projects under the Coastal Zone Management Act, including: information and resources to aid in determining whether a project is within system boundaries, information regarding when a Coastal...