Responsibilities in the Southeast
Photo by USFWS
In 1982, Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to address problems caused by coastal barrier development. The CBRA restricted Federal expenditures and financial assistance, including Federal flood insurance, in the Coastal Barrier Resources System, a defined set of undeveloped coastal areas along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. Congress explicitly decided what areas would be included in the system. In 1990, the CBRA was amended by the Coastal Barriers Improvement Act which broadened the definition of a coastal barrier and expanded the system. It is the Services's responsibility to determine the location of private properties in relation to System boundaries.
Three important goals of CBRA are to:
- 1. minimize loss of human life by discouraging
development in high-risk areas,
- 2. reduce wasteful expenditure of Federal resources,
and
- 3. protect the natural resources associated with coastal barriers.
For more information about the Coastal Barrier Resources Act go to: http://ecos.fws.gov/coastal
For questions related to whether your property is contained within a CBRA unit, contact the following Ecological Services field offices:
| Alabama | Daphne (251)441-5181 |
| Georgia | Brunswick (912)265-9336 |
| Florida | Jacksonville (904)232-2580 |
| Panama City (850)769-0552 | |
| Vero Beach (772)562-3909 | |
| Louisiana | Lafayette (337)291-3100 |
| Mississippi | Jackson (601)965-4900 |
| South Carolina | Charleston (843)727-4707 |
| North Carolina | Raleigh (919)856-4520 |
| Puerto Rico | Boqueron (787)851-7297 |