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Hammock's Beach State Park, NC - North Carolina Coastal Federation
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The shoreline restoration project replaced a constructed barrier with a natural alternative. A 200-foot bulkhead was removed near the park's ferry and replaced by a low-water rock sill. Volunteers then planted 2,000 sprouts of salt marsh plants. The result is a natural barrier - a "living shoreline" -that replaced a potentially toxic bulkhead with salt marsh plants - fishery habitats that provide shelter and nutrients to fish and cleanse the water of particles. A bulkhead the erosion control device that was removed - is usually treated with preservatives that are toxic to the marine environment. It takes less than one week to receive a permit to construct a bulkhead, but it took twelve weeks to receive a permit for this project. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of North Carolina Representative Keith Williams, all that has changed.
Representative Williams was at first opposed to living shorelines projects, believing them to be a ridiculous waste of time and money. But after working with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to build the living shorelines project at Hammocks Beach State Park and learning about the ecological benefits of using these technologies, he became an ardent supporter, sponsoring the Living Shorelines Bill (HB 1028). He espoused the value of living shorelines projects being good for business, marine contractors, and the environment. The Living Shorelines Bill authorizes the Coastal Resources Commission to develop a general permit for Living Shorelines projects, allowing individuals to obtain a permit in one week, rather than waiting three to six months.
Representative Williams was successful in garnering support for the Bill, and on August 19, 2003, Governor Mike Easley signed the Living Shorelines Bill into law. In addition to changing the permitting process, the Law also prohibits constructing hardened structures such as seawalls and groins in North Carolina's ocean and inlet hazard areas. Seawalls and groins create severe problems for the environment, causing erosion on adjacent properties and starving nearby beaches by halting the flow of sand.
"The new law is the best coastal legislation in a very long time," said Jim Stephenson, a spokesman for the North Carolina Coastal Federation.