Initiatives | Dock Management | State Programs

State Dock and Pier Management Program and Policies

Database of State Dock and Pier Management Programs

Image of a dock

Coastal managers need the best available information about the impacts of small docks and piers so they can make informed management decisions.

The Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) have developed a web-based, searchable, database to house summary information about how coastal states manage small docks and piers. The database allows states to enter information about the standards they use to manage residential docks and piers, focusing on:

The database can be browsed or queried to allow coastal managers concerned about a particular impact of a dock or pier (i.e., shading, aesthetics) to see the standards other states have developed to mitigate that impact and the laws that uphold them. Information in the database can also be used to develop new standard operating procedures and support denials when the impacts of a proposed project are unreasonable. By linking the science and management of residential docks and piers, the database will help state and local managers improve and justify their regulations, as well as their permitting and planning processes used to mange dock placement and design.

The database is not a dock and pier encyclopedia and does not provide an exhaustive list of dock management programs at the state, regional and/or local level. Instead, it offers a "flavor" of the different approaches and tools available to coastal users and managers. Input to the database was solicited at the State level and participation is voluntary. Therefore, not all states may be represented or have complete entries. County and municipal laws may not always be reflected.

Please contact the state directly to learn more about a specific program or regulation.

Accessing the database:

Everyone is free to browse or query the database (Note: Best viewed using Internet Explorer 5.0+). Information can also be entered into the database through a password protected site. (Note: The ability to enter information is restricted to state and local coastal managers that have obtained a log-in and password from OCRM. If you are a state or local coastal manager and are interested in entering information about your state into the database, please contact Allison Castellan. The "Help" button within the database provides instructions on how to use the database and enter information.

For further information, contact Allison Castellan.

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Inventory of Laws, Regulations, and Policies Related to Residential Docks

The Coastal Services Center (CSC) has compiled information about several state dock management programs (statutes, regulations, and policies). Regional summaries for the southeast (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida) and northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) include information about:

The southeast summary is only available in hard copy but the northeast report is available online. For further information, contact Zac Hart.

 

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