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1 [1] (October 3, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govenbk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SCongressional Research Service Inforrming the legislative debate since 1914 0 Updated October 3, 2023 The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) In 1982, Congress passed the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA; P.L. 97-348; 16 U.S.C. §§3501-3510), which established the Coastal Barrier Resources System (System). It declared the purpose of CBRA to be to minimize the loss of human life, wasteful expenditure of Federal revenues, and the damage to fish, wildlife, and other natural resources associated with coastal barriers. The System is currently composed of parts of coastal areas along the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. CBRA was enacted to remove federal financial assistance incentives for development on undeveloped coastal barriers, in recognition of potential problems associated with developing coastal areas. CBRA does not prohibit development within System areas; development may still occur using private and nonfederal funds. Coastal areas are of interest for development because of their aesthetic and recreational significance and resulting high taxable land values. However, due to the dynamic nature of coastal systems, development on coastal barriers and along the coast in general may be at a relatively high risk of storm damage, flooding, and erosion. Additionally, development often disrupts the natural movement of sand and other materials that maintain the protective nature of the shoreline and may harm fish and wildlife habitat. CBRA has been reauthorized and legislatively modified numerous times, most recently in 2019. CBRA may receive congressional attention due to the effects of coastal storms and subsequent federal expenditures. Some stakeholders have shown interest in the expansion, reduction, or modification of System areas; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's (FWS's) oversight role; and authorization of appropriations. This In Focus provides background information about CBRA and the System and briefly describes selected possible issues for Congress. Characteristics of Coastal Barriers Coastal barriers are low-lying, shifting landforms in the form of peninsulas/spits, islands, bay barriers, and other formations and associated aquatic habitats (e.g., marsh, wetlands, inlets) subject to varying waves, water levels, and winds (Figure 1). Coastal barriers and associated areas provide diverse habitats for fish and wildlife and reduce storm impacts landward of natural and built environments, among other benefits. Coastal Barrier Resources System Under CBRA, the Secretary of the Interior and FWS are responsible for maintaining and updating official System maps, consulting with federal agencies regarding expenditures in the System, and making recommendations to Congress about potential changes to the System. The System is composed of typical coastal barriers, as well as nonbarrier areas along the coast that share similar qualities but are not backed by aquatic features. The System has two types of areas: System units and otherwise protected areas (OPAs; Figure 1). System units mostly consist of private land that was relatively undeveloped (e.g., housing density of less than one unit per five acres) at the time of designation to the System. Beginning in 1990, FWS began designating OPAs, which mostly consist of public land and are defined as undeveloped coastal barriers within the boundaries of an area established under Federal, State, or local law, or held by a qualified organization, primarily for wildlife refuge, sanctuary, recreational, or natural resource conservation purposes (16 U.S.C. §3503). Figure I. Examples of Coastal Features and Types of System Areas Along the Eastern Shore of Virginia Coastal Barrier Resources System Units Otherwise Protected Area System Unit Source: CRS using ESRI and FWS data. Notes: FWS defines the seaward side of a System area on a coastal barrier by the 30 foot (ft) bathymetric contour and in large coastal embayments and the Great Lakes by whichever is closer: the 20 ft bathymetric contour or a line one mile away from the shoreline. In 1982, the System was composed of FWS-recommended undeveloped coastal areas: 186 System units covering 453,000 acres along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. https:

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