Coastal Area Management Act
CAMA
Protecting the environment for all
of us
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CAMA Is an acronym for Coastal Area Management Act. New
Bern and all of Craven County waterfront property owners will need to contact
this agency if they are going to build a dock, bulkhead, or disturb any land
within a certain distance from the water.
CAMA was created through North Carolina General
Statues 113A-100 which establishes a cooperative program of coastal area
management between local and state governments. The Act, passed in 1974, has
been amended several times, states that local governments shall have the
initiative for planning.
In addition, CAMA establishes the Coastal
Resources Commission, CRS, within the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources. CRS duties include approval of Coastal Habitat Protection Plans and
designation of Areas of Environmental Concern. After designation of these areas
the commission is responsible for issuing all permits.
CAMA Permitting System
The CAMA permit system is divided into major and
minor permits, based on the size and possible impacts of a project. Major
permits are necessary for activities that require other state or federal
permits, for projects that cover more than 20 acres, or for construction covering
more than 60,000 square feet. Applications for major permits are reviewed by 10
state and 4 federal agencies before a decision is made to grant a permit.
Minor permits used for routine projects,
such as single family homes, that do not require major permits. They are
reviewed, issued, and administered to Coastal Resources Commission
standards by local governments under
contract with the Division of Coastal Management.
Riparian Buffers
And how they affect your waterfront property
The word riparian means next to the banks of
rivers, lakes, streams, or other waters. A riparian buffer is a strip of
forested or vegetated land bordering a body of water and is important in
protecting water quality. A buffer may be any combination of shrubs, herbs, and
native grasses, but the best vegetation for stabilizing stream banks and
removing nutrients is deeply rooted, woody vegetation.
Riparian buffers are managed as 2 zones. The zone
closest to the water provides stream bank and shoreline protection. The outer
zone slows and spreads out the flow of water coming from the land, trapping
sediment and pollutants.
The Division of Water Quality's Buffer Protection
Rule is a part of the state's nutrient reduction strategy for the Neuse and
Tar-Pamlico River Basins. The rule requires protection of existing vegetation in
the first 50 feet of riparian area within these basins.
The first 30 feet from the water must be
essentially undisturbed. The next 20 feet should be vegetated, however certain
uses are allowed.
For more information on the Neuse River Buffer
Rules please contact the Division of Water Quality staff. The rules can be
viewed or downloaded from the DWQ website, click link below
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