Posted on June 8, 2026
The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet June 18 in New Bern, where commissioners are scheduled to receive a report from the CRC Science Panel examining oceanfront hardened structures and other shoreline stabilization methods used to address coastal erosion.
The CRC, a 13-member rulemaking body that establishes policies for the state’s Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) program and the Dredge and Fill Act, oversees regulations governing development and environmental protection in North Carolina’s 20 coastal counties. The commission also designates Areas of Environmental Concern and adopts rules for coastal development.
At the June 18 meeting, the CRC Science Panel is scheduled to present its findings on oceanfront hardened structures, the culmination of a review process that began after the commission directed the panel in November 2025 to evaluate alternatives for managing oceanfront erosion.
The issue has gained increased attention following a series of oceanfront house collapses in Rodanthe and Buxton, ongoing erosion hotspots along N.C. Highway 12, and growing debate over whether current coastal management policies provide enough options for communities facing rapid shoreline retreat.
Under current North Carolina law, most permanent hardened erosion-control structures—including seawalls, revetments, bulkheads, and similar shoreline armoring—are prohibited along the state’s ocean beaches. The ban, first adopted in the 1980s and later codified in state law, was intended to protect public beaches and prevent structures from accelerating erosion and beach loss. Only a limited number of terminal groins have been authorized under a separate permitting process and specific law changes. Sandbags may be used under specific circumstances as temporary erosion-control measures.
The Science Panel’s review stems directly from discussions held during the CRC’s November 2025 meeting, when commissioners voted to explore all available options for addressing erosion threats facing oceanfront communities. The panel was tasked with preparing a report examining the effects of hardened structures on coastlines and evaluating potential alternatives for managing erosion.
That effort continued at a May 27 Science Panel meeting, where members spent roughly five hours discussing the contents of the forthcoming report. At the time, panel members focused on shoreline stabilization approaches used on open-ocean coastlines and debated which structures should be included in the analysis. Discussions centered on groins, sandbags, breakwaters, offshore reefs, and other erosion-control methods, while generally excluding navigation-related structures such as jetties.
Panel members also discussed the effectiveness, limitations, and potential unintended consequences of hardened structures. One recurring theme was the concern that some erosion-control measures may protect one stretch of shoreline while increasing erosion on adjacent downdrift beaches. Economic impacts, tourism considerations, and the long-term feasibility of various approaches were also part of the discussion.
The timing of the report is significant because state lawmakers are simultaneously considering legislation that could alter North Carolina’s approach to shoreline stabilization.
Senate Bill 1009, introduced earlier this year, would repeal the state’s existing statutory ban on hardened erosion-control structures and direct the CRC to develop new rules governing their use. Supporters argue that communities facing severe erosion need additional tools beyond beach nourishment and relocation. Opponents contend that hardened structures can worsen beach loss, damage neighboring shorelines, and undermine the public trust beaches that drive North Carolina’s coastal economy.
The Science Panel’s findings are not expected to recommend specific policy changes. Instead, the report is intended to provide commissioners with scientific information about how various shoreline stabilization methods perform, their potential impacts, and where they have been used successfully or unsuccessfully.
The June 18 CRC meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton New Bern Riverfront. An in-person public comment period is scheduled for 10:30 a.m., and members of the public may attend either in person or online. Meeting materials are available through the CRC website.
