{"id":396,"date":"2026-06-10T21:09:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T21:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=396"},"modified":"2026-06-10T21:09:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T21:09:21","slug":"coastal-lawmakers-signal-it-may-be-time-to-modify-north-carolinas-decades-old-ban-on-seawalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=396","title":{"rendered":"Coastal lawmakers signal it may be time to modify North Carolina\u2019s decades-old ban on seawalls"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Back in the late 1970s, the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission enacted a seawall ban to protect the state\u2019s sandy beaches and barrier islands.<\/p>\n

Read more NC bill could bar people under 21 from buying hemp-derived products<\/a><\/p>\n

But the coast has changed dramatically since then. Over the past six years, increased erosion has caused 32 privately owned structures to collapse along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.<\/p>\n

Senator Bob Brinson (R-Craven) says 20 homes have collapsed in Buxton alone since September 2025, and coastal constituents are growing tired of being told nothing can be done to protect their property.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Brinson introduced two bills to address their concerns.<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 1009 would eliminate the ban on hardened structures and require the North Carolina Collaboratory to update the state beach and inlet management plan. Senate Bill 1008 would establish a pilot program to authorize construction of shoreline stabilization pilot projects where oceanfront homes face imminent danger of being lost to the ocean.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not just a private property issue,\u201d Brinson told members of the Senate Agriculture, Energy and Environment committee. \u201cWhen a house falls into the ocean, debris spreads across miles of public beach. Septic systems and utilities are damaged. Public safety is threatened, and a local tax base disappears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Homes are also threatened in Rodanthe, North Topsoil and Figure Eight Island.<\/p>\n

Brinson said the NCDOT has spent $17 million on routine maintenance of Highway 12 in Dare County since 2010, plus $51 million more on storm repairs. On Ocracoke, the state has spent nearly $19 million since 2018 on a two-mile stretch where the ocean consistently washes over the highway.<\/p>\n

Projects under S1008 will be strictly limited, closely monitored, and will involve no state funds, Brinson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019re asking is whether modern, site-specific options exist that would protect homes, roads, utilities, and public beaches without causing unacceptable harm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) said it\u2019s clear the state needs a comprehensive solution, but hardened structures that prevent erosion in one area tend to increase erosion in other areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless we do a hard seawall along the entire coast, somebody\u2019s getting helped and somebody\u2019s getting hurt,\u201d said Mayfield. \u201cBy every seawall, by every jetty, by every terminal groin, by every bulkhead, by everything that gets put in, there is an adjacent impact that is negative.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Brinson said there are instances where hardened structures have done exactly what they were intended to do without negative consequences. The terminal groin at the Marc Basnight Bridge has caused little harm, according to the Division of Coastal Management.<\/p>\n

Mayfield said it would be prudent to put the legislation on hold until after the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission meets June 18. The CRC\u2019s science panel is scheduled to present its findings on oceanfront hardened structures.<\/p>\n

Read more Billions for the next 3 years of Trump\u2019s mass deportation campaign signed into law<\/a><\/p>\n

Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) agreed the forthcoming report could inform future legislation. Grafstein also said there needs to be a broader discussion of climate change and beach erosion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think historically there\u2019s been some limitation on consideration of climate change, and that\u2019s probably part of why we are where we are today,\u201d said Grafstein.<\/p>\n

A third bill, Senate Bill 1001, offered in committee by Sen. Michael Lazzara (R-Onslow), includes an $800,000 appropriation to the Coastal Storm Damage Mitigation Fund to be used for certain terminal groin permitting, construction or repair costs.<\/p>\n

Rob Lamm\u00e9, representing the North Carolina Coastal Federation, said the General Assembly agreed in the 2011-2012 session to prohibit state funds from being used to build hardened structures on the coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy creating a pathway to state funds in this bill, S1001 breaks that [agreement]\u201d said Lamm\u00e9. \u201cThat has provided really important taxpayer protections, both for coastal taxpayers and for inland taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lamm\u00e9 said the federation was hopeful Lazzara would reconsider opening the door to using\u00a0 state funds.<\/p>\n

The Coastal Federation also rejected the two bills put forth by Brinson.<\/p>\n

\n

NC leaders push Congress to help take down at-risk Outer Banks homes \u2014 before they collapse<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n