The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality is kicking off a yearlong, 50th anniversary celebration of the N.C. Coastal Area Management Act, or CAMA, as part of the Coastal Resources Commission’s Feb. 21-22 meeting in Wilmington.
The Division of Coastal Management, under NCDEQ, carries out CAMA, the Dredge and Fill Law, and the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 in the 20 coastal counties, using rules and policies established by the Coastal Resources Commission. The Coastal Resources Commission was created in 1974 when the General Assembly adopted CAMA.
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“The Division of Coastal Management will honor the 50th anniversary of the NC Coastal Area Management Act by reflecting on the impact of this important legislation to our state and especially to coastal North Carolina,” Division of Coastal Management Director Tancred Miller told Coastal Review. “We will start by focusing on what 50 years of the law has accomplished with an afternoon of distinguished panelists from local, state and legislative partners. We look forward to sharing more about continuing our yearlong celebration in the months ahead.”
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The Coastal Resources Advisory Council meeting will take place at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, followed by the anniversary celebration at Aloft Wilmington at Coastline Center, 501 Nutt St., Wilmington. The Coastal Resources Commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22.
The anniversary celebration will start at 1:30 p.m. with a welcome from Miller, NCDEQ Secretary Elizabeth Biser and Coastal Resources Commission Chair Renee Cahoon.
Panel discussions will begin at 1:45 p.m. with a review the history of CAMA. At 2:30 p.m. will be a panel on CAMA regulatory framework, followed at 3:30 p.m. with the local governments and partnerships panel. Programming will wrap up after the 4:30 p.m. legislative panel with Reps. Charles Miller, R-Brunswick, and Carson Smith, R-Onslow, and Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico. The anniversary celebration will wrap up with a reception at 5:30 p.m.
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The commission during its Feb. 22 meeting will consider a beach management plan for Kure Beach, hear an update on the public comment period for the proposed temporary rules.
A public comment period is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22. At the chair’s discretion, comments may be limited to three minutes per person.
The full agenda and list of panelists for the anniversary event can be found on the website.
