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 Coastal Barrier Resources ActAbout UsWhat We DoContact UsLibraryNewsOfficial Maps and DataHistorical Changes We administer the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA), which encourages the conservation of storm-prone and dynamic coastal barriers by withdrawing the availability of federal funding and financial assistance within a designated set of units known as the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The CBRS includes 3.5 million acres along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts.What We DoImage DetailsOur ServicesOur responsibilities under CBRA include maintaining the official maps of the CBRS and making recommendations to Congress for appropriate changes to the boundaries; consulting with other federal agencies regarding federally-funded projects proposed within the CBRS; and working with property owners, project proponents, and other stakeholders to determine whether a specific property or project site is located within the CBRS.Our Projects and InitiativesThe Service is committed to ensuring accurate and user-friendly maps depicting the CBRS. Through a series of mapping projects, we have made progress in modernizing maps for the CBRS using digital technology that has significantly improved public access to information, increased efficiency for infrastructure project planning, and increased accuracy and timeliness in determining whether individual properties are located with the CBRS.Image DetailsOur Laws and RegulationsWith the passage of CBRA in 1982, Congress recognized that certain actions and programs of the Federal Government have historically subsidized and encouraged development on coastal barriers **coastal barriers**  Learn more about coastal barrier landforms. Learn more about coastal barriers, resulting in the loss of natural resources, threats to human life, health, and property, and the expenditure of millions of tax dollars each year. CBRA seeks to minimize these effects by restricting federal funding and financial assistance affecting the CBRS. The CBRS includes 588 System Units, which comprise nearly 1.4 million acres of land and associated aquatic habitat. There are also 282 “Otherwise Protected Areas,” a category of coastal barriers that are mostly held for conservation and/or recreation purposes that include an additional 2.1 million acres of land and associated aquatic habitat.A 2019studypublished in the*Journal of Coastal Research*analyzed the economic benefits from CBRA and found that CBRA reduced federal coastal disaster expenditures by $9.5 billion between 1989 and 2013, and forecasts that additional savings will range between $11 and $108 billion by 2068.CBRA does not prohibit the expenditure of private, state, or local funds within the CBRS. Additionally, it does not prevent federal agencies from issuing permits or conducting environmental studies.  Areas within the CBRS may be developed, provided that private developers or other non-federal parties bear the full cost and risk.More About What We DoLatest Stories and TopicsStoriesStones dot a sandy beach along the shoreline.Coastal Barrier Resources System 2023 5-Year Review ResultsService Conducts 5-Year Review for Coastal Barrier Resources System Units in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, and New YorkNov 3, 2023A satalite image of Hurricane Image from International Space StationEmergency ManagementCBRA Guidance Following Hurricanes Fiona and IanAfter a Presidentially-declared disaster, federal agencies make expenditures and provide financial assistance to help communities recover and rebuild. Most federal funding for disaster relief is prohibited within System Units of the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), with some exceptions (...Oct 4, 2022Aerial view of damages left by Hurricane Sandy.Habitat RestorationService Sends Coastal Barrier Resources System Report to Congress with Updated Maps for the North Atlantic CoastThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted to Congress its Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project. The report includes revised maps for 438 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in the nine states most affected by...Apr 6, 2022Wilson's plover with chicks on Wassaw NWRScience and TechnologyStudies Examine CBRA’s Effectiveness in Saving Money and Reducing DevelopmentCBRA provides landscape-level conservation benefits for fish, wildlife, and plant resources by reducing the intensity of development. A 2007 U.S. Government Accountability Office report reviewed the extent to which development has occurred in CBRS units and the extent to which federal agencies...Dec 16, 2021Coastal dunes in early morning.Land ManagementDepartment Reinstates Long-Standing Interpretation of CBRA for Shoreline Stabilization ProjectsThe Department of the Interior has reinstated its long-standing interpretation under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act as it relates to certain federally-funded shoreline stabilization projects.Jul 14, 2021Green sea turtles on the beachScience and TechnologyNew Report about Impacts of Sediment Management on Coastal Barrier SystemsThe U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jointly release a report on the impacts of sediment removal from and placement in coastal barrier systems.Jun 2, 2021View All NewsOur LibraryImage DetailsWhether you are looking for additional information about the Coastal Barrier Resources System, our current mapping projects, or official maps, you can find it here in our library.Official Coastal Barrier Resources System MapsThe Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982 and subsequent amendments established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The CBRS consists of relatively undeveloped coastal barriers and other areas located the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and...Library Collection24 ItemsService Sends Coastal Barrier Resources System Report to Congress with Updated Maps for the North Atlantic CoastThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has submitted to Congress its Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping Project. The report includes revised maps for 438 Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in the nine states most affected by...Press ReleaseApr 6, 2022Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping ProjectNameReport to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Hurricane Sandy Remapping ProjectIn 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) initiated a project to modernize the maps of the Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units in the nine states along the North Atlantic coast most affected by Hurricane Sandy: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,...PDFApr 5, 2022Coastal Barrier Resources Act Project ConsultationThis library collection includes resources and information related to Coastal Barrier Resources Act project consultations, as well as guidance for shoreline stabilization, disaster assistance, and property buyouts.Library Collection13 ItemsUpdated Maps for Coastal Barrier Resources System Units in North Carolina, South Carolina, and FloridaThe Service has submitted to Congress seven draft revised maps for John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) units located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.StoryApr 29, 2021Science and TechnologyView Our Library
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