But locally, inlets are shallow and sound areas blocked, leading to dramatic movement. Mason Inlet, for example, moved more than 1,800 feet between 1984 and 1995 and now threatens to undermine the Shell Island Resort Hotel less than 200 feet away. And shifting inlets affect more than just the island tips bordering them. Dr. Cleary said. Proponents say the projects save the government money in storm damage and benefit the overall economy.
Critics say replacing sand only encourages more development and in some places fails.
Now, in an era of deficit reduction, many Washington lawmakers are looking at that money as a subsidy to wealthy homeowners and tourist-rich beach towns. In North Carolina, tough state coastal laws have kept the ocean at bay for many homeowners. Rules passed in 1979 require buildings to be set certain distances from the ocean or beach vegetation. The distances, referred to as setbacks, are 30 times the average annual erosion rate. About 39 percent of the Tar Heel coast is losing more than three feet a year, an increase of 4 percent since the state last did an erosion survey in 1986.