A Plan For All Seasons

Planning is an important tool that allows citizens and governments to set a course for the future and prevent environmental problems down the road. Studies have shown that plans are most effective when citizens play an active role in the preparation and implementation. The following is a brief description of the types of plans that affect the NC coast.

CAMA Land Use Plans
A Land Use Plan is a collection of policies and maps that serve as a community’s blueprint for growth. The Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) requires each of the 20 coastal counties to develop land use plans (LUP) and update them according to the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) guidelines that balance environmental protection with economic development.

Community Planning Program
NC Department of Commerce, Division of Community Assistance issues land use planning guidelines for communities that emphasize local and regional water quality protection. The division has experts that can help with downtown revitalization, historic preservation, neighborhood conservation, strategic planning, growth management, Main Street program assistance, community appearance, board & committee goal-setting, land use planning, and economic development.

Basinwide Water Quality Plans
The NC Division of Water Quality administers a nonregulatory watershed-based approach to restoring and protecting the quality of surface waters in each of 17 river basins. The goals of the plans are to identify problems or high value resource waters, restore use to impaired waters, protect unimpaired waters while allowing for "reasonable economic growth," develop management strategies, assure waterways can handle discharges and distribute the right to discharge equitably, and to improve public awareness and involvement.

Watershed Restoration Plan and Local Watershed Plans
The NC Division of Water Quality Wetlands Restoration Program has developed plans for restoring wetlands in each of the 17 river basins. Watershed Restoration Plans identify targeted local watersheds with a high need and opportunity for restoration. These targeted watersheds are then used for the second phase of planning, the Local Watershed Plan. The Local Watershed Plan identifies factors contributing to water quality degradation within a local watershed (10,000 to 40,000 acres in size) and provide strategies to address nonpoint source pollution. The end product is a "comprehensive package of initiatives needed to successfully improve and protect water quality in the long term," that also identifies funding to implement these measures.

Coastal Habitat Protection Plans (CHPP)
The Division of Marine Fisheries is the lead agency for developing CHPP plans for the "long-term enhancement of coastal fisheries through protection and heightened consideration of fish habitat in resource management decisions." These plans include habitat mapping and status and trends of fish stocks for each of the 11 coastal river basins, sounds, and ocean. In addition, the plans will recommend research needs and management options for three state regulatory bodies, including the Coastal Resources Commission, Environmental Management Commission and Marine Fisheries Commission.

Hazard Mitigation Plans
The Hazard Mitigation Planning Initiative (HMPI) is the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management's ongoing effort to foster the development of local hazard mitigation plans. The development of these plans will ensure that hazard mitigation principles become incorporated into the routine activities and decision-making processes of local governments. This will ultimately decrease the current and future vulnerability of our communities to all hazards.

Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plans
The NC Division of Land Resources requires the submission of Sedimentation and Erosion Control Plans at construction sites before any land-disturbing activities greater than one acre may begin. The plan states the control measures that will prevent erosion of land and sedimentation into streams.

Phase II Stormwater Management Plan
Construction sites, industrial activities and municipalities with discharges of stormwater must prepare a Stormwater Management Plan in order to secure a Phase II stormwater permit. The plan develops ways to reduce or prevent pollution in the water body that receives the stormwater discharge.

Water Supply Plans
The Division of Water Resources has compiled over 500 local water supply plans to identify key water supply issues in the state and to guide future water supply planning. The local plans determine the water needs of an area over the next 20 years.

County Transportation Plans
The Small Urban Planning Unit of NCDOT coordinates the development of County Transportation Plans. The county plans forecast long-range traffic patterns, assess economic development plans, and help counties identify funding sources to implement plans for new thoroughfares.

Wastewater Facilities Plan
A facilities plan is a general term for plans relating to construction of wastewater treatment works. It investigates community waste treatment needs, a plan and alternatives to the plan to meet needs, environmental impacts of the plan and descriptions of the treatment, cost, and completion schedule. Each municipality is required to develop a 201 Facilities Plan when it has reached 80% of its current permitted capacity and plans to seek funds from the State Revolving Fund (SRF). The "201" refers to Section 201 of the Clean Water Act.

Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP)
The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program (DENR) convened citizen stakeholders who prepared the CCMP, which contains five management plans (Water Quality, Vital Habitats, Fisheries, Stewardship and Implementation) that address regional environmental concerns.