05-01-08: State review of beach sandbags begins

(C) Jacksonville Daily News

By Jannette Pippin, Staff Writer

MOREHEAD CITY - For some beachfront property owners, a noteworthy deadline has arrived that may soon have them removing sandbags put in place to protect their homes.

The N.C. Division of Coastal Management this week will begin a detailed inventory of sandbag structures along the state's coast. The inventory will be used to prioritize the removal of sandbags subject to the May 1 deadline.

Fewer than half of the estimated 370 sandbag structures along the North Carolina coast are expected to be affected, state officials said.

"I want to stress that the May deadline does not affect every sandbag on the coast," said Jim Gregson, director of the Division of Coastal Management. "Nor are we banning sandbags in North Carolina. This action affects a certain subset of structures - approximately 150 of the 370 of the total sandbag structures in North Carolina - that in many instances have been in place much longer than the two-year to five-year timeframe in which they are normally allowed."

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission passed a rule in 2000 that allowed property owners in communities actively pursuing beach nourishment to keep their sandbags for five years from the date of installation or until May 1, whichever was later.

This ruling mostly affects property owners with sandbag permits whose homes are located in communities that were actively seeking beach nourishment projects as of Oct. 1, 2001.

Those who have received a sandbag permit from Coastal Management recently or whose property is not in a community seeking beach nourishment are most likely not affected, the state said.

Only exposed sandbags have to be removed.

Sandbags covered with sand and stable, natural vegetation may remain indefinitely unless they become exposed again. If they are uncovered, they must be removed by the expiration date on the permit.

Coastal Management spokeswoman Michele Walker said there are 24 properties in Carteret County protected by sandbags and 31 properties in Onslow County with sandbags, but they won't know until after the inventory is done how many of the structures will have to be removed.

For Carteret County, that may be few, if any.

Sandbags protecting properties closest to the Point in Emerald Isle are not subject to the deadline, and others located along Bogue Banks that may be affected are blanketed by sand after beach nourishment projects.

"If we do have any that fall under the deadline, most almost certainly are buried," said Carteret County Shore Protection Manager Greg "Rudi" Rudolph.

Walker said division staff will be visiting sandbag locations to see whether they are uncovered and if they are, they will prioritize removal based on various factors, such as the length of time they have been in place, condition of the sandbags and whether the structure is blocking public access to the beach.

Once the inventory is complete, property owners will be notified by mail if their sandbags are subject to removal. If so, they will have 30 days from the time of notification to do so.

Walker said the enforcement effort will be phased, and the division staff will be working to make the process as easy as possible.

"We're trying to work with people as much as we can," she said.

Property owners who fail to comply with a removal notice within the 30-day period would be in violation of their permit. However, those who are notified that they must remove sandbags may apply for a variance from the Coastal Resources Commission.

Walker said sandbags are not a permanent fix against erosion.

"Sandbags are meant to be temporary, while property owners seek permanent protection like beach nourishment," she said.

The CRC limits the amount of time that sandbags may be used to protect a structure to preserve beach access, which can become blocked by sandbags left in place for too long. Sandbags can also be harmful to nesting habitats of endangered species, such as sea turtles, and over time can worsen erosion for neighboring properties, the state said.

A fact sheet on the May 1 sandbag removal deadline can be found on the Division of Coastal Management Web site at http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/

Contact Carteret County reporter Jannette Pippin at jpippin@freedomenc.com or 252-808-2275.