View all text of Chapter 55 [§ 3501 - § 3510]
§ 3503. Establishment of John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
(a) EstablishmentThere is established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System, which shall consist of those undeveloped coastal barriers and other areas located on the coasts of the United States that are identified and generally depicted as System units or Otherwise Protected Areas—
(1) on the maps on file with the Secretary entitled “Coastal Barrier Resources System”, dated October 24, 1990;
(2) on a map described in section 201(b) of the Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act; or
(3) on a map described in paragraph (1) or (2) as such map may be replaced, modified, revised, or corrected under—
(A) subsection (f)(3);
(B) section 4 of the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 3503 note); or
(C) any other provision of law enacted on or after November 16, 1990, that specifically replaces or authorizes the modification, revision, or correction of such a map.
(b) System maps
(1) In general
(2) Digital maps
(A) Availability
(B) Effect
(C) Report
(c) Boundary review and modification
(d) Additions to SystemThe Secretary may add a parcel of real property to the System, if—
(1) the owner of the parcel requests, in writing, that the Secretary add the parcel to the System; and
(2) the parcel is an undeveloped coastal barrier.
(e) Addition of excess Federal property
(1) Consultation and determination
(A) prepare a map depicting the coastal barrier portion of such property; and
(B) publish in the Federal Register notice of the addition of such property to the System.
(2) Effective date of inclusion
(f) MapsThe Secretary shall—
(1) keep a map showing the location of each boundary modification made under subsection (c) and of each parcel of real property added to the System under subsection (d) or (e) on file and available for public inspection in the Office of the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and in such other offices of the Service as the Director considers appropriate;
(2) provide a notification of the availability of the map to—
(A) the State and unit of local government in which the property is located;
(B) the Committees; and
(C) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and
(3) revise the maps referred to in subsection (a) to reflect each boundary modification under subsection (c) and each addition of real property to the System under subsection (d) or (e), after publishing in the Federal Register a notice of any such proposed revision.
(g) Guidelines for certain recommendations and determinations
(1) In generalIn making any recommendation to the Congress regarding the addition of any area to the System or in determining whether, at the time of the inclusion of a System unit within the System, a coastal barrier is undeveloped, the Secretary shall consider whether within the area—
(A) the density of development is less than 1 structure per 5 acres of land above mean high tide; and
(B) there is existing infrastructure consisting of—
(i) a road, with a reinforced road bed, to each lot or building site in the area;
(ii) a wastewater disposal system sufficient to serve each lot or building site in the area;
(iii) electric service for each lot or building site in the area; and
(iv) a fresh water supply for each lot or building site in the area.
(2) Structure definedIn paragraph (1), the term “structure” means a walled and roofed building, other than a gas or liquid storage tank, that—
(A) is principally above ground and affixed to a permanent site, including a manufactured home on a permanent foundation; and
(B) covers an area of at least 200 square feet.
(3) Savings clause
(Pub. L. 97–348, § 4, Oct. 18, 1982, 96 Stat. 1654; Pub. L. 97–396, § 8, Dec. 31, 1982, 96 Stat. 2007; Pub. L. 100–707, title II, § 204(b), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4713; Pub. L. 101–591, § 3, Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2931; Pub. L. 106–167, § 3(c)(3), Dec. 9, 1999, 113 Stat. 1804; Pub. L. 106–514, §§ 2–3(b)(1), (c), (d), Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2394, 2395; Pub. L. 115–358, §§ 2(d), 3, Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5080; Pub. L. 118–117, title I, § 102, Nov. 25, 2024, 138 Stat. 1610.)