South Carolina’s coastal population has exploded in recent years, and is projected to increase 65 percent by the year 2010 to over one million residents living within the eight coastal counties. This expected growth, while being economically beneficial, can altar and diminish our coastal and marine resources.

The goal of the Coastal Communities Program is to help find a sustainable balance between necessary economic growth and natural resource conservation, by assisting coastal communities with determining the most effective means to ensure sustained use of South Carolina's marine and coastal resources. The Program seeks to educate citizens and public officials about land use and associated impacts on natural resources, by providing science-based information and tools to enhance their ability to address the pressures of coastal growth.

For more information regarding Coastal Communities Program activities please contact:

April Turner, Coastal Communities Specialist
S.C. Sea Grant Extension Program
287 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
P: 843/953-2078 F: 843/953-2080
April.Turner@scseagrant.org

Examples of How We Work:

Regional Coastal Community Workshop Series
S.C. Coastal Community Initiative Grant Program
Sustainable Planning for the ACE Basin Region
Linking Land Use and Coastal Ecosystems
Southern Passages: Atlantic Heritage Coast Corridor
Community Dune Restoration Project
Planning for Quality Growth
S.C. Coastal Information Network
Infrastructure Investment Project
“Smart Growth”
Alternative Dispute Resolution
S.C. African-American Heritage Guide

Regional Coastal Communuty Workshop Series

This educational workshop series, targeting local volunteer boards, council members, and municipal government staff, is tailored to address concerns about population growth and natural resource protection in coastal South Carolina. Scientists present information on coastal population growth projections and the state of scientific knowledge related to land-use impacts on community-scale marine resources. State agency officials discuss coastal and marine resource management and regulatory processes, and identify sources of technical assistance and support. The overall goal of this workshop is to help establish productive interactions between local community officials and staff and statewide natural resource agency personnel.

The first of these workshops was held for the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Region, followed by one for  the Lowcountry Region (Beaufort, Colleton, and Jasper Counties), and one for the Waccamaw Region (Georgetown and Horry Counties).

SC Coastal Community Initiative Grant Program

The S.C. Coastal Community Initiative Grant Program (CCI) is a collaborative land-use planning and water quality program for local decision makers to help foster sustainable land use planning and resource management. Originally established to serve as a support framework to enhance the SC NEMO program, this small grants program was later expanded to provide an incentive to engage local governments in the development and implementation of “quality growth” land management policies and practices. Proposals were solicited from coastal municipalities and counties to participate and recipients of the award received a $2,500 grant to help leverage further support and funding; Recipients of these CCI mini grant awards have addressed a variety of issues related to stormwater runoff and water quality management, open space preservation, alternative transportation and greenway pedestrian/biking access, and natural resource-based planning. The first SC Coastal Community Initiative grant awards were received by the Town of Edisto Beach and the Town of Bluffton in 2003. The recipients of the 2004-2005 cycle of this grant award are the coastal communities of Colleton County and Horry County

Sustainable Planning for the ACE Basin Region

This effort provided local stakeholders with a better understanding of the changing human activities and socioeconomic conditions in the Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin region, and specifically in Colleton County. This project integrated local knowledge and secondary data to develop a land-use planning approach to address the challenges of preserving the natural and cultural resources, while promoting economic development in the ACE Basin region. A user-friendly educational land-use planning tool was produced from this research effort to facilitate sound land-use decision-making by promoting quality growth and sustainable development. The tool provides the user with a framework and data sources to conduct a community profile, create a socioeconomic atlas, inventory natural resources, and identify appropriate management strategies that collectively serve as a valuable mechanism for the collection of appropriate data needed for a comprehensive plan.

Sustainable Land Use Planning Tool (pdf 4.8mb)

Linking Land Use and Coastal Ecosystems

The South Atlantic Bight Land Use – Coastal Ecosystem Study (LU-CES), a multidisciplinary research program initiated by SC Sea Grant with funding from the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program, has generated information on direct cause-and-effect linkages between population and development trends and their impacts on the region’s salt marsh-tidal creek ecosystems. Extension staff were responsible for disseminating LU-CES information to coastal decision-makers, including the preparation of non-technical summaries of LU-CES research results for inclusion in the Springer-Verlag book, Land-Use Change in the Coastal Zone: Managing Environmental Quality in Rapidly Growing Regions.

Southern Passages: Atlantic Heritage Coast Corridor

Representatives from Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina forged a visionary concept for a regional economic development initiative to attract tourists off the beaten path to explore the cultural, historical and natural resource riches and wonders along Highway 17 and A1A between St. Augustine, Florida and Georgetown, South Carolina. As part of the Southern Passages Steering Committee for South Carolina, we have been assisting in the implementation of the plan and have contributed to the development of the state’s Southern Passages web pages, which highlight the historic, cultural, and recreational features and special events for each community.

Community Dune Restoration Project

The goal of the dune restoration project was to promote good stewardship of South Carolina coastal resources by providing an opportunity for community members and visitors of all ages to learn about the fragile beach-dune system and to contribute to the protection of the very resources they enjoy. A broad range of project partners from the private and public sector helped to make this a successful event. More than 175 participants installed 1,500 linear feet of sand fencing and planted 3,000 sea oats to encourage the formation of new sand dunes on a barrier island. Volunteers learned about the value of the dune systems as a protective barrier from storm surge. Some of the private sector partners were able to raise money to generate support and a source of future funding for dune restoration and re-vegetation in the coming years. Coming soon: Dune Restoration Toolbook!

Planning for Quality Growth

Jasper County local government officials and residents were concerned with the lack of planning policies and zoning ordinances in the county and expressed a willingness to participate in a quality growth pilot project offered through the SC Sea Grant Extension Program. In August of 2004, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium (SCSGC) in conjunction with the Jasper Soil and Water Conservation District (JSWCD), the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) began a countywide conservation planning effort. The Jasper County Natural Resources Conservation Plan has been developed as a result of numerous stakeholder workshops and focus group meetings and the input of more than 100 stakeholders representing local and regional government officials and staff, state and federal resource agencies, nonprofit conservation organizations, local businesses private land owners, and concerned citizens. The intended purpose of the plan is to serve as an informational guidebook for the residents of Jasper County and local developers, a resource and education tool for natural resource educators and planners, and most importantly, an inventory of biological data and innovative solutions of how to protect the many fragile ecosystems and species in the region.

The Jasper County Natural Resources Conservation Plan is scheduled for printing in September 2006, and will be available as an interactive PDF file on CD-Rom or as a downloadable file from the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium Web site.

S.C. Coastal Information Network

The South Carolina Coastal Information Network emerged as a result of a number of coastal outreach institutions and constituencies working in partnership to enhance coordination of the coastal community outreach efforts in South Carolina. The Network includes federal and state agencies, regional government agencies and private organizations seeking to coordinate and/or jointly deliver outreach programs. The purpose of this collaboration is to avoid duplication of efforts and minimize the number of meetings/workshops that community leaders and staff are asked to attend, leverage scarce resources, maximize program benefits and expected outcomes. Coalition partners have created a member list serve and developed a database of projects, programs, workshops, and other outreach events. The next steps for the Network are to implement some of the recommendations of the Council on Coastal Futures, and capitalize on partnership opportunities in coastal South Carolina.

Please stay tuned for updated information on upcoming efforts, events, and publications related to coastal communities! For more information or questions regarding coastal communities programs, please contact April Turner (843) 953-2078, ext. 20.

Infrastructure Investment Project

The Infrastructure Investment Project is a model for how infrastructure investments can be made regionally for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness. A systems analysis approach incorporates social, economic, and environmental elements into infrastructure investment decisions. The project is a partnership between Sea Grant, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, the Lowcountry Council of Governments, University of South Carolina (USC) Center for Environmental Policy, USC Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.

"Smart Growth"

"Smart Growth" is an idea that is catching on around the state. In 1998, the SCSGEP held a workshop for the Charleston metro region's planning commission members. The focus: how to use both social and physical sciences to plan effectively for growth. The workshop led to development of a water quality education program for local elected officials, now being implemented statewide.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

The Office of Coastal Resource Management and the S.C. Council for Conflict Resolution have begun a pilot project to employ mediation in permitting disputes. The SCSGEP is assisting by identifying scientists who can provide expert information to help resolve conflicts.

S.C. African-American Heritage Guide

Sea Grant partnered with the S.C. African-American Heritage Council, S.C. State University, and S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism to develop and distribute 40,000 copies of a map guide that provides a brief history of African-American influence in the Lowcountry. The guide locates important African-American cultural and historical places, and highlights African-American-owned businesses.

Coastal Growth-Related Publications

Coastal Growth-Related Links