The Coastal Barrier Resources Act

Coastal barriers, the narrow low-lying landforms located at the interface of land and sea, buffer the bays, salt marshes, and wetlands behind them that in turn support a great diversity of plants and animals, including many threatened and endangered species, and protect people and property on the mainland from the full impact of hurricane winds and storm surge.

With the passage of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) in 1982, Congress recognized that certain actions and programs of the Federal Government have historically subsidized risky development on coastal barriers. This has resulted in the loss of natural resources; threats to human life, health, and property; and the expenditure of millions of tax dollars each year.

This critical law has successfully limited development on barrier islands and helped to mitigate risks to communities by redirecting development away from sensitive areas.

Rather than imposing restrictive regulations, CBRA leverages market mechanisms to promote conservation and save taxpayer dollars. By removing federal subsidies in designated areas of the  John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System  (CBRS), the law encourages responsible development practices.

By removing federal subsidies that can encourage development, CBRA discourages building on shifting sands and in other hazard-prone areas. This can help communities avoid myriad problems that accompany development repeatedly threatened by erosion and severe storms. When coastal development is damaged or destroyed, it can result in displacement of residents, compromised septic systems, debris-laden beaches that affect the safety and enjoyment of visitors, and threats to human health and wildlife.

A 2019 study published in the  Journal of Coastal Research  analyzed the economic benefits from CBRA and found that it reduced federal coastal disaster expenditures by $9.5 billion between 1989 and 2013, and forecasts that additional savings will range between $11 and $108 billion by 2068 (in 2016 dollars). A  2024 study  found that the CBRS significantly reduces flood claims to the National Flood Insurance Program, generating an estimated savings to the Federal Government of nearly $1 billion per year.

Three separate studies evaluated the effectiveness of CBRA in discouraging development on coastal barriers and found that it has been successful in decreasing development rates and densities of hazard prone coastal areas. Development rates within the CBRS are about 75-83% lower than those outside of the CBRS ( Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment , 2022;  Nature Climate Change , 2024). Development intensity of CBRS areas is comparable to that of protected areas such as parks ( PLOS ONE , 2020). CBRA achieves this reduced development intensity through economic disincentives only, without the costs associated with purchasing and managing the land.

CBRA helps protect biologically rich coastal and estuarine habitats which support wildlife, commercial and recreational fisheries, and tourism. These areas also serve as natural storm buffers that protect the mainland by attenuating waves and absorbing floodwaters and enhance water quality by filtering pollutants.  A study published in  Land Use Policy  in 2021, examined how the removal of federal subsidies affected investments in coastal protection infrastructure. This study found that parcels within the CBRS have 78% lower odds of being armored with structures, such as seawalls. This results in better habitat and more resilient beaches. A  2024 study  found that CBRS areas see a 41% reduction in built-up surface area. Maintaining more porous surfaces on the landscape allows for better water filtration and stormwater management.

A  2024 study  found the CBRS lowered development densities by 83% but raised them by 37% in neighboring areas. This suggests the designation can be beneficial to coastal communities by reallocating growth away from the most at-risk areas while generating increased property values and tax revenues in nearby locations. This study found these spillover effects include:

• More than $900 million per year in local tax revenue increases in adjacent areas, with no evidence of a decline in local revenues within the CBRS
• Natural amenities and flood protection for areas within and adjacent to the CBRS
• 40-64% lower annual flood insurance claims (per acre) in areas adjacent to the CBRS 
• Areas adjacent to the CBRS have higher property sales prices and 50% higher assessed values (per acre)

FWS is the custodian of the official CBRS maps. However, only Congress has the authority to make significant changes to the boundaries through legislation. The following three exceptions allow FWS to make minor administrative changes to the maps:

• CBRA’s  5-year review  requirement that solely considers changes that have occurred to the CBRS due to natural forces such as erosion and accretion
• voluntary additions to the CBRS by property owners
• additions of excess federal property to the CBRS

In addition to the above map maintenance activities, we are responsible for making the maps and data accessible to the public and maintaining related  GIS data and the CBRS Mapper , making recommendations to Congress for changes to the boundaries, and providing customer service related to the maps.

In 2006, recognizing the challenges associated with the maps, Congress directed FWS to modernize them and also to recommend appropriate additions to the CBRS ( Pub. L. 109-226 ).

This process includes a review of the maps using a set of guiding principles, objective mapping protocols, and statutory criteria. Comprehensively revised maps also undergo public review before final recommendations are submitted to Congress for consideration.

Ensuring that CBRS maps are updated, usable, and accurately depict the boundaries are important goals of FWS. As of November 2024, we have prepared and Congress has adopted modernized maps for more than 50 percent of the CBRS units, comprising 36 percent of the CBRS acreage. 

We continue to conduct projects to identify errors on the maps and potential additions for congressional consideration. Correcting errors ensures the integrity of the maps, and expanding the CBRS will help direct new development away from often hazardous areas that also serve as important habitat. This reduces the need for subsidized federal flood insurance and future evacuations, loss of life, and costly federal disaster assistance associated with hurricanes and severe flooding events.

In November 2024, Congress reauthorized and amended CBRA and expanded the CBRS by nearly 300,000 acres through the bipartisan Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm ( BEACH) Act  ( Pub. L. 118-117 ). This law adopted 195 revised maps produced by FWS through the comprehensive remapping process described above. The map below shows areas where the CBRS boundaries were modified. Zoom in to see the details.

The CBRS includes two types of units: System Units and Otherwise Protected Areas (OPAs). 

System Units are predominantly composed of privately owned areas, although they may also contain areas that are held for conservation and/or recreation. Most new federal expenditures and financial assistance, including federal flood insurance, are prohibited within System Units.  Consultation  is required for federally funded projects and activities within System Units.

OPAs are predominantly composed of conservation and/or recreation areas, although they may also contain private areas that are not held for conservation and/or recreation. OPAs are denoted with a “P” at the end of the unit number. The only federal spending prohibition within OPAs is on federal flood insurance, and there is an exception for park-related structures. Consultation is not required for federally funded projects and activities within OPAs.

Although CBRA prohibits most federal funding and financial assistance with System Units, federal agencies may spend funds within the CBRS if they meet one of CBRA's  exceptions . However, consultation is required between the federal funding agency and FWS before funds may be committed (16 U.S.C. 3505(a)). Examples of excepted activities include (but are not limited to):

• Energy exploration and extraction
• Maintenance of existing federal navigation channels
• Military activities essential to national security
• Construction and maintenance of U.S. Coast Guard facilities
• Habitat restoration projects
• Recreation projects
• Floodplain buyouts
• Certain emergency actions under the Stafford Act
• Maintenance, replacement, reconstruction, and repair of certain publicly-owned or operated roads, structures, and facilities

Conditions and limitations may apply depending on the exception.

Please see our  Frequently Asked Questions .

cbra@fws.gov