To amend sections 1506.01, 1506.02, 1506.06, 1506.10, 1506.11, 1506.40, 1506.41, and 1506.44 and to enact sections 1506.401, 1506.402, and 1506.403 of the Revised Code to alter the law governing coastal management.
SB433 revises Ohio’s coastal management laws for Lake Erie and the state’s shoreline, with a strong focus on clarifying property rights, permitting, and erosion-control work. The bill rewrites key definitions in Chapter 1506, including “coastal area,” “coastal structure,” “coastal restoration,” and related shoreline terms, and it updates the Department of Natural Resources’ role as the lead agency for coastal management. It also expands and reorganizes the permitting framework for shoreline projects, creating separate permit paths for littoral property owners and for other applicants seeking to build or restore coastal structures near Lake Erie.
A major feature of the bill is its treatment of Lake Erie submerged lands and littoral rights. It states that landward deeded property remains private, limits the state’s ability to claim or regulate deeded lands under the public trust doctrine, and creates procedures for leases, permits, inspections, and appeals involving structures in the territory between the natural shoreline and the international boundary. The bill also establishes a coastal management assistance grant program, a Lake Erie submerged lands fund, and revised rules for county assistance with erosion-control financing. It includes transition provisions to review existing leases, allow modification or termination where land is not actually part of the state’s territory, and preserve existing permits issued before the bill’s effective date.
The bill would substantially amend Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1506 by replacing existing coastal management, submerged lands, and shore-structure permitting provisions with a more detailed regulatory structure. It creates new sections 1506.401, 1506.402, and 1506.403 to govern permits for littoral owners and other applicants, changes the standards and timelines for DNR review, and updates funding and enforcement provisions tied to Lake Erie shoreline work. It also modifies the legal treatment of coastal erosion areas and the state’s authority over submerged lands, while preserving certain existing leases and permits and providing a process to revisit older leases in light of the boundary dispute referenced in prior litigation.
The bill appears generally supportive of shoreline property owners and local control, while also preserving state oversight of Lake Erie navigation, water commerce, and fishery interests. Its structure suggests an effort to streamline permitting and reduce uncertainty for littoral owners and local governments, especially for erosion control and restoration projects. No committee transcript or recorded vote history was provided, so there is no direct evidence of formal support or opposition in the available context.
The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s redefinition of the state’s authority over Lake Erie submerged lands and its explicit protection of littoral property rights. Environmental and public-interest concerns may focus on whether the new permit framework weakens state control, reduces review of shoreline structures, or makes it easier to build hard-armoring projects such as revetments, seawalls, and bulkheads. By contrast, property owners, counties, municipalities, and port authorities may support the bill’s clearer standards, faster approvals, and the ability to finance erosion-control measures. The retroactive lease-review provisions and the directive to modify or terminate leases based on whether land is actually part of the territory could also be controversial because they may affect existing state leases and revenue arrangements.