Town of North Topsail Beach Coastal Barrier Resources System Map Amendment Act of 2025
Summary
HB1885, titled the Town of North Topsail Beach Coastal Barrier Resources System Map Amendment Act of 2025, would direct the Secretary of the Interior to revise the official map of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System for unit L06 in Topsail, North Carolina. Within 30 days of enactment, the Secretary would be required to remove from that coastal barrier unit any parcel in the Town of North Topsail Beach that, as of the date of enactment, is designated by local zoning ordinance for a purpose other than conservation.
The bill is a targeted, location-specific amendment rather than a broad policy change. It applies only to areas of unit L06 within the municipality of North Topsail Beach and instructs that the affected parcels be treated as meeting the statutory criteria in the Coastal Barrier Resources Act for exclusion from the system. The measure also defines the relevant zoning baseline as the town’s zoning regulations in effect on enactment date and ties the correction to the November 25, 2024 CBRS map set.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would alter the federal Coastal Barrier Resources System map for a limited area in North Topsail Beach, North Carolina, effectively removing certain parcels from the system’s restrictions. That could affect eligibility for federal flood insurance, disaster assistance, and other federal support tied to CBRS designation, while also influencing local development and land-use expectations for the affected parcels. The bill would amend how the Interior Department administers unit L06 and would supersede the existing map to the extent specified.
Sentiment
Available context suggests the bill is narrowly tailored and likely intended as a technical or local correction rather than a controversial policy overhaul. There are no recorded votes or committee transcript excerpts indicating broad opposition or support, and the bill had only subcommittee hearings held as of the latest action. The bipartisan sponsorship by Representatives Murphy and Rouzer also suggests a localized, pragmatic approach.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the removal of parcels from the Coastal Barrier Resources System, because CBRS designation is designed to discourage federally subsidized development in environmentally sensitive coastal areas. Supporters are likely to view the bill as correcting a map or zoning mismatch for parcels already designated for non-conservation uses under local law, while opponents could argue that excluding land from the system weakens coastal protection and may encourage development in vulnerable areas. The dispute, if any, would center on balancing local land-use decisions and property interests against federal coastal conservation policy.
Reorganizes the coastal resources management council under the department of environmental management and create the bureau of coastal resources management.
Replaces the coastal resources management council with a state department of coastal resources and transfer all of the powers and duties between the two (2) authorities.
Replaces the coastal resources management council with a state department of coastal resources and transfer all of the powers and duties between the two (2) authorities.
Replaces CRMC with a newly created division of coastal resources management, a state entity within the DEM and would transfer all authority to the DEM with duties and responsibilities to be carried out by the division of coastal resources management.