Coastal Planning Assistance
Coastal Services staff provide short- and long-term planning assistance and support coastal planning initiatives at the state and local level. SCDES BCM planning staff work with partners on a variety of issues including coastal adaptation, hazard mitigation, marsh management, resilience, and other comprehensive planning efforts. Staff assist local beachfront communities with development and maintenance of Local Comprehensive Beachfront Management Plans, or LCBMPs, which are an important and effective management tool for local governments. Hurricane Preparedness and Recovery planning, another priority focus area, includes maintenance of SCDES BCM’s Emergency Operations Plan.
Public Outreach, Education, and Product Development
The Coastal Services team specializes in development of public outreach and education products and initiatives. These efforts include hosting SCDES BCM’s Coastal Photography Contest and development of annual tide tables. Other initiatives include South Carolina’s Keep off the Dunes Program, a collaborative effort between SCDES BCM, local municipalities, and other partners to enhance public awareness of sensitive dune environments. The SC Adopt-a-Beach Program, associated with SCDES BCM’s Marine Debris Initiative, is a volunteer-based cleanup program established in state statute to promote safe and clean litter-free beaches. Coastal Services staff regularly highlight these outreach products and initiatives, as well as applications and tools developed by the team, at public and partner meetings and at local and regional conferences.
Stakeholder Engagement
Coastal Services staff support SCDES BCM stakeholder engagement efforts including workgroup planning, coordination, and facilitation. The goal of these engagement efforts is to gather input and diverse perspectives from stakeholders on a variety of topics. Explore past stakeholder workgroup efforts in the section below. Coastal Services staff also participate in partner and inter-agency coordination meetings associated with local and regional initiatives such as the SC Coastal Information Network and the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership.