Development of Living Shoreline Regulations | South Carolina Department of Environmental Services

Development of a Regulatory Definition and Project Standards for Living Shorelines

SCDES develops regulations in accordance with the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act (“APA”), S.C. Code Section 1-23-10 et seq. For more information on this process please visit How Does SCDES Develop Regulations. APA process milestones for the living shoreline regulation development are outlined below.

April 24, 2020: Notice of Drafting published in the South Carolina State Register
- 30-day public comment period closed May 26, 2020
September 25, 2020: Notice of Proposed Regulations published in the South Carolina State Register
- 30-day public comment period closed October 26, 2020
December 10, 2020: Public Hearing before DHEC Board
- The SC Board of Health and Environmental Control conducted a public hearing on the proposed amendments during its December 10, 2020, 10:00 a.m. meeting.
May 28, 2021: Regulations published in the South Carolina State Register

Working Group Meetings

Under Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act, DHEC OCRM develops strategies that address priority issues within the coastal zone. Living shorelines were a part of OCRM's 2016-2020 Section 309 strategy. Strategy goals included the development of success criteria for evaluating the performance of living shorelines, monitoring of existing living shorelines, establishment of a regulatory definition for living shorelines, and the development of specific regulatory project standards for the permitting of living shoreline projects in South Carolina. To achieve these goals, DHEC OCRM convened a Living Shorelines Working Group to guide and inform the strategy implementation process.