Wednesday, August 19, 2026
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on June 6, 2026
With the collapse of yet another Buxton oceanfront home and the sense of urgency increasing, several initiatives that could reshape shoreline stabilization policies are in the hands of the NC General Assembly and state government.
On June 18, the Coastal Resources Commission (CRC) will meet again to continue its work to producing a report on hardened shoreline structures, which are currently banned in the state. On May 27, the CRC Science Panel met for more than five hours to discuss what would be included in that report. The Outer Banks Voice – CRC Science Panel discusses what to include in hardened structure report
At that meeting, CRC Science Panel Chair Laura Moore indicated that bulkheads and jetties would not be included in the report, noting that they “aren’t really erosion control structures for the open ocean coast.”
Meanwhile, NC Senate Bill 1009, which would legislatively repeal the state’s hardened structure ban, was introduced by District 1 Senator Bobby Hanig, District 3 Senator Bob Brinson and District 6 Senator Michael Lazzara. On May 4, it passed First Reading and was referred to the Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee.
Last month, the Commissioners in Currituck County—which is grappling with a plan to address shoreline erosion—passed a resolution supporting SB 1009. It asserted that without a repeal of the hardened structures ban, communities had few options other than beach nourishment, which it described as “a costly and temporary solution to erosion…as one of the only tools available to counties to combat coastal erosion.” The Outer Banks Voice – Currituck Commissioners to support repeal of NC’s hardened structures ban.
Another bill circulating in Raleigh that is potentially relevant to shoreline stabilization is Senate Bill 484, which in most cases would prohibit spending occupancy tax revenues for public safety and other services. The measure appears to be a rebuke of the May 22 North Carolina Supreme Court decision that allowed Currituck County to spend occupancy tax money to fund public safety services. The Outer Banks Voice – Currituck County and Corolla Civic Association at odds over occupancy tax legislation
That litigation, which was filed in 2018, with the Corolla Civic Association (CCCA) among the plaintiffs, argued that Currituck had improperly spent the occupancy on general county services including public safety, rather than on some tourism expenses, including beach nourishment. To date, Currituck County has never implemented a beach nourishment project, with some Commissioners contending it is prohibitively expensive.
Not surprisingly, Currituck County has voiced its opposition to SB 484, while the CCA has issued a message of support. Dare County Manager Bobby Outten told the Voice that “the bill is not clearly written, so we have concerns. We have our lobbyists trying to find out [the] ramifications.”
Comments
Ted
“One who knows the Mississippi will promptly aver—not aloud, but to himself—that ten thousand River Commissions, with the mines of the world at their back, cannot tame that lawless stream…” Mark Twain. I believe the same thing could be said about stabilizing a Migrating Barrier Island.
Currituck
As long as people are spending other people’s earnings, you should expect many, many attempts and ultimately failures. Try not to be shocked as this plays out.