(A) The General Assembly declares the basic state policy in the implementation of this chapter is to protect the quality of the coastal environment and to promote the economic and social improvement of the coastal zone and of all the people of the State.

(B) Specific state policies to be followed in the implementation of this chapter are:

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 48-39-30

  • Coastal zone: means all coastal waters and submerged lands seaward to the state's jurisdictional limits and all lands and waters in the counties of the State which contain any one or more of the critical areas. See South Carolina Code 48-39-10
  • Critical area: means any of the following:

    (1) coastal waters;

    (2) tidelands;

    (3) beaches;

    (4) beach/dune system which is the area from the mean high-water mark to the setback line as determined in § 48-39-280. See South Carolina Code 48-39-10
  • Tidelands: means all areas which are at or below mean high tide and coastal wetlands, mudflats, and similar areas that are contiguous or adjacent to coastal waters and are an integral part of the estuarine systems involved. See South Carolina Code 48-39-10

(1) To promote economic and social improvement of the citizens of this State and to encourage development of coastal resources in order to achieve such improvement with due consideration for the environment and within the framework of a coastal planning program that is designed to protect the sensitive and fragile areas from inappropriate development and provide adequate environmental safeguards with respect to the construction of facilities in the critical areas of the coastal zone;

(2) To protect and, where possible, to restore or enhance the resources of the State’s coastal zone for this and succeeding generations;

(3) To formulate a comprehensive tidelands protection program;

(4) To formulate a comprehensive beach erosion and protection policy including the protection of necessary sand dunes.

(5) To encourage and assist state agencies, counties, municipalities and regional agencies to exercise their responsibilities and powers in the coastal zone through the development and implementation of comprehensive programs to achieve wise use of coastal resources giving full consideration to ecological, cultural and historic values as well as to the needs for economic and social development and resources conservation.

(C) In the implementation of the chapter, no government agency shall adopt a rule or regulation or issue any order that is unduly restrictive so as to constitute a taking of property without the payment of just compensation in violation of the Constitution of this State or of the United States.

(D) Critical areas shall be used to provide the combination of uses which will insure the maximum benefit to the people, but not necessarily a combination of uses which will generate measurable maximum dollar benefits. As such, the use of a critical area for one or a combination of like uses to the exclusion of some or all other uses shall be consistent with the purposes of this chapter.

(E) It shall be the policy of the State to coordinate the coastal planning and management program effort with other coastal states and organizations of coastal states.

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