Coastal Planning Assistance
Coastal Services planning staff assist local beachfront counties and municipalities with the development and maintenance of Local Comprehensive Beachfront Management Plans (LCBMPs). LCBMPs are an important and effective management tool for local governments as they provide guidance to state and federal agencies on local policies, regulations, and procedures related to beachfront management. Additionally, planning staff support other state and local scale planning, including coastal adaptation, hazard mitigation, marsh management, resilience, and other comprehensive planning efforts.
OCRM Emergency Operations Planning
The Coastal Services section maintains DHEC OCRM’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), which outlines preparedness and recovery activities and staff assignments before, during, and after an emergency situation. The EOP is updated annually and includes field guides for staff responsible for conducting annual beachfront structural inventory and post-disaster damage assessment. Coastal Services staff also ensure DHEC OCRM contracts are in place with professional appraisers and engineers for post-disaster damage assessment.
Stakeholder Engagement
Coastal Services staff provide support for stakeholder engagement efforts including workgroup facilitation and planning. Recent workgroups have been convened to address high priority issues and needs related to: Abandoned & Derelict Vessels, Beachfront Jurisdictional Lines, Beach Preservation, and Living Shorelines. 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, the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership (SCDRP), and the Coastal GIS User Group.
Education and Outreach Product Development
The Coastal Services team specializes in development of public education and outreach products. The South Carolina Beach Guide, Beachfront Jurisdictional Lines, Beach Renourishment, Beach Erosion & Research Monitoring Program (BERM), and Coastal Hazard Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) are public web applications maintained by the Coastal Services team. These products are frequently used by local governments, state and federal agencies, universities, and coastal engineering and surveying companies. DHEC OCRM’s MyCoast South Carolina is a web and mobile app designed to engage the public and enhance awareness of coastal issues like tidal flooding, storm damage, and marine debris. Coastal Services staff regularly highlight these outreach products at public and partner meetings and at local and regional conferences.
