CAMA permits are intended to protect the environment, public-trust rights and the economy of the North Carolina coast. To ensure that Coastal Resources Commission regulations are followed, Coastal Management employs a number of compliance tools. For example, DCM staff monitor projects that have received major or general permits to make sure they are being carried out correctly. Staff also conduct routine aerial surveillance to look for unauthorized activity and to monitor permitted development.

The division's most critical compliance tool is enforcement. Someone is determined to be in violation when they begin development in an Area of Environmental Concern (AEC) without a valid CAMA permit or if any of their CAMA-permitted work does not comply with the issued permit. Once a violation has occurred, Coastal Management staff can issue a violation notice, halt development in progress, require restoration of the site and assess a penalty for the violation.

In dealing with violations, Coastal Management's first priority is to seek resource recovery through prompt, voluntary restoration of the damaged area. The division's enforcement authority allows the division to require restoration for activity that could not be permitted, and to assess civil penalties of up to $10,000 for unauthorized work. In addition, the CRC may also assess up to one-half the amount of the civil penalty, not to exceed $2,500 for major development violations or $1,000 for minor development violations, to recover the costs of investigations and enforcement involved with violations.

If you suspect a CAMA violation has occurred, contact the Compliance and Enforcement Representative Coastal Management office nearest you. Office numbers are available on the "Contact DCM" link at the top of this page.

Want to know more about enforcement? Check out the Enforcement FAQs and the Enforcement Process Flowchart (in PDF format).

CAMA violation notices: March 2008

The Division of Coastal Management issued the following violation notices during March. Penalties are not assessed at the time the violation notices are issued; they are assessed later.

Elizabeth City District:

Port of Wanchese, LLC, c/o Mikey Daniels, Dare County, unauthorized major development by constructing a dock within the Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Area Areas of Environmental Concern in Mill Creek.

Morehead City District:

 Harvey Nelson, Carteret County, unauthorized major development and violation of the State's dredge and fill law by placing earthen fill material and constructing a wooden retaining wall within coastal wetlands in the Coastal Wetlands Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to Westmouth Bay.

Henry Everett and T.A. Loving Construction (c/o Kenneth Smith), Carteret County, unauthorized major development and violation of the State's dredge and fill law by the placement and grading of earthen fill material within coastal wetlands in the Coastal Wetlands Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to the North River.

Washington District:

 Kenneth Carpenter, Beaufort County, unauthorized minor development by widening an existing gravel driveway and paving the surface to increase the impervious surface within the Estuarine Shoreline Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to the Pamlico River.

NC Dept. of Transportation (c/o Lyndo Tippet), Rudy Smithwick, and Flatiron/United (c/o Mark Mallet), Beaufort County, unauthorized major develoment by constructing a sediment basin associated with a NCDOT project within the Estuarine Shoreline Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to the Tar River.

Ronald Dail and Bob Rowe (contractor), Hertford County, unauthorized major development and violation of the state's dredge and fill law by continuing to install a bulkhead after expiration of State Permit No. 49432-B and filling the Chowan River with unconfined unconsolidated fill material during the bulkhead installation within the Estuarine Waters and Public Trust Area in the Chowan River.

Wilmington District:

Nathalie Duez, New Hanover County, unauthorized minor development by installing a fence within the Estuarine Shoreline Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to Pages Creek.

Winfred Taylor, Onslow County, unauthorized minor development by constructing a wooden retaining wall within the CAMA setback in the Ocean Erodible Area AEC adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.

Phillip Bruce, Pender County, violation of the terms and conditions of CAMA Minor Development Permit No. PC 2007-14 issued by Pender County by the placement of earthen fill material outside of the permitted area and failure to maintain the sediment fencing or to establish other sedimentation and erosion control measures within the Coastal Shoreline Area of Environmental Concern adjacent to Mill Creek.

2008 reports
2007 reports
2006 reports
2005 reports
2004 reports
2003 reports