March 25, 2008 Contact: Michele Walker, 919-733-2293, ext. 229 N.C. Coastal Management To Conduct Training for Local Permit Officers RALEIGH – The N.C. Division of Coastal Management will conduct two training workshops next month for local permit officers in the 20 coastal counties. The workshops will be held April 2-3 at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal Reserve Administration Center on Pivers Island in Beaufort, and April 9-10 at the Kern P. Pitts Center in Southern Shores. Cooperating state and local government programs were an important component of the original Coastal Area Management Act. Locally-adopted implementation and enforcement plans allow local governments to process Coastal Area Management Act Minor Permits in-house, giving them an active role in the management of the coastal resources within their jurisdictions, as well as providing an additional public service to their residents. “These joint training sessions are a vital way for (Division of) Coastal Management staff to work directly with local government representatives to provide guidance on coastal management issues,” said Ted Tyndall, DCM’s assistant director for permits and enforcement. “It is a testament to how valuable these sessions are that so many LPOs take time out of their busy schedules to attend each year.” The agenda for the two-day workshops includes updates on recent changes to Coastal Resources Commission rules and training in the permit process, as well as monitoring and enforcement. DCM staff will also conduct interactive field training in staking normal high water and normal water levels and identifying coastal wetlands. |