The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) of 1982 established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), comprised of undeveloped coastal barriers along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Great Lakes coasts. The law encourages the conservation of hurricane prone, biologically rich coastal barriers by restricting Federal expenditures that encourage development, such as Federal flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. CBRA is a free-market approach to conservation. These areas can be developed, but Federal taxpayers do not underwrite the investments. CBRA saves taxpayer dollars and encourages conservation at the same time. CBRA has saved over $1 billion and will save millions more in the future. Approximately 3.1 million acres of land and associated aquatic habitat are part of the CBRS. The Fish and Wildlife Service maintains the repository for CBRA maps enacted by Congress that depict the CBRS. The Service also advises Federal agencies, landowners, and Congress regarding whether properties are in or out of the CBRS, and what kind of Federal expenditures are allowed in the CBRS. To support coastal planning and other activities pursuant to the Coastal Zone Management Act, Energy Policy Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Rivers and Harbors Act and the Submerged Lands Act. User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to data use. User must acknowledge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the originator when using the data set as a source. User must share data products developed using this source data set with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Data should not be used beyond the limits of the source scale. The data set is NOT a survey document and should not be utilized as such. The data set is NOT to be used for definitive in/out determinations. This layer is presented in the WGS84 coordinate system for web display purposes. Downloadable data are provided in native coordinate system or projection.
