South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Program

Program Overview

The South Carolina Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1979, and the lead agency is the Department of Health and Environmental Control. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the 1977 Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act. The South Carolina coastal zone includes all lands and waters in the counties of the state that contain any one or more “critical areas,” which are defined as coastal waters, tidelands, beaches, and beach/dune system.