The state's Council on Coastal Futures has set an ambitious agenda for managing the rapid growth in Charleston and other coastal counties, recognizing the threat that growth poses to the landscape, the economy and our quality of life. Gov. Mark Sanford should make the goal of coastal protection and growth management a priority, and encourage the Legislature to do the same.
The council endorsed comprehensive coastal planning, freshwater wetlands and habitat protection, funding for beach renourishment and access, coordination among regulatory agencies, mandatory mediation of appeals of coastal permits, stormwater management, and limiting the proliferation of docks and marinas.
"It is the belief of the members of the council that the coast cannot sustain economic growth and progress without a strong commitment to environmental protection and improvement, preservation of the coastal landscape and careful planning for continued public and private investment," the council concluded.
Elizabeth Hagood, chairman of the Department of Health and Environmental Control board, says enactment of the proposals will be a DHEC priority in the coming months. But in most instances, that will require the support of a Legislature that has not been a consistent supporter of conservation, planning and the environment.
A number of important environmental measures failed passage in the Legislature last session, including bills to protect freshwater wetlands, to give the state grand jury authority to investigate environmental crime, and to provide for coordinated planning for development by local governments.
The failure of the wetlands bill was particularly troubling. Its regulations were the result of a yearlong effort by DHEC with extensive public comment and review. The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee quickly dismissed the bill and substituted a much weaker one that, fortunately, failed passage.
The grand jury proposal, strongly supported by Attorney General Henry McMaster, and the planning bill, sponsored by Rep. Ben Hagood, R-Sullivan's Island, were killed at the last minute by objections raised by a few senators.
But there was one important accomplishment. In a difficult fiscal year, the Legislature approved full funding for the Conservation Bank. The governor's strong support for that legislation in a dismal budget year was key to its passage. The governor's advocacy could similarly boost the council's recommendations.
Meanwhile, the speaker of the House of Representatives should take a hard look at the membership of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, which has consistently opposed meaningful environmental legislation. And the Senate should look at rules that allow individual senators to prevent final consideration of environmental legislation that has broad Senate support.
"The long-term sustainable health of the coast can only be achieved by full commitment from all segments of the community," the council said in its final report. "The simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity and environmental stewardship are not contradictory or mutually exclusive."
We believe the coastal community as a whole supports measures that will retain the area's quality of life and the state's economic health. So should South Carolina's leadership. The governor should make coastal protection his cause, and enlist the Legislature to help achieve that essential goal.
Click here to return to story:
http://www.charleston.net/stories/062604/edi_26edit1.shtml