South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

We promote and protect the health of the public and the environment.

• Public Notices
• Coastal Management Program
• Coastal Permitting & Compliance
• Enforcement
• Estuary Management
• Beachfront Management
• Ocean Management
• Coastal Hazards
• Coastal Planning
• Coastal Water Quality
• Products & Services
• Contact

Ocean Management and Planning

In addition to managing onshore coastal resources, DHEC-OCRM is responsible for managing ocean resources within South Carolina’s state waters which extend out to three (3) nautical miles offshore. State marine waters include critical habitats for commercially and recreationally important fisheries, as well as significant mineral and sand resources. Due to their proximity to land, state waters are also subject to a growing range of potential human activities including sand mining, submerged transmission cables and energy facilities. There is a need for cooperation between government agencies to clarify and coordinate ocean resource policies and improve and increase predictability in decisionmaking. In 2008, DHEC-OCRM established an Ocean Planning Work Group to consider emerging ocean resource issues and develop a plan to guide future ocean research, data collection and mapping, and decision making.

Notice of 30-day public comment period - South Carolina Ocean Report: A Foundation for Improved Management and Planning in South Carolina (03/09/12)

• South Carolina Ocean Report: A Foundation for Improved Management and Planning in South Carolina

Management Authorities

• The Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act
• Coastal Zone Management Program Document
• Critical Area Permitting Regulations
• Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, Section 309

Research and Policy Development

• DHEC Ocean Planning Workgroup
• Near Shore Water Quality Monitoring

Resources

• DHEC-OCRM State of the Knowledge Report: Ocean Planning (pdf)
• Ocean Use and Public Perception Survey Results (2008) (pdf)
• S.C. Energy Office Renewable Energy Home Page
• Beach Water Quality Monitoring (DHEC Bureau of Water)