OCRM Permitting Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I apply for a dock?
- What is the cost of a permit?
- What do I need to do if I oppose a permit?
- What happens when a permit is appealed?
- What are baselines and setback lines?
- What is the cost for a Coastal Zone Consistency certification?
- What is a Wetland?
- Who determines if an area is a Freshwater wetland?
- Why is a Freshwater wetland permit needed?
- How do I know which Freshwater permit is needed?
- What is a Critical Area?
Answer: Contact OCRM offices in Beaufort, Charleston, or Myrtle Beach
and pick up a Permit Application Packet. This document will walk you through
the steps that need to be taken in order for the application to be valid.
The application fee starts at $150 for a private dock. For more information
on regulations concerning the construction of docks, consult the OCRM Regulations.
You can also download a Permit Application. (Top)
Answer: The fees for a critical area and stormwater permits vary. The
application fee for a private dock constructed in the critical areas of the
state starts at $150 for a private dock. The complete critical area fee schedule
is located on page 2 of the permit application packet. (Top)
What do I need to do if I oppose a permit?
Answer: If you oppose a pending permit, you need to write a letter
to OCRM explaining the reason for the opposition. The letter must be received
within the Public Notice period. If twenty or more people request a public
hearing on the pending permit, OCRM will hold a public hearing in the county
where the land is located. (Top)
What happens when a permit is appealed?
Answer: Any person adversely affected by the OCRM staff permit decision may submit a written request for final review by the DHEC Board. See Notice of Appeal Procedure. (Top)
What are baselines and setback lines?
Answer: The baseline is established at the location of the crest of
the primary oceanfront sand dune. In the areas that lack a primary dune, the
line is established where the crest of the primary ocean front sand dune for
that zone would have been if the shoreline had not been altered by erosion
control devices, groins or other man-made alterations. The setback line is
the line landward of the baseline that is established at a distance which
is forty time the average annual erosion rate as determined by historical
and other scientific means and adopted by the OCRM. Click here for additional
information on baselines and setback lines. (Top)
What is the cost for a Coastal Zone Consistency certification?
Answer: There is no fee for a consistency certification. (Top)
Answer: A wetland is an area inundated or saturated by surface or ground
water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and under normal
circumstances supports, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted to life
in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes,
bogs and similar areas.
Who determines if an area is a Freshwater wetland?
Answer: The Army Corps of Engineers is the lead agency for wetland
permits and is responsible for determining if an area is a wetland. The Corps
personnel or a certified consultant can delineate wetlands; however, the Corps
must review and approve all final delineations. (Top)
Why is a Freshwater wetland permit needed?
Answer: 1) To manage growth in sensitive areas; and 2) To permit development
activity while trying to preserve valuable ecological resources. A permit
is required for most development-related projects that occur in a freshwater
wetland area. It is illegal to proceed without the necessary permits. (Top)
How do I know which Freshwater permit is needed?
Answer: Either an individual or a general permit is needed, depending
on the type of activity. First, contact the Army Corps of Engineers for assistance
in determining what type of permit is needed. For most projects, state and
federal approval is needed. To make the process easier for the applicant,
agreements have been implemented between the Corps and OCRM. These agreements
allow for the joint processing of individual permit applications, so an application
need only be submitted to the Corps of Engineers. (Top)
Answer: By law, the critical areas in South Carolina are the coastal
waters, tidelands, and beach/dune systems. In these areas OCRM has direct
jurisdiction for permits to perform any alteration. (Top)