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                    Prtecting MaiieFrests
                Througoh Plan~ning andDesign















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                           Property of Czc Library




                                     A Guide to

                      Protecting Maritime Forests

                    Through Planning and Design


                           U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NOAA
                           COASTAL SERVICES CENTER
                           2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE
                           CHARLESTON, SC 29405-2413








                              Division of Coastal Management
               North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources

                             Paton / Zucchino & Associates, P.A.

                                         1990


CY-









Contents


Introduction
  The Importance of Protecting Maritime Forests I


Chapter One
  The Basics of Maritime Forests                                            5
      Maritime Forest Functions                                             7


Chapter Two
   Construction in Maritime Forests                                          9
      Basic Planning and Construction Guidelines                           13
      Maritime Forest Rehabilitation                                       15


Chapter Three
   Land Planning for Large Scale Development in Maritime Forests    17
      How to Assess a Site                                                 18
      General Planning Guidelines                                          19
      Specific Construction Standards                                      20


Glossary
   Maritime Forest Termns                                                   23









Figures


Overview of maritime forest functions                                            6

Impact of salt spray on maritime forest canopy                                  10

Stable and disrupted shear zones                                                11

Freshwater aquifer and water table drawdown                                     12

Limit clearing to building zone                                                 13

High and low impact house construction                                          14

Tree rehabilitation                                                             15

Siting development on large tracts                                              18

Siting roads in the forest                                                      20

High and low impact development projects                                        21










         Introduction

The Importance of Protecting
      Maritime Forests









  Maritime forests are a rare and highly                 Any level of development in a maritime forest
threatened coastal resource in North Carolina.         results in a change in the natural ecosystem and
They are fragile woodlands which are able to           the loss of important components of that system.
grow and survive on some of our barrier islands        The only way to preserve the forest as an intact
and estuarine shorelines. Maritime forests are         ecosystem is to acquire the land and manage it
different from inland forests because of their uni-    as a natural area. Examples of preserved areas
que adaptations to the harsh coastal environ-          in North Carolina include portions of Nags Head
ment.                                                  Woods and Buxton Woods in Dare County and
                                                       Shackleford Banks and Theodore Roosevelt
  Maritime forests are significant natural areas,      Natural Area in Carteret County. On the other
possessing important cultural, scientific, and aes-    hand, carefully planned and managed develop-
thetic values. Some of the important functions         ment can occur while preserving some of the
of maritime forests are island stabilization, soil     natural values and functions of a healthy
production, nutrient conservation, ground water        maritime forest. The purpose of this guide is to
storage and storm protection. From a develop-          provide information that will enable small lot
ment standpoint, the forests are prime places to       owners and developers to prepare site plans
build on the barrier island. Therein lies the con-     which will help protect critical maritime forest
flict over the use of this coastal resource.           resources.

  The location of many of the oldest villages on         A Guide to Protecting Maritime Forests
the Outer Banks indicate that early colonists          Through Planning and Design was developed
were drawn to the beauty and protection of the         as part of a maritime forest protection initiative
maritime forests. Early settlers of Old Nags           of the North Carolina Coastal Resources Corn-
Head, Ocracoke, Portsmouth, and Diamond City           mission (CRC). For over a'year, the CRC ex-
found homesites that were less susceptible to the      plored various measures for protecting the
frequent flooding, high winds, and harsh               remaining stands of maritime forest on the coast.
temperatures that were a part of island life.          One of those measures is educating elected offi-
Abundant shell middens provide evidence of             cials, government representatives, land owners,
even earlier use of maritime forests by Native         developers, and the public about the importance
Americans.                                             of these resources. Through education and a bet-
                                                       ter understanding of these fragile areas, each of
  Maritime forests were not preserved by those         us can do our part in protecting maritime forests.
early inhabitants. On the contrary, these areas
were used extensively for hunting, logging, graz-        This guide is intended for use by maritime
ing of animals and various other needs for an ex-      forest land owners, developers and local plan-
panding population. Fortunately, like most             ners. It explains how to identify the more
forests, maritime forests have the capacity to         fragile natural resources on a given site and
regenerate following human or natural disturban-       provides construction guidelines that will enable
ces provided the damage is not permanent.              you to design projects with a better under-
However, as more and more of the forests are           standing of the functions and values of the forest
carved up to accommodate new roads, shopping           ecosystem.
centers, condominiums and second homes, the
impact is cumulative and largely irreversible.           We hope you will find it useful. For more in-
                                                       formation about maritime forests in North
                                                       Carolina, please contact the Division of Coastal
                                                       Management.
































































A single road through the once unbroken forest canopy along Bogue Banks.










          Chapter One

The B asics of Maritime Forests











     aritime forests are found in various                      forest is shielded by the foredunes and exists in
          forms along coastal environments                        a dwarf form, often less than three feet in
worldwide.  Although there is some debate                          height. The trees, shrubs, and vines are massed
about the precise definition of a maritime forest,                 into a shrub thicket with tightly woven inter-
in North Carolina these forests have developed                     connected, sheared canopy.
under the influence of salt spray and are found                       The effects of the salt spray and wind give the
                                                                  The effects of the salt spray and wind give the
on barrier islands or immediately adjacent to es-                  forest canopy its well known windswept form.
                                                                forest canopy its well known windswept form.
mtuarine waters. They are dominated by oak, red                     While fine sand particles carried by the wind
cedar, holly, and pine trees and evergreen shrubs.                 damage the exposed leaf surfaces, magnifying

                                                                the toxic effect of the salt, higher salt concentra-
  The structure and composition of maritime                        tions coincide with the growing season, damag-
forests are controlled by natural forces: wind,                    ing new growth and terminal buds. This
salt spray intensity, and topography.  The inces-                  combined interaction causes increased lateral
sant salt spray from the ocean is the single most                  branching toward the top of the tree or shrub
important factor. Depending on the proximity                       and encourages elongation of branches on the
of the forest to the ocean, and the forces listed                  protected leeward side of the plant. The canopy
above, the maritime forest may take on several                     in this intense salt spray shear zone is a finely
different physical forms. Closer to the beach, the                 woven network of interlocking branches form-






                                      M A  R I T I M E         F 0 R E S T











                         -____A_ INTERIOR DUNE & SWALE                                           FOREDUNE
         SHRUB THICKET      INTERIOR FOREST    FORESTED WETLANDS  HIGH RIDGE FOREST    SALT SHEAR   |SCRUB DUNE THICKET
           .Wax Myrtle    Live Oak             Loblolly Pine        Live Oak          Yaupon Holy
SOUNDO. .. . .
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~FRONT









 >-   Yaupon Holly        Loblolly Pine        Red Bay              Red Cedar         Live Oak
 o    Intermittant low dunes American Holly   Wax Myrtle            Exposed forest on   Red Cedar
 Xo   and wetlands        Stable upland forests  Forested freshwater    high, steep relic    Oceanfront forests
 LO                       on broader islands    wetlands in interdunesujcetoxrmealspy
                                             swales
        Storm protection   Wind protection     Maintains water quality  Deflects salt spray  Primary dune protection
        Wildlife           Island stabilization    Shallow aquifer  Storm resistance   Interior forest buffer
  <:z   Wind buffer        climate control     recharge             Nutrient cycling  High aestheticvalue
            ï¿½ o           Nutrientcycling     ~~~~~~Wildlife habitat
       X~ ~ ~~ ~~~Ntin cyln                    Nutrient cycling


        Maintain as        Avoid isolationg trees  No filling of    Avoid building on   No disturbance of
 F     undeveloped         Limit clearing to build- wetlands         slopes over 40%   leading edge
  <j*   shrubland          ing and access      Direct stormwater to    Avoid ridgetop  Restore with plantings when breached
  a r    clear for access only  Integrate roads with   wetlad        development      Minimize grading & canopy openings
       z E.Maintain salt spray    typography   Minimize             Avoid road cuts
  c '   edge intact        Limit impervious    disturbance           across ridge
                           surfaces




6
                 -~~~~~~~........ .... ...'
         SALT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~............. ...P....
        .................... . ........... tI~  II    11[   ............................................. ..................
         w,~   i~ l lt lkt ll l~ llllt~ l ~    I I    /    I I    [ i  '  I I  1 [ E l  1 1 ./.  [ tl..  [  .[[.lll..l.[].....lll[[.lll.[.l    . ......./ 11 1111
 .T.... ...................!!!!~!!!0!l)!!!!r%~il~! ...... ................... .... .... ....................I   lt~li~~~iL~~~i~ ~ Mllli~~igl

  WI$ONDSDE
                                         INTERIOR DUNE & SWALE FOREDUNE
         SHRUB THICKET INTERIOR FOREST FORESTED WETLANDS HIGH RIDGE FOREST SALT SHEAR I SCRUB DUNE THICKET
      Wax Myrtle Live Oak Loblolly Pine Live Oak Yaupon Holly
 >-  Yaupon Holly Loblolly Pine Red Bay Red Cedar Live Oak
 o
 o, Intermittant low dunes American Holly Wax Myrtle Exposed forest on Red Cedar
                  J    and  wetlands    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~high, steep relic .
                          Stable upland forests Forested freshwater Ocenfrn oest
       LU   ~     ~    ~~~~on broade islands wetlands in interdune subjected to extreme salt spray
                                             swales
       Storm protection Wind protection Maintains water quality Deflects salt spray Primary dune protection
       Wildlife 'Island stabilization Shallow aquifer               Storm resistance interior forest buffer
         z   Wind   buffer Climate control            r       e       hreNutrient cycling High aesthetic value
            (2_ o ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wildlife habitat
       o F--   ~~~~~      Nutrient cycling
  o  Nutrient cycling
  ~Z
 L)u.

       Maintain as Avoid isolationg trees No filling of Avoid building on No disturbance of
                undevlope Limt cleringto bild-wetlands slopes over 40% leading edge
 LU    shrubland
       U.1 <              ~~~~~ing and access Direct stormwater to Avoid ridgetop Restore with plantings when breached
                     L~U LNClearfor acess oly Intgrateroads ith wtlandsdevelpmentMinimize grading & canopy openings
 < -
       zEC   Mintai saltspraytypography Minimize Avoid road cuts
:0 edge intact Lmtpevusdisturbance across ridge
                          surfaces




6









ing a common tree canopy which may extend                 Maritime forests perform a number of impor-
over many acres of forest. In this way, the in-         tant environmental functions. The forests pro-
dividual plants in the maritime forest work col-        vide important habitat for wildlife; they protect
lectively to reduce the amount of each tree's           and recharge the freshwater aquifer; they con-
surface area exposed to the salt spray, while           serve groundwater by reducing evaporation;
protecting the understory and providing extraor-        they utilize and recycle scarce nutrients in a rela-
dinary resiliency to potentially destructive winds.     tively sterile environment; they bind soil, there-
                                                         by gradually elevating the island; they provide
Maritime Forest Functions                              hurricane protection; and they serve as a major
                                                         stabilizing component of the overall barrier is-
  The maritime forest is one of the most impor-         land system.
tant coastal ecosystems. It is unique not only in
its limited distribution, physical form, and              The long-term movement of the barrier is-
species composition, but also in its functional         lands as sea level slowly rises, and daily and
capacity. The unusual resiliency and physical           seasonal winds and weather influence the
character of the maritime forest preserves its          maritime forest and any development on an is-
own integrity and ensures a favorable degree of         land. The two main short-term forces are wind
environmental stability. The presence of the            storms and hurricanes. Winds of only 10 to 15
maritime forest also plays a significant role in        miles per hour will move sand; moreover, winds
the long-term maintenance and stability of North        on many islands will exceed 40 miles per hour
Carolina's entire barrier island system. The            during any month of the year. Where present,
original settlers of Corolla, Duck, Nags Head,          healthy and self-perpetuating maritime forests
Buxton, Ocracoke, Portsmouth and Salter Path            are the primary stabilizing force for shifting
recognized the stability and protection provided        sands on the interior portions of the barrier is-
by the forests and built their homes there.             land. In some cases maritime forests are being
                                                         overrun and completely covered by encroaching

























Maritimeforests have adapted to the harsh barrier island environment.

                                                                                                        7.









active dunes. Typically, the maritime forest is
in a delicate balance with the wind and sand,
and in many cases is slowly colonizing and
stabilizing previously unforested areas.

  The most destructive and potentially devastat-
ing forces for barrier islands and their associated
land development are severe storms and hur-
ricanes. Maritime forests provide the only
protection for development on an island during a
hurricane. By absorbing the force of hurricane
winds, maritime forests have proven to be the
most effective protection for buildings. The
reason behind this lies in the physical character
of live oak and other forest species which are ex-
tremely resistant to strong winds and uprooting
due to their well established root system, low
center of gravity, and resilient wood. The
protective features a healthy maritime forest of-
fers for a residence on the island are incom-
parable, and if not properly managed, are
irreplaceable.

  The distinct structural and functional aspects
of the maritime forest which have enabled it to
survive in the harsh coastal environment are
precisely the features which can be used to
protect associated island development. The core
of any effective forest management strategy
should be formed around those features which
characterize a properly functioning maritime
forest.




















8









           Chapter Two

Construction in Maritime Forests








    he functional and protective roles of the
      forest cannot be overlooked. Maritime 
forests generally represent the most stable sites
on barrier islands and are therefore the safest
and most reasonable areas in which to build.

  To retain their protective functions, develop-
ment must follow sound management practices
based on a fundamental understanding of the
dynamics which control the forest's formation.
Slight changes in the existing environmental
conditions can disrupt the stability created by
the maritime forest. Where the maritime forest
has been completely cleared, an increase in salt
spray exposure, and an initiation of shifting
dunes is likely to occur. Clearing the forest will
remove the protection it provides. Therefore,
management strategies for protecting the
maritime forest must be formulated around
reducing the potential impact of increased salt
spray, migrating sands, and saltwater intrusion.        Forest die back occurs on exposed windward edge.



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  Two points need to be re-emphasized because            of the water table can be partially attributed to
they are fundamental to creating an effective            the combined effects of development activities,
management strategy for the forest. First, wind          including excessive pumping of groundwater, in-
and salt spray are the overriding factors which          creased stormwater runoff, and increased
control the structure and composition of vegeta-         evaporation from reduced forest cover. The
tion growth in the maritime forest. Second, the          maritime forest may be subjected to drought con-
forest canopy in the salt spray shear zone func-         ditions as the water table drops below the root
tions essentially as a single unit providing             zone and may also be damaged by saltwater in-
protection to the area beneath it and the                trusion into the freshwater aquifer of the island.
remainder of the island in its leeward shadow.           As a nutrient-sensitive ecosystem, there is some
                                                         evidence that the availability of nutrients, par-
  Because of its proximity to the ocean, the             ticularly nitrogen, may be significantly
maritime forest shear zone will come under               diminished as a long-term effect of excessive
more development pressure and will be most               forest removal. The extent of impact that
vulnerable to impacts from development ac-               development activities will have on maritime
tivities. Development activities remove forest           forests depends on the existing environmental
cover which can cause sand and dune migration,           conditions, the type and extent of the distur-
extend the influence of salt spray impact, and           bance, the efforts made to protect the forest
possibly lower the freshwater table. The deple-          during construction, and the post-construction ef-
tion of nutrients has also been noted. Lowering          forts to manage and rehabilitate the forest.


12









Basic Planning and Construction                                  crossing high forested ridges. Keep right
Guidelines                                                       of way to less than 40 feet. This will help
 To reduce the impact of salt spray, the follow-                to reduce the effects of salt spray on the
ing basic planning and construction guidelines                   newly exposed trees.
should be considered:
                                                              Site buildings behind dunes and below
      Do not clear the understory of the                        the existing canopy line.
      residual forest. The understory provides
      wildlife habitat and juvenile trees for       l           an seatas ossibl fontinuou s
      forest regeneration, and reduces salt cnp  nat mlioae tnswl
                    forest reeneratio, and redces saltlarge an area as possible of continuous
      penetration beneath the canopy.
                                                              likely be eliminated in a few years.
    * Leave the oceanfront forest edge intact.
      This will help prevent the initiation of       spring and    surin early
      dune migration and help reduce the risk                    priculand suscertwhe to sa l       t  s
                    of damagingsaltwater fooding. Theparticularly susceptible to salt spray
      of damaging saltwater flooding. The
      frontal edge is the key feature in the en-                damage.
      tire forest's canopy.
                                                            t Use low pressure ground absorption sep-
    * Avoid clearing large areas of forest.                     tic systems. The shallow, narrow
       Clear only as much forest vegetation as is                trenches used in low pressure systems
      needed for the actual construction of a                   can be installed with a limited amount of
      building or roadway. Align roadways to                    tree removal and canopy disturbance.
      follow existing contours and avoid






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14








Maritime Forest Rehabilitation                               * Stabilize cleared dunes or other open
 To rehabilitate residual forest, the following                sandy areas with native grasses (sea oats
steps should be takcen:                                         or American beachgrass) to prevent any
                                                               encroachment of shifting sand at the base
      Place fences in front of newly exposed                   of the remaining trees.
      sections of forests which receive high
      levels of salt spray. Plant native shrubs              * Saveindividual trees and shrubs by
      and trees to help protect the forest and en-             removing damaged branches, attending to
      courage re-establishment of the canopy                   trunk scars, fertilizing and watering.
      angle.






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Freshwater wetlands provide excellent wildlife habitat.









          Chapter Three
 Land Planning for Large Scale
Development in Maritime Forests









FH     omes which are effectively integrated             avoided entirely, including the salt spray shear
       into the maritime forest have significant-       zone and the forested wetlands. Other forested
ly greater economic value than similer un-               areas, the forested dune ridge and the soundside
forested properties. Therefore, development              salt spray forest, should be earmarked for very
which preserves the integrity of the forest will         controlled development. With proper planning
                                                         and construction, the interior forests can
result in a greater economic return.
                                                         withstand more intense development.

  One of the most effective planning tools avail-            * Locate the larger canopy trees on the site
able for large tracts is the cluster development                and flag them for saving.
concept. Clustering can protect the maritime
forest because it allows a greater density of                . Determine whether there are any salt
homes in less sensitive areas while leaving more                shear forest or forested wetlands on the
sensitive areas less developed. Clustering build-               tract and avoid building in these areas.
ings and parking areas can help keep the protec-
tive, functional, and aesthetic qualities of the             * Site homes and driveways to require the
forest intact. An additional advantage is                       least amount of clearing. The forest
reduced road construction and utility extension                 provides an added measure of storm
costs to the developer.                                         protection, and aesthetic and economic
                                                                value.
How to Assess a Site
                                                                Make sure that home location and im-
  Large tracts on barrier islands are often under               Make sure that home location and im-
singular ownership and are often planned as                     provements meet local ordinance require-
large unified residential developments. For                     ments for tree and forest protection.
projects ranging in size from several acres to
more than one hundred acres, an overall evalua-              * Survey wetlandsto seeifstateorfederal
tion of the maritime forest areas on the tract is               permits are necessary before construction.
necessary. Certain forest types should be


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General Planning Guidelines                                   Major utilities should follow major road-
   When developing large tracts, the following                 way cuts to reduce additional forest clear-
general planning guidelines should be followed:               ing. Wastewater disposal fields should be
                                                                  located in non-forested areas to avoid
     ï¿½Minimize impact on the salt shear zone.                  large forest clearing and to leave more
       Develop more intensely in areas outside                 forested areas for housing.
       the salt shear zone, the sound side shrub
       thicket zone and forested wetlands. Keep                 hgentnsy ltraouf
                                                                  A higher net density cluster layout of
       th       icke t zone and forested wetlands. Keep        homes allows for less forest fragmenta-
       forested wetlands intact as permanent                   tion and greater "greenway" connections
                      open space.                             ~~~~~~~~tion and greater "greenway" connections
       open space.
                                                                 ï¿½ to larger preserved forest areas.
     * Avoid siting buildings or roadways on
                    ï¿½ Avoid  sting builings or radways onIn interior sections of remaining forest,
       exposed sites at higher elevations. The              * Inintenorsections ofremainingforest,
                      exposedsites a higherelevatins. Theleave as large an area as possible of con-
       impact of salt spray increases with close-              leave as large an area as possible of con-
       ness to the beach and at higher, more ex-               tinuous canopy intact, otherwise the en-
       posed elevations,                                       tire group of trees may be damaged by
                                                                  salt spray and eliminated in a few years.
     * Plan residential and commercial develop        -        Avoid clearin the forest during early
       ment as clustered building and parking                        ring     e go s  ri arly
       areas.                                                  spring when new growth is particularly
       areas.
                                                                  susceptible to salt spray damage.
     * Align roadways to follow existing con-
       tours. Avoid crossing high forested
       ridges.






















                                                                                               4 l   t c    r       e      I


Roads should follow natural contours (left) rather than cutting the forest into a grid (right).

                                                                                                           19









Specific Construction Standards                               Direct storm water run-off from rooftops
 The following guidelines should be con-                     and streets into low, forested areas.
sidered when developing a tract for moderate to               Leave natural drainageways intact for
high density attached housing:                                cost effective and low impact drainage.
                                                              Use turfstone pavers or porous pavement
    * Limit clearing and construction withn                   to reduce mn-off and recharge the
      the salt shear zone to pedestrian access.               island's shallow, freshwater aquifer.
      Leave exposed forest edges intact.                   * Disperse off-street parking bays and
                                                               leave forested stands or trees in between.
    * Use low pressure septic disposal where
      feasible. The shallow, narrow trenches                  Use turfstone around individual trees to
                                                               minimize root zone destruction.
      used in low pressure systems can be in-
      stalled with limited tree removal and
                                                            c Preserve forested stands and individual
      canopy disturbance. This applies to
       central systems as well.                                trees as buffers and project focal points.

    * Combine walkways (especially within the                 Avoid clearing the understory of the
       salt shear zone) to minimize forest im                  remaining forest The understory reduces
       pact. Elevate walkways above the                        salt penetration beneath the forest canopy
       ground but keep below the forest canopy.                and provides excellent wildlife habitat.
       Keep breaks in the forest canopy to a mi-               The understory is necessary for proper
       imum. Use hand clearing and avoid grad-                 forest regeneration and health.
       ing where possible.                                In areas where long continuous cuts are re-
                                                        quired for roadways, salt spray fences have
       meLimit residential andrives to0-foot r t-of wproven to be very effective in reducing die-back
       meang. Follw exidthiandgt htoography.            of newly exposed vegetation. However, by en-
                                                        couraging the growth of less salt-tolerant species
    * Use unit architecture to reduce grading of       behind the protective cover, re-exposure after
       dunes. Use block foundation walls or             the fence is dismantled might renew the die-
       piles to allow building to be nestled into       back process. Some suggest allowing the ex-
       forest. Clearing of forest next to building      posed forest to naturally re-establish its canopy
       should not exceed 12 to 15 feet.                 angle, a process that may be well underway after
                                                        four to five years.




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                            Leavig theorestintac    incrases   he  aetheti and conomc vale of he prperty










       Glossary 
Maritime Forest Terms








active dunes - shifting, unstabilized dunes.           salt spray - airborne droplets of salt water that
                                                        are transported inland from the ocean or sound.
barrier island - an offshore elongated ridge of        May result in the death of plants or plant parts
sand usually parallel to the mainland which            and a significant loss of vegetation cover. Air-
separates an open body of water (usually               borne salt spray is the primary selective factor
marine) from an enclosed or partially enclosed         determining the distribution, shape, and
water body (usually brackish).                         zonation of maritime species.

canopy - the tightly woven network of interlock-       saltwater intrusion - seepage of saltwater into a
ing tree branches that function as the "roof' of       freshwater aquifer. In coastal areas, drawdown
the forest. The canopy may extend over many            of the water table often allows sea water to con-
acres of forest.                                       taminate wells.

estuary - a semi-enclosed body of water where          shear zone - the seaward edge of the forest
fresh water draining from the mainland mixes           where the effects of salt spray are most severe.
with salt water from the ocean.
                                                        shrub thicket - a dense growth of shrubs, found
foredunes - the first mounds of sand located           on stabilized dunes and protected from saltwater
landward of the ocean beach with sufficient            flooding and the most extreme salt spray.
vegetation, height and configuration to offer
protection from ocean storms.                          swale - an area of lower elevation on a barrier
                                                        island where the water table is at or near the
forested wetlands - areas within a forest where        ground surface.
the water table is at or near the surface and the
land is covered by shallow water at least part of      understory - the growth of smaller trees,
the year. These areas usually contain somewhat         shrubs, vines and other vegetation below the
different vegetation than the surrounding              main forest canopy; provides replacement trees
uplands and provide excellent wildlife habitat.        for the canopy and is excellent wildlife habitat.

freshwater aquifer - an underground rock or
sand formation that holds fresh water. Aquifers
are the main source of coastal North Carolina's
water supply.

freshwater table - the variable surface level of
a groundwater body.

nutrient-sensitive - vulnerable to changes that
might occur with exposure to excess nutrients,
such as nitrogen and phosphorus.

primary dune - the first mound of sand located
landward of the ocean beach having an elevation
equal to the mean flood level for the area plus
six feet.



24






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         Through Planning andDesign is published by
         the N.C.. Department of Environment, Health,
         and Natural Resources, Division of Coastal
         Management, PO. Box 27687, Raleigh, N.C.
         27611-7687'.  ,

            Financial support for this publication was
         provided in part from a. grant under the federal
         Coastal Zone Management Act, administered by
         the Office of Ocean and CoastalResource
         Management, National Oceanicand Atmos-
         pheric Administration, Washinhgon, D.C.

            Written and illustrated by Larry Zucchino.
         Edited and designed by DiVision of Coastal
         Management staff.


         James G. Martin, Governor 
         State ofNorth Carblina

       William W. Cobey; Jr., Secretary"
         N.C. Department of Environment, Health,.
         and Natural Resources


        ï¿½2,500 copies of thispublic document W-ere
         printed at a cost of 83,375.d00 or $1.35 per copy.







                  ,Printed on Recycled Paper









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