NC 20 has learned and demonstrated the value of unity. The 20 coastal counties, as documented, are often singled out for “special” treatment. That’s what CAMA is all about. DENR rules and regulations are often peculiar to the coast. There is nothing wrong – and everything right – about protecting the coast against unwise discharges, irresponsible land use, and destructive development practices. However, the pendulum swings both ways. Excessive homeowner insurance rates, for example, are based on two things: the political fact that 90% of the State’s population does not live on the coast and insurance rates are determined by a political process that overemphasizes hurricane and catastrophic risk on the coast while ignoring the catastrophic risks to the west (remember Hugo?). Implementing environmental rules based on statistics from one area without adjusting for the differences in other areas (in soil conditions, rainfall, salt vs. fresh water, etc.) lead to anomalies. For example, the Croatan National Forest, with very limited development, does not meet State stormwater standards. Our future efforts, like our past efforts shall be directed toward statistically sound, and economically considerate policies that take the needs and abilities of our citizens into the proper perspective.

It is apparent that the need for unity and intensification of efforts has reached a new level. As the narrative above demonstrates, the nature of the NC 20 counties and the regulatory character of the State often invites regulatory abuse. Regulators, in general, have no mandate or inclination to consider economic consequences. Therefore, it often falls to the NC 20 counties to protect themselves. Even with a legislative delegation as pro-active as ours, its members’ ability to discern problems, analyze data, and find solutions quickly is hampered by the overwhelming responsibilities they have assumed. Our partnership with the NC 20 legislative delegation has never been stronger or more effective, but it has also required substantial amounts of time from the NC 20 volunteers. In many cases, we are fighting well-financed, better organized opponents in the lobbying arena.