North Carolina’s Coastal Resources Commission can’t decide how it wishes to deal with eroding shorelines. For years the CRC has opposed terminal groins or jetties because of the potential damage they will cause adjacent or downstream property owners. At the same time they have condoned, but not agreed, to allow property owners to use temporary sandbags to prevent erosion. A study was conducted with the result that no strong conclusion was drawn over the wisdom of allowing groins.

After the report the CRC board split over whether or not to allow groins and referred the issue to the legislature, where it rightfully belongs. The Senate, at the urging of high-dollar property owners, passed legislation to allow the CRC to permit groins. House Speaker Joe Hackney sat on the legislation and refused to hear it in the closing days of the session.

Meeting in Beaufort this week the CRC again demonstrated a lack of agreement about groins. At the same time they restarted initiatives to remove the sandbags, some of which had been in place since the 1980’s. The result would leave waterfront property owners with no options to protect their shoreline.

This is a classic example of government ineffectiveness. The CRC has no clue how property owners should protect their investments. Lobbyists and special interest groups have deadlocked the board (and the legislature) from establishing firm policies. These discussions have gone on long enough.

One piece of advice that is always well heeded is: When in doubt, don’t. Before our state takes a step which it might regret in the future the best course is to wait until the course becomes crystal clear. But neither should CRC leave property owners no options. The sandbags have been in place since the 1980’s. A few more months won’t hurt.We do need to stop sandbagging on a clear coastal policy.