Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS)

In 1982, the United States adopted the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) to establish the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS). The CBRS is comprised of several coastal areas along the Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea) and Great Lakes shorelines of the United States - designated in the CBRS as units - which buffer inland areas from storm surge and heavy winds and often support significant bio-diversity. While private development is allowed in CBRS units, federal expenditures and federal financial assistance for developments are prohibited. This means, among other restrictions, a structure built in a CBRS unit is ineligible for flood insurance and cannot receive funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for elevation, rehabilitation or reconstruction. The CBRS units existing in the Town of Westerly are available for you to view through the maps linked below:

Coastal Barrier Resources System Units

  1. CBRS - East Beach Unit D06 (10-15-1992)
  2. CBRS - Maschaug Ponds Unit D07 and Misquamicut Beach Unit RI-13P (10-23-1992)
  3. CBRS - Napatree Point Units D08 and D08P (10-24-1990)