COASTAL EROSION DUTIES AND AUTHORITY

(a) The land office shall implement a program of coastal erosion avoidance, remediation, and planning. The commissioner shall ensure that erosion avoidance, remediation, and planning protect the common law rights of the public in public beaches as affirmed by Subchapter B, Chapter 61. (b) The commissioner shall publish and periodically update a coastal erosion response plan. The commissioner shall develop the plan in coordination with state and federal agencies and local governments and provide for public input on the plan. The plan must identify critical coastal erosion areas designated by the commissioner and prioritize coastal erosion response studies and projects so that: (1) benefits are balanced among areas throughout the coast designated by the commissioner as critical coastal erosion areas; (2) federal and local financial participation is maximized; (3) studies and projects are scheduled to achieve efficiencies and economies of scale; and (4) the severity of erosion effects in each area is taken into account. (c) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement this subchapter. (d) The commissioner shall adopt rules requiring that beach-quality sand dredged in constructing and maintaining navigation inlets and channels of the state be placed on eroding beaches or to restore eroding wetlands wherever practicable. (e) In order to determine which areas should be designated as critical coastal erosion areas and guide the allocation of resources, the commissioner may conduct a coast-wide analysis of the costs and benefits of coastal erosion avoidance, remediation, and planning. An analysis conducted under this subsection may consider: (1) historical erosion rates in an area; (2) the elevation of an area adjacent to the shoreline; (3) the presence of critical infrastructure in an area adjacent to the shoreline; (4) the population density of an area adjacent to the shoreline; (5) the presence of economic activity conducted in an area adjacent to the shoreline; (6) the presence of critical natural resources in an area adjacent to the shoreline; (7) anthropogenic contributions to erosion; and (8) any other factor identified as relevant by the commissioner.