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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>87241</law_id><section_number>28.2-1400</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>28.2-104.1</reference><reference>28.2-1403</reference><reference>28.2-1500</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="28.2">Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Habitat</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="14">Coastal Primary Sand Dunes and Beaches</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">General Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Beach</span>&#x201D; means the shoreline zone comprised of unconsolidated sandy <span class="dictionary">material</span> upon which there is a mutual interaction of the forces of erosion, sediment transport and <span class="dictionary">deposition</span> that extends from the low water line landward to where there is a marked change in either <span class="dictionary">material</span> composition or physiographic form such as a dune, bluff, or marsh, or where no such change can be identified, to the line of woody vegetation (usually the effective limit of stormwaves), or the nearest impermeable man-made structure, such as a bulkhead, revetment, or paved road.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Coastal primary sand dune</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;dune&#x201D; means a mound of unconsolidated sandy soil which is contiguous to mean high water, whose landward and lateral limits are marked by a change in grade from ten percent or greater to less than ten percent, and upon which is growing any of the following species: American <span class="dictionary">beach</span> grass (Ammophila breviligulata); <span class="dictionary">beach</span> heather (Hudsonia tomentosa); dune bean (Strophostyles spp.); dusty miller (Artemisia stelleriana); saltmeadow hay (Spartina patens); seabeach sandwort (Honckenya peploides); sea oats (Uniola paniculata); sea rocket (Cakile edentula); seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens); Japanese sedge or Asiatic sand sedge (Carex kobomugi); Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana); broom sedge (Andropogon virginicus); and short dune grass (Panicum amarum). For purposes of this chapter, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">coastal primary sand dune</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;dune&#x201D; shall not include any mound of sand, sandy soil, or dredge spoil deposited by any person for the purpose of temporary storage, <span class="dictionary">beach</span> replenishment or <span class="dictionary">beach</span> nourishment, nor shall the slopes of any such mound be used to determine the landward or lateral limits of a <span class="dictionary">coastal primary sand dune</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">Coastal primary sand dune</span> zoning ordinance</span>&#x201D; means the ordinance set forth in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Certain counties, cities, and towns authorized to adopt coastal primary sand dune ordinance" href="/28.2-1403/">28.2-1403</a>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">County, city or town</span>&#x201D; means the governing body of the <span class="dictionary">county, city or town</span>.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Governmental activity</span>&#x201D; means any of the services provided by Commonwealth or a <span class="dictionary">county, city or town</span> to its citizens for the purpose of maintaining public facilities, including but not limited to, such services as constructing, repairing and maintaining roads; providing street lights and sewage facilities; supplying and treating water; and constructing public buildings.
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Wetlands board</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;board&#x201D; means the board created pursuant to &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Appointment, terms, compensation, etc., of local wetlands boards; jurisdiction of county wetlands board over wetlands in town" href="/28.2-1303/">28.2-1303</a>. <a id="paragraph-312406" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/28.2-1400/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Although separately defined in subsection A of this section, the terms &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">coastal primary sand dune</span>,&#x201D; &#x201C;dune,&#x201D; and &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">beach</span>,&#x201D; when used in this chapter, shall be interchangeable. <a id="paragraph-312407" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/28.2-1400/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1980, c. 660, &#xA7;&#xA7; 62.1-13.21, 62.1-13.22; 1984, c. 556; 1985, c. 589; 1987, c. 499; 1989, c. 342; 1992, c. 836; 1994, c. 112; 1998, c. 160; 2008, c. 20.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
