Congress and the majority of coastal states have recognized the complexity of public decisions concerning growth in coastal areas. The preponderance of common pool resources and regional goods in coastal areas has prompted lawmarkers to pass coastal zone management legislation prior to a national land use bill. New state level institutions have been fostered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management. However, it is at the local level where resulting institutional rules represent self-imposed natural resource barriers to growth. Communities face the task of improving income streams from expansion of existing business activity or opting for new industries. Local governments have scurried to consultants and universities for solutions of community development and natural resource problems. The study described here represents one type of response. Although an Oregon county was the researcher's focus, it involved the pith of local economy growth—income generation and natural or self-imposed resource barriers.