Recent coastal barrier legislation demonstrates a growing national concern to protect fragile undeveloped coastal barriers and to prevent the expenditure of federal monies used in promoting their development. The Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982 bases designations of undeveloped coastal barriers on previous federal legislation and Department of the Interior rule‐making. This paper examines the legislative intent of Congress and how it was interpreted through the designation process. Alternative strategies to achieve exemption from the Coastal Barrier legislation are discussed as a process, and an analysis is made of an exemption as it occurred in Texas.