Coastal Zone Management Programs
* All 35 coastal and Great Lakes states and territories (with the exception of Alaska) participate in the National Coastal Zone Management Program.
ALABAMA
The Alabama Coastal Area Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1979, is administered by two state agencies:
- The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is responsible for planning, fiscal management, public education, and research management; and the
- Alabama Department of Environmental Management carries out permitting, regulatory, and enforcement functions.
The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Alabama Coastal Area Act of 1976 (Act 534). The Alabama coastal zone extends inland to the continuous 10-foot contour in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.
ALASKA
Alaska withdrew from the voluntary National Coastal Zone Management Program on July 1, 2011. Contact NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management for additional information.
AMERICAN SAMOA
The American Samoa Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1980, is led by the American Samoa Department of Commerce. The coastal program has developed a unique approach that incorporates both western and traditional systems of management. The American Samoa Coastal Management Act provides the primary authority for the program. American Samoa’s coastal zone boundary consists of seven islands, totaling roughly 77 square miles, with a coastline of 126 miles.
CALIFORNIA
The California Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is administered by three state agencies:
- The California Coastal Commission manages development along the California coast except San Francisco Bay, where the
- San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission oversees development.
- The California Coastal Conservancy purchases, protects, restores, and enhances coastal resources, and provides access to the shore.
The primary authorities for the California Coastal Management Program are the California Coastal Act, McAteer-Petris Act, and Suisan Marsh Preservation Act. The California coastal zone generally extends 1,000 yards inland from the mean high tide line. The coastal zone for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission includes the open water, marshes, and mudflats of greater San Francisco Bay, and areas 100 feet inland from the line of highest tidal action.
CONNECTICUT
The Connecticut Coastal Management Program, approved in 1980, is administered by the Office of Long Island Sound Programs within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Connecticut Coastal Management Act of 1980. Connecticut has a two-tiered coastal zone. The first tier, the “coastal boundary,” generally extends inland 1,000 feet from the shore. The second tier, the “coastal area,” includes all of the state’s 36 coastal municipalities.
DELAWARE
The Delaware Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1979. The coastal management program’s lead agency is the Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The program coordinates across nearly every state agency to ensure the effective implementation of policies, state laws, regulations and executive orders that affect coastal resources. Because the goals of the coastal management program are to balance the use, preservation, and development of coastal resources, these policies cover a surprising range of coastal issues.
The whole state of Delaware is designated as a coastal zone due to its small size and is divided into two tiers: the “coastal strip” and the rest of the state. The coastal strip, averaging four miles in width, receives special zoning protection from industrial development, while the second tier only falls under general program provisions.
FLORIDA
The Florida Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1981, with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection serving as the lead agency. A network of nine state agencies and five water management districts together enforce 23 separate statutes. The Florida coastal zone is the entire state but is divided into two tiers. Only coastal cities and counties that include or are contiguous to state water bodies are eligible to receive coastal management funds.
GEORGIA
The Georgia Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1998, with Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, serving as the lead agency. The Georgia Coastal Management Act authorized the creation of the Georgia Coastal Management Program. The Georgia coastal zone includes the state’s six coastal counties and five “inland tier” counties, which include Chatham, Effingham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Long, Glynn, Wayne, Brantley, Camden, and Charlton counties.
GUAM
The Guam Coastal Management Program was approved in 1979, and is overseen by the Bureau of Statistics and Plans. The coastal management program guides the use, protection, and development of land and ocean resources within Guam’s coastal zone.
Guam’s comprehensive planning enabling legislation, Seashore Protection Act, and several executive orders are among the key legislation for the coastal management program. Because Guam is a small island, the entire land area is included within its coastal zone.
HAWAII
The Hawaii Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is led by the Hawaii Office of Planning. The coastal management program is a network of authorities and partnerships collectively implementing the objectives and policies of Hawaii’s Coastal Zone Management Statutes (Chapter 205A, HRS). The entire state of Hawaii falls within Hawaii’s coastal zone boundary.
ILLINOIS
The Illinois Coastal Management Program is the newest state partner in the National Coastal Zone Management Program, gaining approval in 2012. Illinois’ program, under the direction of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Coastal Management, focuses on several priority issues in the Illinois coastal zone, a 63-mile stretch along Lake Michigan. The program manages impacts to its Lake Michigan shoreline through the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act, Lake Michigan Shore Line Act, and a network of other authorities.
INDIANA
The Indiana Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 2002, is led by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The coastal management program is a networked program built upon a framework of state laws and authorities addressing key coastal priorities. The Coastal Advisory Board, which represents various stakeholder groups, determines the priorities for each grant funding cycle and provides a forum for public input on regional issues affecting Lake Michigan coastal resources. The Indiana coastal zone is based on watershed boundaries and varies from a little less than two miles to 17 miles from the shore.
LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1980, is administered by the Department of Natural Resources through the Office of Coastal Management. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act of 1978. The Louisiana coastal zone, which varies from 16 to 32 miles inland from the Gulf coast, is a 10 million-acre area that includes 40 percent of the nation’s coastal wetlands.
MAINE
The Maine Coastal Management Program, approved in 1978, is led by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry. The coastal management program consists of a network of 19 state laws with four state agencies working in cooperation with local governments, nonprofit organizations, private businesses, and the public to improve management of coastal resources. Maine’s coastal zone extends to the inland boundary of all towns bordering tidal waters and includes all coastal islands.
The Maryland Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1978, with the Department of Natural Resources acting as the lead agency. The coastal management program is a networked program composed of several state planning and regulatory programs implementing a suite of enforceable policies to protect coastal resources and manage coastal uses, including the Chesapeake Bays Critical Areas Protection Program. Maryland’s coastal zone follows the inland boundary of the counties (and Baltimore City) bordering the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, and the Potomac River (as far as the municipal limits of Washington, D.C.).
MASSACHUSETTS
The Massachusetts Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and serves as the lead for coastal policy and technical assistance in the state.
The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs enforces 20 program policies and nine management principles governing activities within the coastal zone. The Massachusetts coastal zone roughly includes all land within a half-mile of coastal waters and salt marshes, as well as all islands.
MICHIGAN
The Michigan Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1978, and is administered by the Department of Environmental Quality. Key management authorities of the coastal management program include several parts of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act pertaining to Shorelands Protection and Management (Part 323), Great Lakes Submerged Lands (Part 325), and Sand Dunes Protection and Management (Part 353).
Boasting the world’s largest freshwater coastline, Michigan’s coastal zone generally extends a minimum of 1,000 feet inland from the ordinary high water mark, with the boundary extending further inland in some locations to encompass important coastal features.
MINNESOTA
The Minnesota Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1999 and consists of a network of agencies and programs led by the Department of Natural Resources.
Key legislation includes the Shoreland Management Act and the North Shore Management Plan. Minnesota’s coastal zone includes the area approximately six miles inland from Lake Superior, following the nearest township boundaries along the shore.
MISSISSIPPI
The Mississippi Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1980, consists of a network of agencies with authority in the coastal zone. The Department of Marine Resources, through the Office of Coastal Ecology, serves as the lead agency.
The primary authority guiding the coastal management program is the Coastal Wetlands Protection Act. The Mississippi coastal zone includes the three coastal counties, as well as all adjacent coastal waters and the barrier islands of the coast.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services leads the implementation of the state’s coastal program. The New Hampshire Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1982, is a networked program where several state agencies help enforce the coastal management program’s 16 coastal policies. The New Hampshire coastal zone covers areas next to the Atlantic Ocean and the lower Piscataqua River, along with areas bordering the Great Bay and tidal rivers, and all 17 municipalities along tidal waters.
NEW JERSEY
The New Jersey Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1978 and is directly administered by its lead agency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission, as the lead planning agency for the Hackensack Meadowlands District.
The coastal management program is based on three major laws: the Coastal Area Facility Review Act, the Wetlands Act of 1970, and the Waterfront Development Law. New Jersey’s coastal zone encompasses approximately 1,800 miles of tidal coastline and ranges in width from 100 feet to 24 miles inland.
NEW YORK
The New York Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1982, with the New York Department of State serving as the lead agency. The Executive Law Article 42, Waterfront Revitalization of Coastal Areas and Inland Waterways, provides the state with the authority to establish a coastal program, develop coastal policies, define the coastal boundaries, and establish state consistency requirements.
The inland New York coastal zone boundary is variable but generally is 1,000 feet from the shoreline in non-urbanized areas. In urbanized areas and other developed locations along the coastline, the inland boundary is usually 500 feet or less from the shoreline, with the boundary possibly extending inland up to 10,000 feet to encompass significant coastal resources.
NORTH CAROLINA
The North Carolina Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is administered by the Division of Coastal Management within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Coastal Area Management Act.
North Carolina’s coastal zone includes 20 coastal counties that in whole or in part are adjacent to, adjoining, intersected, or bounded by the Atlantic Ocean or any coastal sound.
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is made up of 14 islands that span 440 miles of the western Pacific Ocean, with the Division of Coastal Resources Management serving as the lead agency for the Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Management Program. NOAA approved the commonwealth’s coastal management program in 1980. Since the islands are small, the entire land and water area of the commonwealth is included within the coastal zone.
OHIO
The Ohio Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1997, with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serving as the lead agency for the networked program. The coastal management program incorporates state laws, regulations, and programs within 41 management policies that are organized around nine issue areas. Ohio’s coastal zone is quite varied and runs through the nine counties bordering Lake Erie and its tributaries. The boundary width ranges from about one-eighth of a mile to 15 miles depending on features, such as coastal wetlands and bluffs.
OREGON
The Oregon Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1977, consists of a network of agencies with authority in the coastal zone. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development serves as the lead agency. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Oregon Land Use Planning Act and the 19 statewide planning goals. The Oregon coastal zone includes the state’s coastal watersheds and extends inland to the crest of the coast range, with a few minor exceptions.
PENNSYLVANIA
The Pennsylvania Coastal Management Program, approved in 1980, is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection. The coastal management program comprises two widely separated coastal areas: the 63-mile Lake Erie shoreline and the 57-mile stretch of coastline along the Delaware Estuary.
The program relies on a network of state authorities. The Pennsylvania coastal zone along Lake Erie varies from 900 feet in urban areas to over three miles in rural areas, and the Delaware River Estuary boundary extends inland from 660 feet in urbanized areas to 3.5 miles in rural areas.
PUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico’s Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1978 and comprises a network of state agencies led by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. The program encompasses 40 statutes.
Puerto Rico’s coastal zone generally extends 1,000 meters (one kilometer) inland, but extends further inland in places to include important coastal resources.
RHODE ISLAND
The Rhode Island Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is administered by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Coastal Resources Management Act of 1971. Rhode Island’s coastal zone encompasses the entire state, although the inland extent of the coastal management program’s regulatory authority is generally 200 feet inland from any coastal feature.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1979, and the lead agency is the Department of Health and Environmental Control. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the 1977 Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act. The South Carolina coastal zone includes all lands and waters in the counties of the state that contain any one or more “critical areas,” which are defined as coastal waters, tidelands, beaches, and beach/dune system.
TEXAS
The Texas Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1996, is administered by the Texas General Land Office in conjunction with the Coastal Coordination Advisory Committee. The Coastal Coordination Act is the primary authority for the Texas Coastal Management Program. The Texas coastal zone is generally the area seaward of the Texas coastal facility designation line, up to three marine leagues into the Gulf of Mexico.
VIRGIN ISLANDS
The U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1979. The lead agency is the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the U.S. Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Act, and the coastal zone includes the entire territory.
VIRGINIA
The Virginia Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1986, and the Department of Environmental Quality serves as the lead agency. Authorized by a commonwealth executive order, the coastal management program is structured as a network of agencies that have authority for implementing nine core policies and a set of advisory policies covering wetlands, fisheries, water quality, dunes and beaches, subaqueous lands, and other coastal resources in the Virginia coastal zone. The coastal zone includes the state’s 29 coastal counties, 17 cities, and 42 incorporated towns.
WASHINGTON
The Washington Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1976, was the first approved program in the nation. The Department of Ecology serves as the lead coastal management agency. The primary authority for the coastal management program is the Shoreline Management Act of 1971. The Washington coastal zone includes the state’s 15 coastal counties that front saltwater.
WISCONSIN
The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, approved by NOAA in 1978, is administered by the Department of Administration, Bureau of Intergovernmental Relations. The coastal management program is a networked program implemented in partnership with the Wisconsin Coastal Management Council, with representatives from local governments, state agencies, Native American tribes, and interest groups. The council sets the policy direction for the program. The Wisconsin coastal zone comprises the 15 counties fronting Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Green Bay.
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