Coastal Zone Management Act

Summary: The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) and the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990 offer state governments a voluntary partnership with the federal government to protect coastal resources. The U.S. Congress's findings and declaration of policy encourage the management of development in the coastal zone to preserve wetlands, habitat, shorelines, and floodplains and to prevent pollution of groundwater and the marine environment. To receive federal funding, participating states must create approved coastal zone management programs. Federal agency activity “within or outside the coastal zone that affects any land or water use or natural resource of the coastal zone” must be consistent with the state programs. Under the 1990 amendments, states with approved plans must establish a nonpoint source pollution control plan to identify land-based sources of pollution of coastal waters. The act calls for the coordination of state and local water quality plans. The act encourages state programs for waterfront revitalization. It establishes the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and offers technical aid as well as funding to participating states. The CZMA is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The full text of the CZMA is available at: http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/czm/czm_act.html or http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title16/chapter33_.html

The federal regulations implementing the CZMA – 15 CFR 923 – are available at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/15cfr923_03.html

The NOAA Coastal Services Center Web site is:

http://www.csc.noaa.gov/

An extensive survey of federal legislation on coastal management in the United States can be found in Appendix 6 – “Review of U.S. Ocean and Coastal Law” – of the U.S. Ocean Commission's Final Report (2005), available at: http://www.oceancommission.gov/documents/full_color_rpt/append_6.pdf