Coastal management in the United States

Coastal management in the United States
Name	Coastal management in the United States
Caption	Coastal zone management activities along the Atlantic Coast
Location	United States
Established	1972 (Coastal Zone Management Act)
Governing body	Multiple federal, state, and local agencies

Coastal management in the United States Coastal management in the United States is the integrated set of policies, laws, and practices that shape use, protection, and restoration of the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Gulf coasts, as well as the Great Lakes shoreline. The field evolved through landmark statutes, agency programs, judicial decisions, and catastrophic events that linked National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, National Park Service, and numerous state agencies to municipal planners, tribal governments, and private stakeholders.

Overview and History

Early institutional attention to shores traces to navigational and military needs like the United States Lighthouse Service and United States Coastal Survey; later milestones include the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and the Flood Control Act of 1936. Mid‑20th century interventions by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation emphasized shoreline stabilization, channelization, and harbor works, while the environmental movement and cases such as Sierra Club v. Morton catalyzed legal protection for coastal resources. The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 created voluntary federal‑state partnerships tied to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oversight, complemented by the Clean Water Act and decisions from the Supreme Court of the United States that defined public trust and property doctrines. Hurricanes like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy accelerated federal funding and reforms through programs in the Federal Emergency Management Agency and shifts in statutes such as the Stafford Act and appropriations bills after events at Galveston and New Orleans.

Legal and Institutional Framework

The statutory architecture rests on acts and judicial precedents: Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, Clean Water Act of 1972, Endangered Species Act of 1973, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. Administrative authority is distributed among federal agencies including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service, with regulatory roles by the United States Army Corps of Engineers under the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act and permitting under the Clean Water Act Section 404. Case law from the Supreme Court of the United States and circuit courts—cases like Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council—have shaped takings doctrine, public trust applications in states such as California and New Jersey, and delineated federal‑state jurisdiction over tidal wetlands and submerged lands.

Federal Programs and Agencies

Key federal actors include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration programs such as the National Coastal Zone Management Program, the National Ocean Service, and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, alongside United States Army Corps of Engineers initiatives including the Beach Nourishment Program and Section 10 permitting. Disaster recovery is coordinated through Federal Emergency Management Agency grants and the National Flood Insurance Program administered by the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration. Conservation and restoration receive funding and oversight from Environmental Protection Agency programs, United States Fish and Wildlife Service refuges, and National Park Service units like Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Research and monitoring involve institutions including Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NOAA Fisheries, and university centers such as University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Miami coastal labs.

State and Local Management

States implement approved Coastal Zone Management Program plans with agencies such as California Coastal Commission, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Maine Department of Marine Resources, and Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Local governments—counties and municipalities like Miami-Dade County, New York City, San Diego County, and Galveston County—adopt zoning, shoreline setback ordinances, and permit regimes, often interacting with tribal authorities such as the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. State statutes, regional compacts, and interstate collaborations like the Chesapeake Bay Program and the Gulf of Mexico Alliance coordinate watershed, estuarine, and coastal resource management.

Coastal Hazards and Risk Reduction

Hazard planning addresses erosion, sea‑level rise, storm surge, and tsunamis through engineering, policy, and retreat strategies. Federal guidance from Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps and United States Geological Survey coastal change analyses informs local ordinances and projects like the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program and the Louisiana Coastal Master Plan. Structural measures include seawalls, bulkheads, and beach nourishment projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, while nonstructural measures use buyouts under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and coastal setback policies influenced by cases from the Supreme Court of the United States. Research on climate impacts is advanced by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments and regional partners such as the Northeast Regional Ocean Council.

Environmental Conservation and Restoration

Restoration efforts target wetlands, estuaries, coral reefs, and barrier islands using mechanisms like mitigation banking under the Clean Water Act and restoration funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and NOAA Restoration Center. Programs protect species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 including coastal populations of loggerhead sea turtle, Atlantic sturgeon, and various shorebirds monitored by Audubon Society. Major restoration initiatives include the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Everglades Restoration Plan, and coastal marsh work in Louisiana following Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacts litigated and managed through settlements involving the Department of Justice and agencies such as NOAA.

Economic Uses and Stakeholder Engagement

Coastal zones support ports, fisheries, tourism, energy, and recreation managed with input from entities like the United States Maritime Administration, National Fisheries Institute, American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, and regional port authorities such as the Port of Los Angeles and Port of New York and New Jersey. Offshore energy development involves the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, permitting under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and project reviews by Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement with engagement from industry stakeholders like ExxonMobil and NextEra Energy. Public participation processes engage nonprofit organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Coastal States Organization, Surfrider Foundation, and academic partners including Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to integrate economic planning, cultural resources, and recreational uses in coastal decision making.

Category:Coastal management