Washington Coastal Zone Management Program enhancement

Between 1990 and 1995, U.S. Congress initiated and expanded the Coastal Zone Management Act Enhancement Program. Congress also set aside special funding to encourage states to make improvements to their federally-approved coastal zone management programs in one or more of nine specific improvement areas. Federal law and regulations strictly define the activities eligible for this federal funding.

Assessment and program planning

Every five years, states and U.S. territories with marine shorelines must review their Coastal Zone Management programs to identify priority needs and improvement opportunities. Then state and territories, including Washington, work with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management to develop multi-year improvement strategies that focus on one or more of nine priority enhancement goals.

2021-2025 Strategy

The Coastal Program has published the 2021-2025 Program Enhancement Assessment and Strategy after accepting public comments.

Past versions

Since the Coastal Zone Management Enhancement Program was established, Washington has participated in all six planning and enhancement cycles. Please see the reports below for more information:

Enhancement projects

We pursue a number of projects designed to address information gaps and enhance coastal zone management practices across Washington. When a state or territory has an approved Coastal Program Enhancement Plan, they become eligible for competitive and non-competitive federal grants. This funding is critical for augmenting a state’s coastal zone management activities.