Section 309 Assessment and Strategy documents

Coastal Zone Management Act
Section 309 Program Guidance
2021 to 2025
Enhancement Cycle

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Office for Coastal Management

June 2019

Table of Contents
Overview of Section 309 Enhancement Program and Guidance .............................................. 1
About the Section 309 Enhancement Program ..................................................................................................1
About This Guidance ...........................................................................................................................................1

1. Timeline for 2021-2025 Program Enhancement Cycle ....................................................... 2
2. Allowable Uses for Section 309 Enhancement Program Funds .......................................... 3
Eligible States ......................................................................................................................................................3
Eligible Activities .................................................................................................................................................3
Allowable Costs ...................................................................................................................................................4
Use of Sections 306 and 310 and Other Funding to Support Section 309 Strategies .........................................5

3. National Priorities for Section 309 Enhancement Program ................................................ 5
4. Allocation of Section 309 Funds........................................................................................ 6
Weighted Formula Funding ................................................................................................................................6
Projects of Special Merit .....................................................................................................................................7
Determining the Annual Set-Aside for Projects of Special Merit ........................................................................7

5. Assessment and Strategy Development Process ............................................................... 8
Phase I (High-Level) Assessment .........................................................................................................................8
Phase II (In-Depth) Assessment ..........................................................................................................................9
Strategy .............................................................................................................................................................11

6. Stakeholder and Public Engagement .............................................................................. 12
Stakeholder Engagement ..................................................................................................................................12
Public Participation ...........................................................................................................................................12

7. Section 309 Assessment and Strategy Format................................................................. 13
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................13
Summary of Recent Section 309 Achievements ...............................................................................................13
Assessment .......................................................................................................................................................13
Strategy .............................................................................................................................................................13
Summary of Stakeholder and Public Comment ................................................................................................14

8. Submission and Review of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy.................................... 14
Submission of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy .......................................................................................14
Late Submission of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy ...............................................................................14
OCM Review of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy ....................................................................................15

9. Process for Revising Approved Section 309 Assessment and Strategies ........................... 16
Appendix A: Phase I Assessment Templates ......................................................................... 18
Wetlands ...........................................................................................................................................................19
Coastal Hazards .................................................................................................................................................23
Public Access .....................................................................................................................................................27
Marine Debris ...................................................................................................................................................31

Cumulative and Secondary Impacts ..................................................................................................................33
Special Area Management Planning .................................................................................................................38
Ocean and Great Lakes Resources ....................................................................................................................40
Energy and Government Facility Siting .............................................................................................................46
Aquaculture ......................................................................................................................................................50

Appendix B: Phase II Assessment Templates ........................................................................ 53
Wetlands ...........................................................................................................................................................54
Coastal Hazards .................................................................................................................................................57
Public Access .....................................................................................................................................................61
Marine Debris ...................................................................................................................................................64
Cumulative and Secondary Impacts ..................................................................................................................67
Special Area Management Planning .................................................................................................................70
Ocean and Great Lakes Resources ....................................................................................................................73
Energy and Government Facility Siting .............................................................................................................76
Aquaculture ......................................................................................................................................................79

Appendix C: Strategy Template ............................................................................................ 82
Appendix D: Types of Program Changes ............................................................................... 86
Wetlands ...........................................................................................................................................................86
Coastal Hazards .................................................................................................................................................87
Public Access .....................................................................................................................................................88
Marine Debris ...................................................................................................................................................90
Cumulative and Secondary Impacts ..................................................................................................................90
Special Area Management Planning .................................................................................................................91
Ocean and Great Lakes Resources ....................................................................................................................91
Energy and Government Facility Siting .............................................................................................................92
Aquaculture ......................................................................................................................................................93

Appendix E: Example Program Changes ............................................................................... 94
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................94
Status and Trends of Inland Wetlands and Aquatic Habitats ...........................................................................94
Adoption of Refined Coastal Goals ...................................................................................................................95
Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats ...................................................................................................96
Beneficial Use of Dredge Material Contribution Fund ......................................................................................97
Model Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plans ......................................................................................................98
Metro Bay SAMP Urban Coastal Greenway ......................................................................................................98
Guidance Document on Coordinated Aquaculture Permitting.........................................................................99
Implementing Legislative Changes to the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines ..........................................100

Appendix F: Example Stakeholder Questions ..................................................................... 102

Overview of Section 309 Enhancement Program and Guidance
About the Section 309 Enhancement Program
The Coastal Zone Enhancement Program encourages state and territorial coastal management programs
to strengthen and improve their federally approved coastal management programs in one or more of
nine areas. These “enhancement areas” include wetlands, coastal hazards, public access, marine debris,
cumulative and secondary impacts, special area management plans, ocean and Great Lakes resources,
energy and government facility siting, and aquaculture. The enhancement program was established
under Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), as amended.
Every five years, states and territories are encouraged to conduct self-assessments of their coastal
management programs to determine problems and enhancement opportunities within each of the nine
enhancement areas—and to assess the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address
identified problems. Each coastal management program identifies high-priority management issues, as
well as important needs and information gaps the program must fill to address these issues.
Following this self-assessment, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management (OCM), works closely with each
coastal management program to further identify the high-priority needs for improvement within one or
more of the nine areas. The coastal management program then develops strategies, consulting with
OCM, to improve its operations to address these management needs. The strategies provide a stepwise
approach to reach a stated goal and lead to enhancement in the state’s or territory’s federally approved
coastal management program.
OCM reviews and approves the Section 309 “assessment and strategy” document for each state and
territory and, after approval, provides funding under Section 309 to help them carry out those
strategies.

About This Guidance
This document provides guidance to state and territorial coastal management programs about the
Section 309 Enhancement Program for the fiscal year (FY) 2021-2025 assessment and strategy cycle and
complements the Section 309 regulations (15 C.F.R. sec. 923, subpart K). The guidance includes
information on these areas:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Timeline for developing the next round of assessment and strategy reports
Activities eligible for Section 309 funding
National priorities for the Section 309 Enhancement Program
Allocation of Section 309 funding
Process, format, and content for an assessment and strategy report
Public and stakeholder engagement process
Submission and approval process for assessments and strategies
Revision process for approved assessments and strategies

This guidance supersedes previously issued Section 309 Enhancement Program guidance.

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1. Timeline for 2021-2025 Program Enhancement Cycle
The table below outlines the schedule used in finalizing this guidance and in carrying out the FY 20212025 assessment and strategy process. If circumstances prevent OCM or the coastal management
programs from being able to meet any of these deadlines—such as significantly delayed
appropriations—OCM will adjust the timeline and send notice.

Timeline for Completion of Section 309 Guidance and Assessment and Strategy Development
Timeline Elements

July 1 States

October 1 States

Week of February 25,
2019

Week of February 25, 2019

March 22, 2019

March 22, 2019

On or before June
30, 2019

On or before June 30, 2019

July 1, 2019

October 1, 2019

February 1, 2020

May 1, 2020

OCM provides comments to CMPs on draft
assessment and strategy

April 1, 2020

July 1, 2020

Final assessment and strategy due

June 1, 2020

September 1, 2020

OCM approves final assessment and strategy

August 1, 2020

November 1, 2020

OCM issues federal funding opportunity for
FY 2021 Project of Special Merit (PSM)
Competition (tentative)

Late Summer or Fall
2020

OCM issues draft Section 309 guidance
Comments on draft Section 309 guidance due
OCM issues final Section 309 guidance
Coastal management programs (CMPs) begin
developing their assessment and strategy:
• CMPs engage key stakeholders
• OCM and CMPs work together to identify
high-priority enhancement areas and
develop strategies
Draft assessment and strategy due

Proposals for FY 2021 PSM Competition due
(tentative)

Late Summer or Fall 2020

Late Fall 2020 (not
before November 1,
2020)

Late Fall 2020 (not before
November 1, 2020))

July 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

CMPs begin carrying out FY 2021-2025
strategies
OCM issues FY 2021 PSM awards

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2. Allowable Uses for Section 309 Enhancement Program Funds
Eligible States
While participation in the Section 309 Enhancement Program is voluntary, OCM strongly encourages all
states and territories to develop an assessment and strategy to improve and strengthen their federally
approved coastal management program (CMP). Only CMPs that successfully develop an approved FY
2021-2025 assessment and strategy will be eligible to receive Section 309 funding in FY 2021-2025.

Eligible Activities
The following activities are eligible for Section 309 funding:
1. Development of the Assessment and Strategy
CMPs may use Section 309 funds to develop their Section 309 assessment and strategy. This funding
may also be used to revise the assessment and strategy, as needed, during the five-year cycle.
2. Carrying out Strategies and Development and Submission of Program Changes
CMPs may use Section 309 funding to carry out federally approved Section 309 strategies that are
designed to lead to a program change. However, the program change does not necessarily need to
be achieved during the five-year assessment and strategy cycle because various political and other
factors may be outside of the CMP’s control.
When appropriate, program changes should be submitted for incorporation into the state’s or
territory’s federally approved CMP (in accordance with regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart H).
Section 309 funding can be used to submit a program change to OCM for review and approval if the
change was achieved through the assessment and strategy process.
A program change is a change to a state’s or territory’s federally approved coastal management
program. Defined in 15 CFR 923.123, program changes include the following:
• A change to coastal zone boundaries that will improve a state’s ability to achieve one or more
of the enhancement objectives.
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies,
administrative decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement or understanding,
that will improve a state’s ability to achieve one or more of the enhancement objectives.
• New or revised local coastal programs and implementing ordinances that will improve a
state’s ability to achieve one or more of the enhancement objectives.
• New or revised coastal land acquisition, management, and restoration programs that
improve a state’s ability to attain one or more of the enhancement objectives.
• New or revised special area management plans or plans for areas of particular concern
(APC), including enforceable policies and other necessary implementing mechanisms or
criteria and procedures for designating and managing APCs that will improve a state’s ability
to achieve one or more of the enhancement objectives.
• New or revised guidelines, procedures, and policy documents that are formally adopted by a
state and provide specific interpretations of enforceable coastal policies to applicants, local
governments, and other agencies that will result in meaningful improvements in coastal

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resource management and that will improve a state’s ability to attain one or more of the
enhancement objectives.
OCM does not consider the following types of state or territorial actions to be program changes:
• Increased staffing or staff reassignments that will not support or result in a program change as
defined above.
• Administrative or organizational changes that do not change or improve the state’s coastal
management program.
• Educational and outreach materials that are not part of a larger strategy to achieve a program
change as defined above.
• Research or mapping efforts that are not part of a larger strategy to achieve a program change
as defined above.
• Participation in coordination groups that are not part of a larger strategy to achieve a program
change as defined above.
• Technical or financial assistance to local governments that is not part of a focused strategy to
develop new or revised local coastal programs or implementing ordinances to achieve a
specified enhancement objective.
• Actual land acquisition or low-cost construction projects. (These activities are only eligible for
funding under Section 306A.)
Upon completion of an enhancement area strategy, CMPs must provide a summary of the
accomplishments to OCM in the semiannual performance progress report. CMPs must also report
on all program changes achieved under Section B of the performance progress report.
3. Implementation of Program Changes
Section 309 funds can also be used to implement Section 309 program changes for up to two years
after the program change was achieved. Implementation activities include administrative actions to
carry out and enforce program change policies, authorities, and other management techniques,
including the development, collection, and analysis of measurable management objectives and
performance measures. After the initial two-year implementation period, CMPs must use Section
306 funding or other funds to support continued implementation of the program change. All
implementation activities need to be described in the strategy (see “Strategy Template,” Appendix
C) and must meet the following general requirements:
• Advance the objectives of a high-priority 309 enhancement area for the CMP
• Relate to at least one 309 program change identified in an approved strategy
• Demonstrate cost effectiveness and technical soundness

Allowable Costs
Section 309 funds can be used for any of the following expenses that support the attainment of a
program change and carry out one or more of the eligible Section 309 activities described in the “Eligible
Activities” section above:
•
•
•

Personnel costs
Supplies and overhead
Travel
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•
•
•

Equipment (as described in 15 CFR part 24)
Projects, studies, and reports
Contractual costs, including subcontracts, subawards, personal service contracts with
individuals, memoranda of agreement or understanding, and other forms of pass-through
funding

As with all CZMA funding, Section 309 funding must adhere to 2 CFR 200, “Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” and all other applicable
grant and cooperative agreement guidance that the Department of Commerce, NOAA, or OCM issues.
Task descriptions that continue a previous year’s work must describe how the current task is different
from and builds on activities funded under the prior year’s award so that it is clear that the exact same
activities are not being funded two years in a row.
Please note that acquisition and low-cost construction projects are not allowable costs for Section 309
funding.

Use of Sections 306 and 310 and Other Funding to Support Section 309
Strategies
CZMA Sections 306 and 310 funds, or other non-CZMA funds, may be used to carry out and implement
Section 309 strategies. However, activities supported with other funding sources must be distinct from
those conducted with Section 309 funding. Task descriptions, milestones, and deliverables must be
written clearly to reflect the distinct activities and outcomes that will be achieved under each section of
funding in a CMP’s annual CZMA cooperative agreement.

3. National Priorities for Section 309 Enhancement Program
While the Section 309 Enhancement Program establishes nine enhancement areas, OCM can choose to
designate one or more enhancement areas as “areas of national importance.” Designating areas of
national importance helps to further focus Section 309 funding and demonstrate a national impact for
the National Coastal Zone Management Program by aligning resources to address one or more critical
coastal management issue across the county. While not required to do so, CMPs are strongly
encouraged to develop one or more strategies to improve the effectiveness of their program in
designated areas of national importance.
For the FY 2021-2025 assessment and strategy cycle, “coastal hazards” is still designated as an
enhancement area of national importance. Therefore, competitive “projects of special merit” funding
will be focused on projects that will further the approved strategies related to the coastal hazards
enhancement area. The annual federal funding opportunity, or FFO, announcement for the projects of
special merit competition may describe how some or all of this funding would be further focused each
year to address one or more specific coastal hazards issues, such as supporting hazard resilience
planning.
Designating coastal hazards as an enhancement area of national importance aligns with the “prepare for
and minimize the risks of coastal hazards, changing conditions and emerging issues” objective contained

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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in the National Coastal Zone Management Program’s Strategic Plan for 2018-2023. The plan was
developed with input from state CMPs and the Coastal States Organization (CSO).
No other enhancement areas of national importance are designated at this time. However, OCM may
choose to designate additional enhancement areas of national importance during the FY 2021-2025
assessment and strategy cycle to address new or emerging issues that may arise. OCM will work with
CSO and state CMPs to reevaluate the designated areas of national importance, as needed. Additional
enhancement areas may be considered because of feedback from state CMPs or CSO, changes in the
strategic direction of OCM or NOAA, or other unforeseen circumstances, including changes in other
federal funding programs that may affect the niche that the National Coastal Zone Management
Program would like to fill with the competitive project of special merit funding. Any new enhancement
areas of national importance would be added to the list of eligible enhancement area strategies that this
funding could support. Additional areas of national importance will be announced in the annual federal
funding opportunity for the projects of special merit competition.

4. Allocation of Section 309 Funds
As required by statute, OCM must allocate at least 10 percent of the appropriated CZMA Section
306/306A funding to Section 309, although this amount cannot exceed 20 percent of Section 306/306A
funding or $10 million, whichever is less. There are two types of Section 309 funding: weighted formula
and competitive projects of special merit. Each year, OCM determines how much Section 309 funding
will be set aside for projects of special merit.

Weighted Formula Funding
Weighted formula (or base) funding is intended to provide a predictable level of funding over the multiyear strategy period to achieve core milestones. Because weighted formula funding is more predictable
than competitively awarded project of special merit funding, basic functions necessary to achieve the
core strategy milestones, such as hiring full-time staff, should use weighted formula funding. Activities
supported using weighted formula funding must be critical to meeting the enhancement area strategy
milestones and goals and meet the following requirements:
•
•
•
•

The project is consistent with the approved assessment and strategy and advances the goals of
the strategy;
Costs are reasonable and necessary to achieve the objectives of both the project and the
strategy (see “Allowable Costs” in Section 3);
The project is technically sound; and
The CMP has an effective work plan to ensure proper and efficient administration of the project
(see “Strategy Template,” Appendix C).

OCM allocates weighted formula funding to CMPs according to the size of their coastal population and
length of shoreline, and whether they have an approved assessment and strategy. Weighted formula
funding is determined by multiplying the CMP’s base allocation, determined by the formula at Section
923.110(c), by a weighting factor derived from OCM’s evaluation of the quality of the assessment and
strategy. OCM will assign a weighting factor of zero (0) to CMPs whose assessment and strategy is not
acceptable and a weighting factor of one (1) to CMPs with an acceptable, approved assessment and

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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strategy. See “OCM Review of Section 309 Assessment and Strategies” in Section 8 for a more detailed
discussion on the criteria OCM will use in determining each CMP’s weighting factor.

Projects of Special Merit
Funding for projects of special merit is intended to offer CMPs the opportunity to develop innovative
projects that will further the approved enhancement area strategies within identified areas of national
importance. Project of special merit funding is awarded competitively and shall not be dependent on
long-term levels of funding to succeed. Projects shall further the objectives of an approved
enhancement area strategy but shall not be essential to meeting specific milestones in the strategy;
therefore, these projects are not expected to, by themselves, accomplish a program change.
These projects will be evaluated and ranked equally on merit using criteria identified within the
published federal funding opportunity notice. In general, the projects will be scored on merit, technical,
and financial criteria, such as the following:
•
•
•
•
•

Likelihood the project would help to make substantial progress toward achieving the program
changes and strategy goals of an approved strategy for an enhancement area of national
importance;
Likelihood that the project would result in improved management of ocean and coastal
resources and uses and provide public benefit;
Level of innovativeness;
Transferability of the results to solve coastal management issues in other coastal states and
territories; and
Past performance under Section 309; OCM will notify any CMPs of findings of poor past
performance that may significantly affect the evaluation of project of special merit proposals.

Funding for projects of special merit is not intended to exceed 18 months. OCM will issue additional
guidance for the projects of special merit competition annually in a federal funding opportunity
announcement. However, OCM generally anticipates CMPs would be eligible to submit two proposals
per funding competition and would likely be able to request approximately $75,000 to $250,000 per
project each year. The federal funding opportunity will provide more detailed information on the
specific amount of funding available, availability of multi-year funding, eligible projects, submission
guidelines, selection criteria, and deadlines.

Determining the Annual Set-Aside for Projects of Special Merit
OCM expects to continually allocate approximately 85 percent (or $1.5 million) of Section 309 funds to
weighted formula funding for each year of the FY 2021-2025 assessment and strategy cycle. The office
will carefully consider the total amount of appropriated CZMA funding when deciding how much to set
aside for these projects each year. Preserving as much Section 306 funding and core CMP activities as
possible remains a high priority for OCM. Therefore, if significant cuts to the overall CZMA appropriation
occur, maintaining a $1.5 million set-aside for projects of special merit funding will need to be
reconsidered.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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OCM also recognizes that states with traditionally lower base funding require a minimum allocation to
support the goals and requirements of Section 309. Therefore, reductions for projects of special merit
may not be applied equally. OCM will set a minimum weighted formula base funding of $75,000. 1

5. Assessment and Strategy Development Process
The assessment and strategy is a public document, prepared by CMPs, in consultation with OCM and key
stakeholders. OCM approves the assessment and strategy in accordance with this guidance.
The assessment must (1) determine the extent to which problems and opportunities for program
enhancement exist within each of the enhancement area objectives; (2) determine the effectiveness of
existing management efforts to address identified problems; and (3) identify high-priority needs for
program enhancement. The assessment provides the facts for the CMP and OCM to determine what
program improvements are needed. For this assessment and strategy cycle, the assessment process is
being broken down into two phases to enable CMPs to more easily target their assessments to highpriority enhancement areas for the program: Phase I (high-level) and Phase II (in-depth).
The strategy is a comprehensive, multi-year statement of goals to address high-priority needs, identified
in the assessment, for improving a state’s or territory’s CMP. In addition to stating clear goals, the
strategy also lays out methods for achieving those goals that are designed to lead toward one or more
program changes (as defined by 15 CFR 923.123a ‒ see “Eligible Activities” in Section 3).
The subsections below describe the process CMPs should employ when developing their FY 2021-2025
assessment and strategy (Figure 1).

Phase I (High-Level) Assessment
CMPs will complete a Phase I (or high-level) assessment of their program in all nine enhancement areas
using the Phase I assessment templates provided in Appendix A. At the beginning of the assessment
development process, CMPs should carefully review the objectives of each enhancement area and how
the program assessed and ranked each objective during the previous assessment. The CMP should also
sit down with its OCM site liaison to discuss potential issues and priorities for the program, review the
basic assessment process, and discuss how the CMP plans to engage stakeholders and the public during
the assessment process (see Section 8 for in-depth discussion of stakeholder and public engagement).
The templates provide a variety of resources and tools to help CMPs more easily respond to the
assessment questions. A “Recommended Resources” section at the back of each Phase I assessment
template includes resources that may be useful to the CMPs when conducting their assessments. In
addition, many of the questions point to national-level data sets or tools that provide quantitative
information that can help inform the assessments. While these national data provide relevant baseline
information, they can also be at a coarser scale or may not reflect the most current information
available in a specific state or territory. Therefore, CMPs should feel free to use more recent state- or
territory-specific data, if available, to respond to the questions. If CMPs choose to use alternative data,
they should cite the source of the data.
1 Note that mandatory across-the-board funding cuts, such as the sequester in FY 2013, may necessitate OCM establishing a minimum weighted
formula base funding of less than $75,000.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Some of the national data sets and tools are not available for all states and territories. If no data are
available for a specific state or territory, the CMP can delete the question from the assessment or
choose to respond in a more qualitative way using the best-available information. If the data are only
available for part of a state or territory, respond to the question using what data are available, but note
in the response what areas are (or are not) reflected by the information reported. Each assessment
question provides additional instructions on how to respond.
Using their responses to the Phase I assessment questions, key stakeholder input, and their own
knowledge of the issue, CMPs shall rank the enhancement area as a high, medium, or low priority for
their program. While there is no clear “threshold” for what is deserving of a high, medium, or low
ranking, it should be able to pass the “red face test;” does it seem like a reasonable ranking given the
known problems and controversial issues, etc. related to that enhancement area? The priority ranking
should also reflect the suitability of Section 309, with its emphasis on program changes, for addressing
the underlying issues identified for each enhancement area.
CMPs will work closely with their OCM liaisons to determine the appropriate ranking for each
enhancement area. According to section 309(d)(1), the final determination of each program’s highpriority enhancement areas rests with OCM. This determination will be made in full consultation with
CMPs during development of the draft assessment and with due consideration of stakeholder and public
comment.
If the enhancement area is ranked a medium or low priority, the CMP has completed its assessment of
this issue. For enhancement areas ranked a high priority, the CMP must continue its assessment by
completing an in-depth Phase II assessment.

Phase II (In-Depth) Assessment
For any enhancement areas ranked as a high priority after the Phase I assessment, CMPs shall conduct a
Phase II (in-depth) assessment using the appropriate Phase II assessment templates provided in
Appendix B to further explore potential problems, opportunities for improvement, and specific needs.
OCM recommends that CMPs select two to three enhancement areas for more in-depth assessment.
However, CMPs should work closely with their OCM specialist to determine what would be most
appropriate for their program given their high-priority needs and available resources. CMPs should keep
in mind that the high-priority needs identified in the Phase II assessment will not only be helpful for
informing Section 309 strategies but will be used for other purposes as well. OCM relies on the needs
identified to inform annual and strategic planning for the office and will also share CMP high-priority
needs with other NOAA offices and programs. Therefore, CMPs should be as specific as possible when
identifying needs.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Figure 1. Section 309 Assessment and Strategy Development Process

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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After completing the Phase II assessment questions, the CMP identifies, in consultation with OCM,
which enhancement areas it will develop a strategy for. There is no requirement to develop a strategy
for every enhancement area that was designated as a high priority. CMPs may choose to further focus
their strategies on the greatest opportunity for improvement and likely resources available to achieve
the strategy goals.

Strategy
As noted above, the strategy must address high-priority needs for program enhancement within one or
more enhancement areas that were identified through the CMP’s self-assessment. The strategy
establishes clear goals and a pathway and method to reach those goals during the next five years. CMPs
shall use the “Strategy Template” provided in Appendix C for developing their strategies to ensure that
they include task descriptions, cost estimates, and milestones, as appropriate. Strategies could either
address a single high-priority enhancement area or cut across several high-priority enhancement areas.
If the strategy will address more than one enhancement area, use the strategy template to indicate the
enhancement areas that apply. The strategy template also includes an evaluation component to help
assess the overall success of the strategy at achieving its goals.
Strategies must be designed to lead to a program change (see Item 3 in “Eligible Activities” in Section 2
for more in-depth discussion of what constitutes a program change). However, because of various
political and other factors that may be outside the CMP’s control, the program change does not
necessarily need to be achieved during the five-year assessment and strategy cycle. If the program
change will likely be achieved outside of the assessment period, the strategy needs to include an
alternative goal statement of what will be achieved over the next five years to gauge the strategy’s
success (See “Strategy Template,” Appendix C, for additional clarification on what a suitable alternative
goal statement would be). Appendix D provides additional guidance on the types of program changes
that could be pursued through a Section 309 strategy, and Appendix E provides examples of past
program changes and key steps used to achieve those changes through the Section 309 Enhancement
Program.
Enhancement area strategies must include estimated costs, a schedule, and a general work plan listing
necessary steps for achieving the strategy goals. Detailed information on annual tasks, budgets, and
work products will be determined through the annual award negotiation process. Detailed descriptions
of potential projects of special merit should not be included in enhancement area strategies. However,
CMPs should keep in mind the differing criteria for weighted formula projects and projects of special
merit in developing their strategy and when submitting projects for project of special merit funding.
Generally, CMPs should only develop strategies for activities the state intends to fund and work on given
their anticipated level of Section 309 funding. In some circumstances, however, CMPs may wish to use
the assessment and strategy development process as a broader strategic planning effort for the CMP. In
these cases, the CMP may elect to include additional strategies that exceed the state’s anticipated
Section 309 funding over the five-year period. If the CMP chooses this approach, it should still clearly
indicate which strategies it anticipates to fund with Section 309 funding and which strategies it
anticipates to fund through other funding sources.

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6. Stakeholder and Public Engagement
The CZMA places a strong emphasis on public participation and encourages participation, coordination,
and cooperation with and among appropriate local, state, federal, and regional groups to help carry out
the goals of the CZMA. In keeping with the intent of the CZMA, the assessment and strategy is a public
document. CMPs should provide opportunities for key stakeholders and the public to be engaged in and
help inform the development of the assessment and strategy.

Stakeholder Engagement
At the beginning of the assessment and strategy development process, the CMP should identify a few
key stakeholder groups to engage. The stakeholders should provide feedback on what they feel are the
high-priority enhancement areas for the state’s or territory’s coastal zone, the critical problems related
to those priority areas, and the greatest opportunities for the CMP to strengthen and enhance its
program to more effectively address those problems. This would ensure that the priorities and needs
proposed in the assessment and strategy reflect more than just CMP staff opinions. The CMP knows its
stakeholder groups best and knows how to effectively engage them in the assessment and strategy
development process, so CMPs have great latitude in how they would like to engage key stakeholders
and who those key stakeholders should be. Stakeholder engagement could be done informally through
individual conversations or meetings or more formally through a specific questionnaire the CMP sends
to stakeholder groups. For example, the CMP could piggyback onto existing meetings with different
stakeholder groups to ask partners about coastal management priorities and needs.
Regardless of how the stakeholder input is captured, the CMP must document the groups or individuals
they engaged and briefly summarize the relevant feedback received that is useful for informing the
development of the assessment and strategy. For example, a brief one-page summary of stakeholder
input would be appropriate, noting which stakeholder groups the CMP engaged, how the program
engaged them, and any common (or perhaps some divergent) ideas and priorities that emerged. The
CMP can then use the stakeholder feedback to support assessment conclusions, why or why not a
particular enhancement area should (or should not) be a priority for the state, and why a particular
strategy is needed. It is likely that feedback from different stakeholder groups may conflict with one
another or with the CMP’s final identification of priority needs and enhancement areas. That is okay. As
the assessment templates note, the CMP should simply include an explanation as to why the
enhancement area received the priority ranking it did and why the CMP chose (or did not choose) to
develop a strategy for any high-priority enhancement areas. (See “Summary of Stakeholder and Public
Comment” in Section 7 and assessment templates in Appendixes A and B for additional discussion of
how stakeholder feedback should be captured in the assessment document.) Appendix F provides
examples of some questions the CMP may wish to ask stakeholders.

Public Participation
General public participation in the assessment and strategy process can take many forms. At a
minimum, the public must have an opportunity to review and comment on the document. CMPs should
provide adequate public notice, make the assessment and strategy document publically available, and
ensure that a minimum 30-day public comment period is provided. CMPs may hold the public review
period concurrently with OCM’s review of the draft submission. The public review process does not
require formal public hearings and may occur in many ways, including public comment websites,
advisory committees, commission meetings, or informal public workshops. CMPs are encouraged to

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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publish the document online for public comments. A brief (1-2 page) summary of all relevant public
comments must be included with the final assessment and strategy. (See also “Summary of Stakeholder
and Public Comment” in Section 7.) For example, the CMP could list who provided comments and note
some general themes that emerged from the commenters. OCM recognizes that comments received
during a public comment period may be wide-ranging and may not always be relevant to the specific
focus and goal of the Section 309 assessment and strategy. Therefore, the CMP only needs to include a
brief summary of those comments that are relevant to the assessment and strategy development
process.

7. Section 309 Assessment and Strategy Format
The assessment and strategy shall be submitted as a single document and contain the following
sections.

Introduction
The assessment and strategy is a public document. Therefore, the introduction should include a brief
description of the National Coastal Zone Management Program and Section 309 Enhancement Program,
including the purpose of the assessment and strategy. It should also summarize how the CMP developed
the assessment and strategy, engaged stakeholders, and allowed the public to review and comment.

Summary of Recent Section 309 Achievements
CMPs should provide a brief summary of completed efforts under the Section 309 Enhancement
Program since the last assessment and strategy. This section should clearly identify and summarize
program changes and other major accomplishments completed under previous strategies that may have
come to fruition during the past five years. While most accomplishments will likely be from the 20112015 assessment cycle, there could be program changes from earlier assessment periods that were
finally achieved during the past five years. For program changes that were formally submitted to OCM in
accordance with the program change regulations at 15 CFR part 923, subpart H, note the date that the
change was approved by OCM. If the program intends to submit a formal program change for OCM’s
review and approval, identify the expected submission date.

Assessment
The assessment section responds to the Phase I assessment questions for each of the nine enhancement
areas and the Phase II assessment questions for the high-priority enhancement areas (see Appendixes A
and B and discussion of the assessment development process in Section 5). CMPs should rely on existing
data and information, when possible, to complete the enhancement area assessment. Answers should
be succinct and can include provided tables, figures, and bulleted text as long as sufficient information is
provided to respond to each question. Additional reports or studies that support the responses should
be cited and web links included, as appropriate.

Strategy
This section establishes a clear strategy (or strategies) the CMP plans to pursue during the five-year
strategy period based on the management needs identified in the assessment for one or more of its
high-priority enhancement areas. The CMPs must use the “Strategy Template” provided in Appendix C.
Enhancement area strategies should include enough information for OCM to determine whether (1) the
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proposed program change or implementation activity adequately addresses the needs identified in the
assessment, and (2) the program’s work plan to achieve the program change is appropriate and costeffective.

Summary of Stakeholder and Public Comment
This section provides a list of the stakeholder groups or individuals engaged during the assessment
development process and a brief summary of their feedback. It also provides a summary of the public
comments received during the public comment period and how the CMP responded to those comments.

8. Submission and Review of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy
Submission of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy
CMPs shall submit the assessment and strategy electronically by email to their OCM program specialists
(See Section 1 for submission dates). It should be submitted as a single document using the format and
templates provided in this guidance.
While CMPs should be working closely with their site liaisons throughout the development of the
assessment and strategy, CMPs are asked to submit a draft assessment and strategy for OCM to review.
OCM will recommend how the assessment and strategy could be strengthened and identify any
concerns that may result in a ranking of “not acceptable” to allow the program an opportunity to make
revisions before final submission.

Late Submission of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy
OCM expects all assessments and strategies to be submitted on time. The office recognizes, however,
that under certain limited circumstances, there may be a reason a CMP submits its assessment and
strategy after the deadline. This could include receiving a “not acceptable” ranking on their original
submission. To be eligible for Section 309 funding in a given fiscal year, a CMP must have an approved
assessment and strategy in place before OCM issues the final funding guidance for that fiscal year
(usually late winter/early spring). Therefore, to give OCM sufficient time to review an assessment and
strategy document, CMPs will need to submit an approvable assessment and strategy to OCM by
January 30 of the fiscal year in which they wish to receive Section 309 funding. CMPs that submit an
approvable assessment and strategy after the January 30 deadline will be eligible for Section 309
funding the following fiscal year (except where noted below).
If strategies are significantly late (beyond one year), they should be modified to reflect what would be
achievable during the remaining five-year strategy period. The strategy(-ies) must still be designed to
lead to a program change.
OCM will continue to review and approve, if acceptable, assessments and strategies during the first
three years of the assessment and strategy cycle (FY 2023). In other words, CMPs will need to submit an
approvable assessment and strategy by January 30, 2023, to be eligible for any Section 309 funding
during the 2021-2025 strategy cycle. After FY 2023, too little time remains in the 2021-2025 assessment
and strategy cycle for a CMP to effectively carry out a robust multi-year strategy. In addition, CMPs will
need to begin preparing for the next assessment and strategy cycle in FY 2024.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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OCM Review of Section 309 Assessment and Strategy
OCM will review the final assessment and strategy for compliance with this guidance and rank it as
either “acceptable” or “not acceptable.” CMPs that receive an acceptable ranking will receive funding
under the standard allocation formula described at 15 C.F.R. 927.1(c) and be eligible to compete for
additional project of special merit funding. CMPs that receive a ranking of “not acceptable” will not be
eligible to receive weighted formula Section 309 funding or compete for project of special merit funding.
CMPs that receive a “not acceptable” ranking will have the opportunity to submit a revised assessment
and strategy for approval during the following fiscal year. The CMP would be eligible for Section 309
funding once its assessment and strategy is ranked “acceptable.” (See “Late Submissions” section above
for additional details and limitations of late or revised submissions.)
OCM will evaluate each assessment and strategy individually using the criteria identified below. This
evaluation will occur solely within the context of the state’s or territory’s existing CMP and governance
structure, as well as its coastal management needs.
Assessment Evaluation Criteria:
•
•
•

•
•
•

Has a summary of recent Section 309 achievements been included? Does it accurately reflect
recent achievements?
Have Phase I (high-level) assessments been completed for all nine enhancement areas using the
templates provided in Appendix A, and have all applicable questions been answered
satisfactorily?
Have one or more high-priority enhancement areas been identified for more in-depth (Phase II)
assessments? Are the high-priority enhancement areas warranted according to available
information, including knowledge of the CMP, coastal issues in the state or territory, and
stakeholder feedback?
Have Phase II (in-depth) assessments been completed for all high-priority enhancement areas
using the templates provided in Appendix B, and have all applicable questions been answered
satisfactorily?
Has the assessment identified which enhancement areas the CMP will develop a strategy for
and provided a reasonable explanation as to why a strategy will or will not be developed?
Does the assessment and strategy briefly describe the stakeholder groups engaged and provide
a summary of key stakeholder and public feedback received?

Strategy Evaluation Criteria:
1. Scope and Value
In evaluating the scope and value of a strategy, OCM will consider the following factors:
•
•
•

Has the strategy identified a clear goal(s)?
Does the strategy provide tangible benefits and quantifiable improvements to coastal resource
management to address priority needs identified in the assessment? Examples are: increases in
wetland protection and restoration, increases in public access ways and site improvements, etc.
Does the strategy provide qualitative coastal resource management improvements to address
priority needs identified in the assessment?

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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In applying these criteria, OCM recognizes that it may be difficult to determine the quantitative and
qualitative values of some strategies, particularly in cases where broad institutional improvements are
proposed. CMPs should provide the best possible descriptions of the benefits of the proposed activities.
2. Technical Merit
In reviewing the strategy work plan component, OCM will consider the following questions:
•

•

•
•

Is the strategy work plan an appropriate means for effectively and efficiently achieving the
strategy goals and addressing priority needs identified in the assessment? Are the appropriate
tools or mechanisms (planning, regulation, management) being applied at the right level of
government (state, regional, local) to address the need?
Is the work plan comprehensive in overall design, personnel, funding, and organization? Does it
include appropriate activities related to data collection and synthesis, issue development, and
public involvement? Does the work plan include sufficient information to gauge progress toward
attaining the proposed program change and strategy goals?
Does the work plan schedule reflect the most effective and logical approach to enacting or
implementing the program change? Does the work plan include suitable milestones and
outcomes for assessing progress?
Is the work plan cost-effective? Are the costs of developing or implementing the strategy
commensurate with the value of the proposed improvement in coastal resources or
management?

3. Likelihood of Success
In evaluating the likelihood of attaining or implementing the program change and strategy goals, OCM
will consider the following factors:
•
•
•

What is the nature and degree of existing support for the strategy?
How well does the strategy maintain and build future support and consensus for the proposed
program change?
What is the CMP’s past performance under Section 309?

4. Technical and Fiscal Need
OCM will consider the technical and fiscal needs described in the strategy. When providing information
about technical needs, CMPs should describe the extent to which a state lacks trained personnel or
equipment to complete a project. CMPs should also adequately describe fiscal needs, including the
extent to which a state must rely solely on federal funds to complete a project because state funds are
not otherwise available.

9. Process for Revising Approved Section 309 Assessment and
Strategies
State and territorial CMPs should strive to identify high-priority needs and well-thought-out strategies to
address those needs over the next five years. However, OCM recognizes that unforeseen circumstances
can arise that may require a CMP to revise its approved Section 309 assessment and strategy. Any
change to an enhancement area priority ranking and substantive changes to the strategy, including

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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strategy work plans, must be submitted for OCM approval before Section 309 funds can be used for
these revised activities. Substantive changes include:
•
•
•

A change in the priority ranking of an enhancement area;
A significant change to the final goal, milestones, products, or program change originally
proposed in an existing strategy; 2 or
An addition of a new strategy.

CMPs should consult with their site liaison when the need for a change arises to determine if it is
necessary to submit a revised assessment and strategy. Minor changes to projected annual activities,
outcomes, or budget do not need to be submitted for approval if the intended program change, final
strategy goal, or work products will still be achieved. If a CMP will not be able to complete a planned
strategy (or major milestone within the strategy) because of unforeseen circumstances, the CMP should
notify its site liaison as soon as that fact is clear and report the reasons. If the CMP will be able to scale
back the strategy to achieve an alternative goal or a subset of the originally proposed milestones or
products, the CMP should submit a revised strategy for OCM approval outlining these changes.
However, if the CMP will not be able to complete any work on a proposed strategy, it does not need to
submit a revised strategy but should notify its site liaison of its inability to work on the strategy.
If a CMP needs to revise its Section 309 assessment and strategy, it must send an email to its site liaison
that includes the following:
•
•
•

A brief explanation of why the change is needed;
The revised (or new) strategy template, including updated work plan and budget; and
A revised assessment (if an adjustment in an enhancement area ranking or priority needs must
be made).

OCM will review proposed changes to determine if the CMP continues to meet the needs identified in
the assessment and approval criteria as described in this guidance (or if the new ranking and needs
identified make sense given the current circumstances). Within a month of receiving the CMP’s request
to revise its assessment and strategy, OCM will send a letter notifying the CMP whether the change was
approved. Any changes to a specific Section 309 task approved in an annual cooperative agreement
must be submitted through NOAA Grants Online.

2 For example, the ultimate goal or program change of the strategy has changed from developing a new state sea-level-rise policy to working
with local governments to develop their own sea-level-rise policies and adaptation plans. In another example, a core element of a strategy
originally called for conducting extensive seafloor mapping to inform the development of an ocean plan. However, another group is now
undertaking the mapping piece. Therefore, the strategy will undertake more stakeholder engagement work for the new ocean plan instead of
the mapping work. Minor changes in a strategy, such as adjusting the length of time or sequence of various steps do not need to be brought in
as a formal change but should be discussed with a CMP’s site liaison.

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Appendix A: Phase I Assessment Templates
Phase I assessments, using templates in this appendix, must be completed by all states.
Use these Phase I templates to quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority
enhancement objective for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment.
Note: The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will help the CMP understand key problems and
opportunities that exist for program enhancement and determine the effectiveness of existing
management efforts to address those problems.

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Wetlands
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Protection, restoration, or enhancement of the existing coastal
wetlands base, or creation of new coastal wetlands. §309(a)(1)
Note: For the purposes of the Wetlands Assessment, wetlands are “those areas that are inundated or
saturated at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do
support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.” [33 CFR
328.3(b)]. See also pg. 174 of the CZMA Performance Measurement Guidance 3 for a more in-depth
discussion of what should be considered a wetland.

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. Using provided reports from NOAA’s Land Cover Atlas, 4 please indicate the extent, status, and
trends of wetlands in the state’s coastal counties. You can provide additional or alternative
information or use graphs or other visuals to help illustrate or replace the table entirely if better
data are available. Note that the data available for the islands may be for a different time frame
than the time periods reflected below. In that case, please specify the time period the data
represents. Also note that Puerto Rico currently only has data for one time point so will not be able
to report trend data. Instead, Puerto Rico should just report current land use cover for all wetlands
and each wetlands type.
Current state of wetlands in 2016 (acres): ___________________________

Coastal Wetlands Status and Trends
Change in Wetlands

from 1996-2016

from 2011-2016

Percent net change in total wetlands (% gained
or lost)*
Percent net change in freshwater (palustrine
wetlands) (% gained or lost)*
Percent net change in saltwater (estuarine)
wetlands (% gained or lost)*

https://coast.noaa.gov/czm/media/czmapmsguide2018.pdf
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html. Note that the 2016 data will not be available for all states until later Summer 2019. NOAA
OCM will be providing summary reports compiling each state’s coastal county data. The reports will be available after all of the 2016 data is
available.

3
4

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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How Wetlands Are Changing*
Area of Wetlands Transformed to
Another Type of Land Cover
between 1996-2016 (Sq. Miles)

Land Cover Type
Development

Area of Wetlands Transformed to
Another Type of Land Cover
between 2011-2016 (Sq. Miles)

Agriculture
Barren Land
Water
* Note: Islands likely have data for another time period and may only have one time interval to report. If so, only report the change in wetlands
for the time period for which data are available. Puerto Rico does not report.

2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or
reports on the status and trends of coastal wetlands since the last assessment to augment the
national data sets.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if there have been any significant changes at the state or territory level (positive or
negative) that could impact the future protection, restoration, enhancement, or creation of coastal
wetlands since the last assessment.

Significant Changes in Wetland Management

Management Category

Significant Changes Since Last Assessment
(Y or N)

Statutes, regulations, policies, or case law interpreting
these
Wetlands programs (e.g., regulatory, mitigation,
restoration, acquisition)

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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****************************************************

Resources and Tools:
Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing wetlands strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data that
would be useful as well.
NOAA C-CAP Coastal Land Atlas
Online data viewer provides user-friendly access to regional land cover and land cover change
information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). The tool summarizes
wetland change trends and can highlight specific changes of interest (salt marsh losses to open water,
for instance). Users can investigate how land cover changed between 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016.
Although data are provided by county, NOAA staff members are able to help states and territories easily
aggregate county data into a statewide summary.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories (except Puerto Rico)
Website: https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html
NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps
Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are designed to provide a concise summary of coastal
resources at risk in case of an oil spill or other disaster. They characterize coastal and estuarine
shorelines for several wetlands classes, and may be useful for resource characterization and assessment.
ESI maps are periodically updated on a state-by-state basis, and are generally available in multiple
formats (pdf maps, GIS layers, etc.)
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/maps-and-spatial-data/environmental-sensitivityindex-esi-maps.html
NOAA High-Resolution C-CAP Data
Nationally standardized database of land cover information (developed using remotely sensed imagery)
for the coastal regions of the United States. C-CAP products provide inventories of coastal intertidal
areas, wetlands, and adjacent uplands. High-resolution C-CAP products focus on bringing NOAA’s
national mapping framework to the local level by providing data relevant for addressing site-specific
management decisions. Although this product requires desktop GIS and some GIS technical skills, NOAA
staff are able to help states analyze data to support wetlands assessment.
Geographic Scope: Targeted watershed and other hotspots in the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, and
Monterey Bay, California
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/data/ccaphighres.html
CZMA Performance Measurement System Data
Annual CZMA performance measurement data for government coordination and habitat measures. The
online database can be used to synthesize existing state and territory data reported during the
assessment period. Note: Only CMP staff with permission to enter performance measurement data are
able to access the database through their assigned account.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/czmpm/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fczmpm%2f

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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NOAA Sea Level Rise and Great Lakes Level Change Viewers
The Sea Level Rise Viewer displays potential future sea levels and provides simulations of sea level rise
at local landmarks, including modeling potential marsh migration due to sea level rise. The viewer
overlays social and economic data onto potential sea level rise and visualizes how tidal flooding will
become more frequent with sea level rise. The Great Lakes Level Change Viewer creates visuals that
capture lake level changes that range from six feet above to six feet below historical long-term average
water levels in the Great Lakes. Potential shoreline and coastal impacts are also provided.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories except for Alaska.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html (Sea Level Rise Viewer) or
www.coast.noaa.gov/llv/ (Great Lakes Level Change Viewer)

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Coastal Hazards
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Prevent or significantly reduce threats to life and property by
eliminating development and redevelopment in high-hazard areas, managing development in other
hazard areas, and anticipating and managing the effects of potential sea level rise and Great Lakes level
change. §309(a)(2)
Note: For purposes of the Hazards Assessment, coastal hazards include the following traditional
hazards and those identified in the CZMA: flooding; coastal storms (including associated storm
surge); geological hazards (e.g., tsunamis, earthquakes); shoreline erosion (including bluff and
dune erosion); sea level rise; Great Lake level change; land subsidence; and saltwater intrusion.

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. In the table below, indicate the general level of risk in the coastal zone for each of the coastal
hazards. The following resources may help assess the level of risk for each hazards. Your state may
also have other state-specific resources and tools to consult. Additional information and links to
these resources can be found in the “Resources” section at the end of the Coastal Hazards Phase I
Assessment Template:
•
•
•
•
•

The state’s multi-hazard mitigation plan.
Coastal County Snapshots: Flood Exposure
Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper
Sea Level Rise Viewer/Great Lakes Lake Level Change Viewer
National Climate Assessment

General Level of Hazard Risk in the Coastal Zone

Type of Hazard
Flooding (riverine, stormwater)
Coastal storms (including storm surge)
Geological hazards (e.g., tsunamis, earthquakes)
Shoreline erosion
Sea level rise
Great Lakes level change
Land subsidence
Saltwater intrusion
Other (please specify)

General Level of Risk 5 (H, M, L)

Risk is defined as “the estimated impact that a hazard would have on people, services, facilities and structures in a community; the likelihood
of a hazard event resulting in an adverse condition that causes injury or damage.” Understanding Your Risks: Identifying Hazards and Estimating
Losses. FEMA 386-2. August 2001

5

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional data or reports on the level of
risk and vulnerability to coastal hazards within your state since the last assessment. The state’s
multi-hazard mitigation plan or climate change risk assessment or plan may be a good resource to
help respond to this question.
Management Characterization:
1. In the tables below, indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if significant
state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have occurred that could impact the CMP’s
ability to prevent or significantly reduce coastal hazards risk since the last assessment.

Significant Changes in Hazards Statutes, Regulations, Policies, or Case Law
Topic Addressed

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

Elimination of development/redevelopment
in high-hazard areas 6

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ
(Y or N)

Significant
Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

Management of development/redevelopment
in other hazard areas
climate change impacts, including sea level
rise or Great Lakes level change

Significant Changes in Hazards Planning Programs or Initiatives
Topic Addressed

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

Hazard mitigation
Climate change impacts, including sea level
rise or Great Lakes level change

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ
(Y or N)

Significant
Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

Significant Changes in Hazards Mapping or Modeling Programs or Initiatives
Topic Addressed

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

Sea level rise or Great Lakes level change
Other hazards

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ
(Y or N)

Significant
Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

2. Briefly state how “high-hazard areas” are defined in your coastal zone.
3. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
6

Use state’s definition of high-hazard areas.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
****************************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing coastal hazards strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data
that would be useful as well.
Climate.gov
NOAA’s Climate.gov provides science and information for a climate-smart nation. The “Supporting
Decisions” is a clearinghouse of reports, resources, and decision-support tools for planners and policy
leaders who want authoritative climate science information to help them understand and manage
climate-related risks and opportunities.
Geographic Scope: Various by resource
Website: www.climate.gov
CZMA Performance Measurement System Data
Annual CZMA performance measurement data for government coordination and habitat measures. The
online database can be used to synthesize existing state and territory data reported during the
assessment period. Note: Only CMP staff with permission to enter performance measurement data are
able to access the database through their assigned account.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/czmpm/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fczmpm%2f
National Climate Assessment Web Tool
The U.S. Global Change Research Program provides an interactive web tool to quickly view key findings
from the Fourth National Climate Assessment. Data are summarized by region and national topics
(including coastal effects which includes a summary of key coastal effects, by region).
Geographic Scope: Entire United States (including territories)
Website: www.nca2018.globalchange.gov

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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NOAA C-CAP Coastal Land Atlas
Online data viewer provides user-friendly access to regional land cover and land cover change
information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). The tool summarizes
wetland change trends and can highlight specific changes of interest (salt marsh losses to open water,
for instance). Users can investigate how land cover changed between 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016.
Although data are provided by county, NOAA staff members are able to help states and territories easily
aggregate county data into a statewide summary.
Geographic Scope: Contiguous United States and Hawaii
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html
NOAA Coastal County Snapshots: Flood Exposure
Assesses a county’s exposure and resilience to flooding. Analyzes a county’s dependence on the ocean
or Great Lakes for a healthy economy. Examines the benefits a county receives from its wetlands.
Compares counties to each other or for regional analysis. Allows users to download a PDF report for the
snapshot of their choice.
Geographic Scope: Coastal states only. Currently not available for territories.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/snapshots.html
NOAA Coastal Flood Exposer Mapper
The online visualization tool supports communities that are assessing their coastal hazard risks and
vulnerabilities. The tool creates a collection of user-defined maps that show the people, places, and
natural resources exposed to coastal flooding. The maps can be saved, downloaded, or shared to
communicate flood exposure and potential impacts. In addition, the tool provides guidance for using
these maps to engage community members and stakeholders.
Geographic Scope: East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/flood-exposure.html
NOAA Sea Level Rise and Great Lakes Level Change Viewers
The Sea Level Rise Viewer displays potential future sea levels and provides simulations of sea level rise
at local landmarks, including modeling potential marsh migration due to sea level rise. The viewer
overlays social and economic data onto potential sea level rise and visualizes how tidal flooding will
become more frequent with sea level rise. The Great Lakes Level Change Viewer creates visuals that
capture lake level changes that range from six feet above to six feet below historical long-term average
water levels in the Great Lakes. Potential shoreline and coastal impacts are also provided.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories except for Alaska.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html (Sea Level Rise Viewer) or
www.coast.noaa.gov/llv/ (Great Lakes Level Change Viewer)
U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit
The toolkit provides information and tools to help people understand and assess their climate risk. The
toolkit includes a framework to discover and document climate hazards and then develop workable
solutions to lower climate-related risks and case studies to see how others are reducing their climate
risk. A visualization tool generates interactive graphs and maps showing climate projections and
observations for any county in the contiguous U.S. and allows users to explore historical temperature
and precipitation observations at hundreds of climate stations as well as view observed and projected
days of high-tide flooding at more than 80 coastal tide gauge stations.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: toolkit.climate.gov/
26

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Public Access
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Attain increased opportunities for public access, taking into
account current and future public access needs, to coastal areas of recreational, historical, aesthetic,
ecological, or cultural value. §309(a)(3)

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. Use the table below to provide data on public access availability within the coastal zone.

Type of Access

Current
number 7

Public Access Status and Trends

Changes or Trends Since Last Assessment 8
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

Cite data source

Beach access sites
Shoreline (other
than beach) access
sites
Recreational boat
(power or
nonmotorized)
access sites
Number of
designated scenic
vistas or overlook
points
Number of fishing
access points (i.e.
piers, jetties)
Coastal trails/
boardwalks
(Please indicate
number of
trails/boardwalks
and mileage)

Be as specific as possible. For example, if you have data on many access sites but know it is not an exhaustive list, note “more than” before the
number. If information is unknown, note that and use the narrative section below to provide a brief qualitative description based on the best
information available.
8 If you know specific numbers, please provide. However, if specific numbers are unknown but you know that the general trend was increasing
or decreasing or relatively stable or unchanged since the last assessment, note that with a ↑ (increased), ↓ (decreased), − (unchanged). If the
trend is completely unknown, simply put “unkwn.”
7

27

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle
Type of Access

Current
number 7

Changes or Trends Since Last Assessment 8
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

Cite data source

Number of acres
parkland/open
space

Access sites that
are Americans with
Disabilities Act
(ADA) compliant 9

Other
(please specify)

2. Briefly characterize the demand for coastal public access and the process for periodically assessing
demand. Include a statement on the projected population increase for your coastal counties. There
are several additional sources of statewide information that may help inform this response, such as
the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, 10 the National Survey on Fishing, Hunting,
and Wildlife Associated Recreation, 11 and your state’s tourism office.
3. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional data or reports on the status or
trends for coastal public access since the last assessment.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if there have been any significant
state- or territory-level management changes (positive or negative) that could impact the future
provision of public access to coastal areas of recreational, historical, aesthetic, ecological, or cultural
value.

For more information on ADA see www.ada.gov.
Most states routinely develop “Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans”, or SCROPs, that include an assessment of demand for
public recreational opportunities. Although not focused on coastal public access, SCORPs could be useful to get some sense of public outdoor
recreation preferences and demand. Download state SCROPs atwww.recpro.org/scorp-library.
11
The National Survey on Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation produces state-specific reports on fishing, hunting, and wildlife
associated recreational use for each state. While not focused on coastal areas, the reports do include information on saltwater and Great Lakes
fishing, and some coastal wildlife viewing that may be informative and compares 2016 data to 2011, 2006 and 2001 information to understand
how usage has changed. See www.wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/nationalsurvey/national_survey.htm
9

10

28

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Significant Changes in Public Access Management
Management Category

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ
(Y or N)

Statutes, regulations, policies, or
case law interpreting these

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

Operation/maintenance of existing
facilities
Acquisition/enhancement
programs

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Indicate if your state or territory has a publically available public access guide. How current is the
publication and how frequently it is updated? 12

Publically Available Access Guide

Public Access Guide
State or territory has?
(Y or N)
Web address
(if applicable)
Date of last update
Frequency of update

Printed

Online

Mobile App

Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.

Note some states may have regional or local guides in addition to state public access guides. Unless you want to list all local guides as well,
there is no need to list additional guides beyond the state access guide. You may choose to note that the local guides do exist and may provide
additional information that expands upon the state guides.
12

29

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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****************************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing public access strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data that
would be useful as well.
CZMA Performance Measurement System Data
Annual CZMA performance measurement data for public access. The online database can be used to
synthesize existing state or territory data reported during the assessment period.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/czmpm/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fczmpm%2f
National Survey on Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation
The U.S. Census partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to present information on individuals
involved in fishing, hunting, and other wildlife-associated recreation, such as wildlife observation,
photography, and feeding. Data include states in which these activities occurred; number of trips taken;
days of participation; and expenditures for food, lodging, transportation, and equipment. While not
focused on coastal areas, the reports do include information on saltwater and Great Lakes fishing and
some coastal wildlife viewing. The 2016 reports compare 2016 data to 2011, 2006 and 2001 survey
results to inform understanding of how usage has changed.
Geographic Scope: All states (territories not included)
Website: www.wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpages/nationalsurvey/national_survey.htm
Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans
Most states regularly develop Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (SCORPs). While each
SCORP varies by state, at a minimum, the plan must (1) identify outdoor recreation issues of statewide
importance; (2) evaluate demand, i.e., public outdoor recreation preferences; and (3) evaluate the
supply of outdoor recreation resources and facilities.
Geographic Scope: All states (territories not included)
Website: www.recpro.org/scorp-library

30

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Marine Debris
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Reducing marine debris entering the nation’s coastal and ocean
environment by managing uses and activities that contribute to the entry of such debris. §309(a)(4)

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. In the table below, characterize the existing status and trends of marine debris in the state’s coastal
zone based on the best-available data.

Existing Status and Trends of Marine Debris in Coastal Zone
Source of Marine Debris

Type of Impact 13

Significance of Source

(aesthetic, resource damage,
user conflicts, other)

(H, M, L, unknwn)

Beach/shore litter
Land-based dumping
Storm drains and runoff
Land-based fishing
(e.g., fishing line, gear)
Ocean/Great Lakesbased fishing (e.g.,
derelict fishing gear)
Derelict vessels
Vessel-based (e.g.,
cruise ship, cargo ship,
general vessel)
Hurricane/Storm
Tsunami
Other (please specify)

Change Since Last
Assessment
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or
reports on the status and trends or potential impacts from marine debris in the coastal zone since
the last assessment.

13

You can select more than one, if applicable.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if there have been any significant
state- or territory-level management changes (positive or negative) for how marine debris is
managed in the coastal zone.
Significant Changes in Marine Debris Management
Management Category

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Marine debris statutes,
regulations, policies, or case
law interpreting these
Marine debris removal
programs

(Y or N)

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes and likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
*********************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing marine debris strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data that
would be useful as well.
NOAA Marine Debris Program
The NOAA Marine Debris Program supports national and international efforts to research, prevent, and
reduce the impacts of marine debris. The program coordinates and supports marine debris activities
within NOAA and with other federal agencies, and uses partnerships to support projects carried out by
state and local agencies, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and industry. The program
also provides funding opportunities for projects that address marine debris.
Geographic Coverage: National and international
Website: www.marinedebris.noaa.gov
32

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Cumulative and Secondary Impacts
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Development and adoption of procedures to assess, consider, and
control cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development, including the collective
effect on various individual uses or activities on coastal resources, such as coastal wetlands and fishery
resources. §309(a)(5)

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. Using National Ocean Economics Program Data on population and housing, 14 please indicate the
change in population and housing units in the state’s coastal counties between 2012 and 2017. You
may wish to add additional trend comparisons to look at longer time horizons as well (data available
back to 1970), but at a minimum, please show change over the most recent five-year period data is
available (2012-2017) to approximate current assessment period.

Trends in Coastal Population and Housing Units
2012

2017

Number of people
Number of housing units

Percent Change
(2012-2017)

2. Using provided reports from NOAA’s Land Cover Atlas, 15 please indicate the status and trends for
various land uses in the state’s coastal counties between 1996 and 2016. You may use other
information and include graphs and figures, as appropriate, to help illustrate the information. Note
that the data available for the islands may be for a different time frame than the time periods
reflected below. In that case, please specify the time period that the data represent. Also note that
Puerto Rico currently only has data for one time point so will not be able to report trend data.
Instead, Puerto Rico should just report current land use cover for developed areas and impervious
surfaces.

14www.oceaneconomics.org/Demographics/PHresults.aspx. Enter “Population and Housing” section and select “Data Search” (near the top of
the left sidebar). From the drop-down boxes, select your state, and “all counties.” Select the year (2012) and the year to compare it to (2017).
Then select “coastal zone counties.”
15www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html. Note that the 2016 data will not be available for all states until later Summer 2019. NOAA
OCM will be providing summary reports compiling each state’s coastal county data. The reports will be available after all of the 2016 data is
available.

33

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Distribution of Land Cover Types in Coastal Counties

Land Cover Type

Land Area Coverage in 2016
(Acres)

Developed, High Intensity
Developed, Low Intensity
Developed, Open Space
Grassland
Scrub/Shrub
Barren Land
Open Water
Agriculture
Forested
Woody Wetland
Emergent Wetland

Gain/Loss Since 1996
(Acres)

3. Using provided reports from NOAA’s Land Cover Atlas, 16 please indicate the status and trends for
developed areas in the state’s coastal counties between 1996 and 2016 in the two tables below. You
may use other information and include graphs and figures, as appropriate, to help illustrate the
information. Note that the data available for the islands may be for a different time frame than the
time periods reflected below. In that case, please specify the time period the data represents. Also
note that Puerto Rico currently only has data for one time point so will not be able to report trend
data. Unless Puerto Rico has similar trend data to report on changes in land use type, it should just
report current land use cover for developed areas and impervious surfaces.

Development Status and Trends for Coastal Counties
1996

2016

Percent Net Change

Percent land area developed
Percent impervious surface area
* Note: Islands likely have data for another time period and may only have one time interval to report. If so, only report the change in
development and impervious surface area for the time period for which data are available. Puerto Rico does not need to report trend data.

How Land Use Is Changing in Coastal Counties
Land Cover Type
Barren Land

Areas Lost to Development Between 1996-2016 (Acres)

Emergent Wetland
Woody Wetland
Open Water
Agriculture
Scrub/Shrub
Grassland
Forested
* Note: Islands likely have data for another time period and may only have one time interval to report. If so, only report the change in land use
for the time period for which high-resolution C-CAP data are available. Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands do not report.

16www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html.

Note that the 2016 data will not be available for all states until later Summer 2019. NOAA
OCM will be providing summary reports compiling each state’s coastal county data. The reports will be available after all of the 2016 data is
available.

34

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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4. Briefly characterize how the coastal shoreline has changed in the past five years due to
development, including potential changes to shoreline structures such as groins, bulkheads and
other shoreline stabilization structures, and docks and piers. If available, include quantitative data
that may be available from permitting databases or other resources about changes in shoreline
structures.
5. Briefly summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or reports on the
cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development, such as water quality,
shoreline hardening, and habitat fragmentation, since the last assessment.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if there have been any significant
state-level changes (positive or negative) in the development and adoption of procedures to assess,
consider, and control cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development,
including the collective effect on various individual uses or activities on coastal resources, such as
coastal wetlands and fishery resources, since the last assessment.

Significant Changes in Management of Cumulative and Secondary Impacts of Development
Management Category

Employed by State or
Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ
(Y or N)

Statutes, regulations,
policies, or case law
interpreting these
Guidance documents
Management plans
(including SAMPs)

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment
(Y or N)

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
*********************************************
35

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Resources and Tools:
Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing strategies for cumulative and secondary impacts of development. States likely have other
state-specific resources, tools, and data that would be useful as well.
NOAA C-CAP Coastal Land Atlas
The online data viewer provides user-friendly access to regional land cover and land cover change
information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). The tool summarizes
land use change trends. Users can investigate how land cover changed between 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011,
and 2016. Although data are provided by county, NOAA staff members are able to help states easily
aggregate county data into statewide summary.
Geographic Scope: Contiguous United States and Hawaii
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca.html
NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps
Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are designed to provide a concise summary of coastal
resources at risk in case of an oil spill or other disaster. They characterize the type of shoreline
(armored, vegetated, beach, etc.) and may be useful for resource characterization and assessment. ESI
maps are periodically updated on a state-by-state basis, and are generally available in multiple formats
(pdf maps, GIS layers, etc.)
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: www.response.restoration.noaa.gov/maps-and-spatial-data/environmental-sensitivity-indexesi-maps.html
NOAA Impervious Surface Analysis Tool
The Impervious Surface Analysis Tool (ISAT), a custom suite of easy-to-use scripts for ArcGIS, is used to
calculate the percentage of impervious surface area within user-selected geographic areas, such as
watersheds, municipalities, and subdivisions. ISAT uses imperviousness values to categorize areas as
having good, fair, or poor water quality. A correlation between an increase in impervious surfaces and a
decrease in water quality has been well established, and ISAT users may find the information derived
from ISAT helpful in predicting how different management scenarios might impact local water quality.
The tool calculates the percent impervious area and total impervious surface area of each selected
polygon, categorizes polygons to represent conditions of good, fair, and poor water quality based on
calculated imperviousness, and incorporates land cover change scenarios to examine how changes
influence impervious surfaces. Although it requires desktop GIS and some GIS technical skills, NOAA staff
members are able to help states analyze data to support wetlands assessment.
Geographic Scope: Appropriate geographic scope should be based upon the resolution and complexity
of the data. The tool is built on Esri’s ArcGIS, so it will only run as fast as allowed within that software.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/isat.html
NOAA OpenNSPECT Data
OpenNSPECT is the open-source version of the Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool
to investigate potential water quality impacts from development, other land uses, and climate change.
OpenNSPECT was designed to be broadly applicable. When applied to coastal and noncoastal areas
alike, the tool simulates erosion, pollution, and their accumulation from overland flow. The tool
provides estimates and maps of surface water runoff volumes, pollutant loads, pollutant concentrations,
36

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

and total sediment loads, helps users identify areas that might benefit from changes to proposed
development strategies, and provides a means to analyze “what if” land use change scenarios. Although
it requires desktop GIS and some GIS technical skills, NOAA staff members are available to provide
technical assistance.
Geographic Scope: Appropriate geographic scope should be based upon the resolution and complexity
of the data. The tool is a plugin for open-source MapWindow GIS.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/opennspect.html
CZMA Performance Measurement System Data
Annual CZMA performance measurement data for coastal community development. The online
database can be used to synthesize existing state and territory data reported during the assessment
period.
Geographic Scope: All coastal states and territories
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/czmpm/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fczmpm%2f

37

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Special Area Management Planning
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Preparing and implementing special area management plans for
important coastal areas. §309(a)(6)
The Coastal Zone Management Act defines a special area management plan (SAMP) as “a
comprehensive plan providing for natural resource protection and reasonable coastal-dependent
economic growth containing a detailed and comprehensive statement of policies; standards and criteria
to guide public and private uses of lands and waters; and mechanisms for timely implementation in
specific geographic areas within the coastal zone. In addition, SAMPs provide for increased specificity in
protecting natural resources, reasonable coastal-dependent economic growth, improved protection of
life and property in hazardous areas, including those areas likely to be affected by land subsidence, sea
level rise, or fluctuating water levels of the Great Lakes, and improved predictability in governmental
decision making.”

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states and territories.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. In the table below, identify geographic areas in the coastal zone subject to use conflicts that may be
able to be addressed through a SAMP. This can include areas that are already covered by a SAMP
but where new issues or conflicts have emerged that are not addressed through the current SAMP.
Geographic Area

Opportunities for New or Updated Special Area Management Plans
Major conflicts/issues

2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or
reports on the status and trends of SAMPs since the last assessment.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if there have been any significant
state- or territory-level management changes (positive or negative) that could help prepare and
implement SAMPs in the coastal zone.

38

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Significant Changes in Special Area Management Planning
Management Category

Employed by State or
Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

SAMP policies, or case law
interpreting these

(Y or N)

SAMP plans

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
*********************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing SAMP strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data that would
be useful as well.
Davis, Braxton. 2004. “Regional Planning in the U.S. Coastal Zone: A Comparative Analysis of 15 Special
Area Plans.” Ocean and Coastal Management. Volume 47, Pages 79 to 94.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0964569104000225

39

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Ocean and Great Lakes Resources
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Planning for the use of ocean [and Great Lakes] resources.
§309(a)(7)

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states and territories.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. Understanding the ocean and Great Lakes economy can help improve management of the resources
it depends on. Using Economics: National Ocean Watch (ENOW), 17 indicate the status of the ocean
and Great Lakes economy as of 2015 (the most recent data) in the tables below. Include graphs and
figures, as appropriate, to help illustrate the information. Note ENOW data are not available for the
territories. The territories can provide alternative data, if available, or a general narrative, to capture
the value of their ocean economy.

Status of Ocean and Great Lakes Economy for Coastal Counties (2015)

Employment

All
Ocean
Sectors

Living
Resources

Marine
Construction

Ship &
Boat
Building

Marine
Transportation

Offshore
Mineral
Extraction

Tourism &
Recreation

(# of Jobs)

Establishments
(# of
Establishments)

Wages

(Millions of Dollars)

GDP

(Millions of Dollars)

17

www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/enow.html. If you select any coastal county for your state, you are directed to various data displays
for that county, In the upper left of the screen, click the “State” box, to the left of the county box so that the state name will be highlighted.
Now the data will reflect statewide data for all of the state’s coastal counties. Make sure “2015” is selected for the year (top right corner). You
can then click through the sector types by selecting the icons along the top and the type of economic data (employment, wages, GDP, etc), by
clicking through the icons on the left.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Change in Ocean and Great Lakes Economy for Coastal Counties (2005-2015)18

Employment

All
Ocean
Sectors

Living
Resources

Marine
Construction

Ship &
Boat
Building

Marine
Transportation

Offshore
Mineral
Extraction

Tourism &
Recreation

(# of Jobs)

Establishments
(# of
Establishments)

Wages

(Millions of Dollars)

GDP

(Millions of Dollars)

2. Understanding existing uses within ocean and Great Lakes waters can help reduce use conflicts and
minimize threats when planning for ocean and Great Lakes resources. Using Ocean Reports 19,
indicate the number of uses within ocean or Great Lakes waters off of your state. For energy uses
(including pipelines and cables, see the “Energy and Government Facility Siting” template following).
Add additional lines, as needed, to include additional uses that are important to highlight for your
state. Note: The Ocean Reports tool does not include data for the Great Lakes states. Great Lakes
states should fill in the table as best they can using other data sources.

Uses within Ocean or Great Lakes Waters

Type of Use
Federal sand and gravel leases (Completed)
Federal sand and gravel leases (Active)
Federal sand and gravel leases (Expired)
Federal sand and gravel leases (Proposed)
Beach Nourishment Projects
Ocean Disposal Sites
Principle Ports (Number and Total Tonnage)
Coastal Maintained Channels
Designated Anchorage Areas
Danger Zones and Restricted Areas
Other (please specify)

Number of Sites

3. In the table below, characterize how the threats to and use conflicts over ocean and Great Lakes
resources in the state’s or territory’s coastal zone have changed since the last assessment.

18 The trend data is available at the bottom of the page for each sector and type of economic data. Mouse over the data points for 2005 and
2015 to obtain the actual values and determine the change by subtracting 2005 data from 2015.
19
www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/ort.html. Go to “Quick Reports” and select the “state waters” option for your state or territory. Some
larger states may have the “Quick Reports” for their state waters broken into several different reports. Use the icons on the left hand side to
select different categories: general information, energy and minerals, natural resources and conservation, oceanographic and biophysical,
transportation and infrastructure, and economics and commerce. Then scroll through each category to find the data to complete the table.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Significant Changes to Ocean and Great Lakes Resources and Uses
Change in the Threat to the Resource or Use Conflict
Since Last Assessment

Resource/Use

(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

Benthic habitat (including coral reefs)
Living marine resources (fish, shellfish, marine
mammals, birds, etc.)
Sand/gravel
Cultural/historic
Other (please specify)
Transportation/navigation
Offshore development 20
Energy production
Fishing (commercial and recreational)
Recreation/tourism
Sand/gravel extraction
Dredge disposal
Aquaculture
Other (please specify)

4. For the ocean and Great Lakes resources and uses in the table above that had an increase in threat
to the resource or increased use conflict in the state’s or territory’s coastal zone since the last
assessment, characterize the major contributors to that increase. Place an “X” in the column if the
use or phenomenon is a major contributor to the increase.

X

X

Other (Specify)

X

Ocean
Acidification

X

Sand/Mineral
Extraction

Aquaculture

X

Dredging

Fishing (Comm
and Rec)

X

Marine
Transportation

Invasive
species

X

Recreation

Polluted runoff

Example: Living marine
resources
[Resource or Use from
Table 2]
[Resource or Use from
Table 2]

Offshore
development

Land-based
development

Major Contributors to an Increase in Threat or Use Conflict to Ocean
and Great Lakes Resources

5. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or
reports on the status and trends of ocean and Great Lakes resources or threats to those resources
since the last assessment to augment the national data sets.

20 Offshore development includes underwater cables and pipelines, although any infrastructure specifically associated with the energy industry
should be captured under the “energy production” category.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if any significant state- or territorylevel changes (positive or negative) in the management of ocean and Great Lakes resources have
occurred since the last assessment?

Significant Changes to Management of Ocean and Great Lakes Resources
Management Category

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

(Y or N)

Statutes, regulations,
policies, or case law
interpreting these
Regional comprehensive
ocean/Great Lakes
management plans
State comprehensive
ocean/Great Lakes
management plans
Single-sector management
plans

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Indicate if your state or territory has a comprehensive ocean or Great Lakes management plan.
Comprehensive Ocean/Great
Lakes Management Plan
Completed plan (Y/N) (If yes,
specify year completed)
Under development (Y/N)
Web address (if available)
Area covered by plan

State Plan

Regional Plan

Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
*********************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing strategies for ocean and Great Lakes Resources. States likely have other state-specific
resources, tools, and data that would be useful as well.
MarineCadastre.gov Viewer
This data viewer provides the baseline information needed for ocean planning efforts, particularly those
that involve finding the best location for renewable energy projects. Users pick the ocean geography of
their choosing and quickly see the applicable jurisdictional boundaries, restricted areas, laws, critical
habitat locations, and other important features. With the national viewer, potential conflicts can be
identified and avoided early in the planning process, and users can visually analyze and explore
geospatial data for marine spatial planning activities and find direct access to authoritative marine
cadastral data from federal and state sources.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/mmc.html
NOAA Coastal County Snapshots: Ocean Jobs
Provides a snapshot of the economic value of ocean and Great Lakes jobs within a coastal county.
Geographic Scope: Coastal states only. Currently not available for territories.
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/snapshots.html
NOAA Economics: National Ocean Watch Data (ENOW)
The effective management of coastal resources requires an understanding of the ocean and Great Lakes
economy. This tool allows users to interact with ENOW data, which describe six economic sectors that
depend on the oceans and Great Lakes: living resources; marine construction; marine transportation;
offshore mineral resources; ship and boat building; and tourism and recreation. Users can discover
which sectors are the largest in various parts of the county, which sectors are growing and declining, and
which account for the most jobs, wages, and gross domestic product. They can view up to four counties,
states, or regions to compare trends or the makeup of their ocean and Great Lakes economies. The
ENOW Explorer’s interface is designed to allow users who are familiar with economic data to interact
with and view data and trends. The tool provides the highest level of interaction with ENOW data short
of downloading the full data set.
Geographic Scope: National and regional
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/enow.html
NOAA Essential Fish Habitat Mapper
The Essential Fish Habitat Mapper is an online tool that displays essential fish habitat, and habitat areas
of particular concern, established under provisions in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act. The tool also includes areas where steps have been taken to minimize the impact that
fisheries have on essential fish habitat, including anchoring restrictions, required fishing gear
modifications, and bans on certain types of gear. Users can query information from multiple fishery

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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management plans at once to view habitat maps and lists of species for a specific location. The tool
displays habitat maps and species lists for specific locations, queries spatial information from multiple
fishery management plans at once, and provides links to text descriptions and data inventories,
including related fishery management plans, federal regulations, and data and metadata download.
Geographic Scope: National and regional
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/efhmapper.html
NOAA Ocean Reports
Allows users to draw or select an area and get in-depth quick reports of coastal and marine areas for
ocean-facing coastal states and territories. The tool includes the following types of information: energy
and minerals, natural resources and conservation, transportation and infrastructure, economics and
commerce, and others.
Geographic Scope: Ocean-facing coastal states and territories (not Great Lakes)
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/ort.html
OceanData.gov
The National Ocean Council’s portal for data, information, and decision tools to support people engaged
in regional marine planning for the future use of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes.
Geographic Scope: National and regional
Website: www.data.gov/ocean/community/ocean
U.S. Marine Protected Areas Mapping Tool
The U.S. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) mapping tool is an online application designed to help users
visualize MPA boundaries and provide access to MPA Inventory data. This mapping tool provides data
on over 1,600 MPAs nationwide, offering easy access to spatial boundaries, conservation-based
classification data, and site management information. Managers, scientists, and the public will find a
detailed picture of the type, abundance, and distribution of MPAs throughout the United States, gaining
an increased understanding and technical capacity for ocean resource protection, management, and
stewardship. The tool visualizes patterns and characteristics of MPAs throughout the United States and
filters the MPA Inventory in various ways to show only certain MPAs with specific attributes.
Geographic Scope: National and regional
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/mpaviewer.html

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Energy and Government Facility Siting
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Adoption of procedures and enforceable policies to help facilitate
the siting of energy facilities and Government facilities and energy-related activities and Government
activities which may be of greater than local significance. §309(a)(8)21

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states and territories.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. In the table below, characterize the status and trends of different types of energy facilities and
activities in the state’s or territory’s coastal zone based on best-available data. If available, identify
the approximate number of facilities by type. For ocean-facing states and territories (not Great
Lakes states), Ocean Reports 22 includes existing data for many of these energy facilities and
activities.

CZMA § 309(a)(8) is derived from program approval requirements in CZMA § 306(d)(8), which states:
“The management program provides for adequate consideration of the national interest involved in planning for, and managing the
coastal zone, including the siting of facilities such as energy facilities which are of greater than local significance. In the case of energy
facilities, the Secretary shall find that the State has given consideration to any applicable national or interstate energy plan or program.”
NOAA regulations at 15 C.F.R. § 923.52 further describe what states need to do regarding national interest and consideration of interests that
are greater than local interests.
22
www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/ort.html. Select “Quick Reports” and then enter your state. Select the Quick Reports for “coastal
waters” off of your state. Depending on the size of the state, there may be more than one “coastal waters”. If so, you will need to add the data
from all reports to complete the table. Click on the wind turbine icon on the left (“Energy and Minerals”) for information on energy facilities.
While outside your coastal zone, you may also want to consider facilities/activities in “Federal Waters” that may have effects on your coastal
zone.
21

46

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Status and Trends in Energy Facilities and Activities in the Coastal Zone
Type of Energy
Facility/Activity

Exists in
Coastal Zone
(# or Y/N)

Pipelines
Electrical grid
(transmission cables)
Ports
Liquid natural gas (LNG)
Other (please specify)

Change in Existing
Facilities/Activities
Since Last Assessment
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

Proposed in
Coastal Zone
(# or Y/N)

Change in Proposed
Facilities/Activities
Since Last Assessment
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

Oil and gas
Coal
Nuclear
Wind
Wave
Tidal
Current (ocean, lake,
river)
Hydropower
Ocean thermal energy
conversion
Solar
Biomass
Other (please specify)

2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific
information, data, or reports on the status and trends for energy facilities and activities of greater
than local significance in the coastal zone since the last assessment.
3. Briefly characterize the existing status and trends for federal government facilities and activities of
greater than local significance 23 in the state’s coastal zone since the last assessment.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if significant state- or territorylevel changes (positive or negative) that could facilitate or impede energy and government facility
siting and activities have occurred since the last assessment.

The CMP should make its own assessment of what Government facilities may be considered “greater than local significance” in its coastal
zone, but these facilities could include military installations or a significant federal government complex. An individual federal building may not
rise to a level worthy of discussion here beyond a very cursory (if any at all) mention).
23

47

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Significant Changes in Energy and Government Facility Management
Management Category

Employed by State or
Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Statutes, regulations, policies,
or case law interpreting these

(Y or N)

State comprehensive siting
plans or procedures

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
*********************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing energy and federal government facilities strategies. States likely have other state-specific
resources, tools, and data that would be useful as well.
GSA Lists of Federally Owned and Leased Facilities
The Government Services Agency (GSA) maintains a national list of all federally owned and leased
facilities in each state.
Geographic scope: National
Website: www.gsa.gov/iolp
MarineCadastre.gov Viewer
This data viewer provides the baseline information needed for ocean planning efforts, particularly those
that involve finding the best location for renewable energy projects. Users choose an ocean geography
and quickly see the applicable jurisdictional boundaries, restricted areas, laws, critical habitat locations,
and other important features. With the national viewer, potential conflicts can be identified and avoided
early in the planning process, and users can visually analyze and explore geospatial data for marine

48

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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spatial planning activities and find direct access to authoritative marine cadastral data from federal and
state sources.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/mmc
NOAA Economics: National Ocean Watch Data (ENOW)
The effective management of coastal resources requires an understanding of the ocean and Great Lakes
economy. This tool allows users to interact with ENOW data, which describe six economic sectors that
depend on the oceans and Great Lakes: living resources; marine construction; marine transportation;
offshore mineral resources; ship and boat building; and tourism and recreation. Users can discover
which sectors are the largest in various parts of the county, which sectors are growing and declining, and
which account for the most jobs, wages, and gross domestic product. They can view up to four counties,
states, or regions to compare trends or the makeup of their ocean and Great Lakes economies. The
ENOW Explorer’s interface is designed to allow users who are familiar with economic data to interact
with and view data and trends. The tool provides the highest level of interaction with ENOW data short
of downloading the full data set.
Geographic Scope: National and regional
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/data/enow
NOAA Ocean Reports
Allows users to draw or select an area and get in-depth quick reports of coastal and marine areas for
ocean-facing coastal states and territories. The tool includes the following types of information: energy
and minerals, natural resources and conservation, transportation and infrastructure, economics and
commerce, and others.
Geographic Scope: Ocean-facing coastal states and territories (not Great Lakes)
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/ort.html

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Aquaculture
Section 309 Enhancement Objective: Adoption of procedures and policies to evaluate and facilitate the
siting of public and private aquaculture facilities in the coastal zone, which will enable states to
formulate, administer, and implement strategic plans for marine aquaculture. §309(a)(9)

PHASE I (HIGH-LEVEL) ASSESSMENT: (Must be completed by all states and territories.)

Purpose: To quickly determine whether the enhancement area is a high-priority enhancement objective
for the CMP that warrants a more in-depth assessment. The more in-depth assessments of Phase II will
help the CMP understand key problems and opportunities that exist for program enhancement and
determine the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address those problems.
Resource Characterization:
1. In the table below, characterize the existing status and trends of aquaculture facilities in the state’s
coastal zone based on the best-available data. Your state Sea Grant Program may have information
to help with this assessment. 24

Type of
Facility/Activity

Status and Trends of Aquaculture Facilities and Activities
Number of
Facilities 25

Approximate
Economic Value

Change Since Last Assessment
(↑, ↓, −, unkwn)

2. If available, briefly list and summarize the results of any additional state- or territory-specific data or
reports on the status and trends or potential impacts from aquaculture activities in the coastal zone
since the last assessment.
Management Characterization:
1. Indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if there have been any state- or
territory-level changes (positive or negative) that could facilitate or impede the siting of public or
private aquaculture facilities in the coastal zone.

While focused on statewide aquaculture data rather than just within the coastal zone, the Census of Aquaculture
(www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/Census_of_Aquaculture/) may help in developing your aquaculture assessment. The census is conducted
every 10 years and the last report was released in 2013. The report provides a variety of state-specific aquaculture data to understand current
status and recent trends. .
25 Be as specific as possible. For example, if you have specific information of the number of each type of facility or activity, note that. If you only
have approximate figures, note “more than” or “approximately” before the number. If information is unknown, note that and use the narrative
section below to provide a brief qualitative description based on the best information available.
24

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Significant Changes in Aquaculture Management
Management Category

Employed by State or
Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Aquaculture comprehensive
siting plans or procedures
Other aquaculture statutes,
regulations, policies, or case
law interpreting these

(Y or N)

2. For any management categories with significant changes, briefly provide the information below. If
this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of the document, please
provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the information:
a. Describe the significance of the changes;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
Enhancement Area Prioritization:
1. What level of priority is the enhancement area for the coastal management program?
High
Medium
Low

_____
_____
_____

2. Briefly explain the reason for this level of priority. Include input from stakeholder engagement,
including the types of stakeholders engaged.
****************************************************

Resources and Tools:

Below are a few national resources and tools that may be useful in conducting your assessment or
developing aquaculture strategies. States likely have other state-specific resources, tools, and data that
would be useful as well.
Coastal Aquaculture Planning Portal
The Coastal Aquaculture Planning Portal is a toolbox of coastal planning tools designed to assist
managers, planners, and industry with sustainable aquaculture development.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: www.coastalscience.noaa.gov/research/marine-spatial-ecology/coastal-aquacultureplanning-portal-capp/#
MarineCadastre.gov Viewer
This data viewer provides the baseline information needed for ocean planning efforts, particularly those
that involve finding the best location for renewable energy projects. Users choose an ocean geography
and quickly see the applicable jurisdictional boundaries, restricted areas, laws, critical habitat locations,
and other important features. With the national viewer, potential conflicts can be identified and avoided
early in the planning process, and users can visually analyze and explore geospatial data for marine

51

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

spatial planning activities and find direct access to authoritative marine cadastral data from federal and
state sources.
Geographic Scope: National
Website: www.coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/mmc
NOAA Office of Aquaculture
The Office of Aquaculture fosters sustainable aquaculture that will create employment and business
opportunities in coastal communities; provide safe, sustainable seafood; and complement NOAA’s
comprehensive strategy for maintaining healthy and productive marine populations, species, and
ecosystems and vibrant coastal communities.
Geographic Coverage: National and regional
Website: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/aquaculture/index.htm
USDA Census of Aquaculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes the Census of Aquaculture. The census provides a variety
of state-specific aquaculture data to understand current status and recent trends. The last census was
released in 2013.
Geographic Coverage: National
Website: www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/Census_of_Aquaculture/

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Appendix B: Phase II Assessment Templates
Complete Phase II assessments, using the templates in this section, only for enhancement areas that
are identified as high priority for the CMP after the Phase I (high-level) assessments.
Note: Identifying an enhancement area as a high priority does not necessarily mean the CMP would be
required to develop a strategy for the enhancement area given other priority enhancement areas and
available resources.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Wetlands
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to improve the CMP’s ability to protect, restore,
and enhance wetlands.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging physical stressors or threats to wetlands
within your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the stressor, i.e., is it prevalent
throughout your coastal zone, or are there specific areas that are most threatened? Stressors can be
development/fill; hydrological alteration/channelization; erosion; pollution; invasive species;
freshwater input; sea level rise/Great Lakes level change; or other (please specify). When selecting
significant stressors, also consider how climate change may exacerbate each stressor.
Stressor/Threat
Stressor 1
Stressor 2
Stressor 3

Geographic Scope

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant stressors or threats to wetlands within
your coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to support this
assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the wetlands enhancement objective.
1. For each additional wetland management category below that was not already discussed as part of
the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if
significant state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have occurred since the last
assessment.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Significant Changes in Wetland Management
Management Category

Employed By State
or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Wetland assessment
methodologies
Wetland mapping and GIS
Watershed or special area
management plans addressing
wetlands
Wetland technical assistance,
education, and outreach
Other (please specify)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts in protecting, restoring, and enhancing
coastal wetlands since the last assessment. If none, is there any information that you are lacking to
assess the effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in wetlands and wetland management since the last assessment and
stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management priorities where
there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve its ability to more effectively respond to
significant wetlands stressors. (Approximately 1-3 sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

(Y or N)

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and
information
management
Training/capacity
building
Decision-support
tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Coastal Hazards
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to improve the CMP’s ability to prevent or
significantly reduce coastal hazard risks by eliminating development and redevelopment in high-hazard
areas and managing the effects of potential sea level rise and Great Lakes level change.

1. Based on the characterization of coastal hazard risk, what are the three most significant coastal
hazards 26 within your coastal zone? Also indicate the geographic scope of the hazard, i.e., is it
prevalent throughout the coastal zone, or are there specific areas most at risk?
Geographic Scope

Type of Hazard

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

Hazard 1
Hazard 2
Hazard 3

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant coastal hazards within the coastal zone.
Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the coastal hazards enhancement objective.
1. For each coastal hazard management category below, indicate if the approach is employed by the
state or territory and if there has been a significant change since the last assessment.

Significant Changes in Coastal Hazards Statutes, Regulations, and Policies
Management Category

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

(Y or N)

Shorefront setbacks/no build areas
Rolling easements
Repair/rebuilding restrictions
Hard shoreline protection structure
restrictions
26

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that
Employ

See list of coastal hazards on pg. 24 of this assessment template.

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Significant Change Since the
Last Assessment
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Management Category

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that
Employ

Significant Change Since the
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

(Y or N)

Promotion of alternative shoreline
stabilization methodologies (i.e., living
shorelines/green infrastructure)
Repair/replacement of shore
protection structure restrictions
Inlet management
Protection of important natural
resources for hazard mitigation
benefits (e.g., dunes, wetlands, barrier
islands, coral reefs) (other than
setbacks/no build areas)
Repetitive flood loss policies (e.g.,
relocation, buyouts)
Freeboard requirements
Real estate sales disclosure
requirements
Restrictions on publicly funded
infrastructure
Infrastructure protection (e.g.,
considering hazards in siting and
design)
Other (please specify)

Significant Changes to Coastal Hazard Management Planning Programs or Initiatives
Management Category

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that
Employ
(Y or N)

Hazard mitigation plans
Sea level rise/Great Lake level change
or climate change adaptation plans
Statewide requirement for local postdisaster recovery planning
Sediment management plans
Beach nourishment plans
Special Area Management Plans (that
address hazards issues)
Managed retreat plans
Other (please specify)

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Significant Change Since the
Last Assessment
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Significant Changes to Coastal Hazard Research, Mapping, and
Education Programs or Initiatives
Management Category

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that
Employ

Significant Change Since the
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

(Y or N)

General hazards mapping or modeling
Sea level rise mapping or modeling
Hazards monitoring (e.g., erosion rate,
shoreline change, high-water marks)
Hazards education and outreach
Other (please specify)

2. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s management efforts in addressing coastal hazards since the last
assessment. If none, is there any information that you are lacking to assess the effectiveness of the
state’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in coastal hazard risk and coastal hazard management since the last
assessment and stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management
priorities where there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve its ability to more
effectively address the most significant hazard risks. (Approximately 1-3 sentences per management
priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:
2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has for addressing the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here should not be limited to
those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any items that
will be part of a strategy.

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Priority Needs

Need?

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

(Y or N)

Research
Mapping/GIS/modeling
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Public Access
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to improve the CMP’s ability to increase and
enhance public access opportunities to coastal areas.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging threats or stressors to creating or
maintaining public access within your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the stressor,
i.e., is it prevalent throughout the coastal zone or are specific areas most threatened? Stressors can
be private development (including conversion of public facilities to private); non-water-dependent
commercial or industrial uses of the waterfront; increased demand; erosion; sea level rise or Great
Lakes level change; natural disasters; national security; encroachment on public land; or other
(please specify). When selecting significant stressors, also consider how climate change may
exacerbate each stressor.
Stressor/Threat
Stressor 1
Stressor 2
Stressor 3

Geographic Scope

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant stressors or threats to public access
within the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to support this
assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the public access enhancement objective.
1. For each additional public access management category below that was not already discussed as
part of the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if
significant changes (positive or negative) have occurred at the state or territory level since the last
assessment.

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Significant Changes to Public Access Management
Management Category

Employed by
State/Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ
(Y or N)

Comprehensive access
management planning
GIS mapping/database of access
sites
Public access technical assistance,
education, and outreach (including
access point and interpretive
signage, etc.)
Other (please specify)

Significant
Changes Since Last
Assessment
(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s management efforts in providing public access since the last assessment.
If none, is there any information that you are lacking to assess the effectiveness of the state’s
management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in public access and public access management since the last assessment and
stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management priorities where
there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve the effectiveness of its management effort
to better respond to the most significant public access stressors. (Approximately 1-3 sentences per
management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:

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2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Marine Debris
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to improve the CMP’s ability to effectively
management marine debris in the coastal zone.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging challenges related to marine debris within
your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the challenge, i.e., is it prevalent throughout the
coastal zone, or are specific areas most threatened? Challenges can be land- or ocean-based marine
debris reduction (e.g., behavior change to reduce waste, increase recycling, or litter less);
catastrophic event-related debris; marine debris identification and removal; research and
monitoring; education and outreach; or other (please specify). When selecting significant
challenges, also consider how climate change may exacerbate each challenge.
Geographic Scope

Challenges

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

Challenge 1
Challenge 2
Challenge 3

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant challenges related to marine debris in
the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to support this
assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the marine debris enhancement objective.
1. For each additional marine debris management category below that was not already discussed as
part of the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory, and
indicate if significant state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have occurred since the
last assessment.

Significant Changes to Management of Marine Debris
Management Category

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ
(Y or N)

Marine debris research, assessment,
monitoring
Marine debris GIS mapping/database

64

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment
(Y or N)

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Management Category

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Marine debris technical assistance,
education, and outreach
Marine debris reduction programs
(litter control, recycling, etc.)
Other (please specify)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a) Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b) Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c) Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts to reduce marine debris since the last
assessment. If none, is there any information that you are lacking to assess the effectiveness of the
state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in marine debris and marine debris management since the last assessment, as
well as stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management priorities
where there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve the effectiveness of its
management effort to better respond to the most significant marine debris challenges.
(Approximately 1-3 sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:
2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.

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Priority Needs

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Cumulative and Secondary Impacts
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to improve the CMP’s ability to address
cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging cumulative and secondary stressors or
threats within your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the stressor, i.e., is it prevalent
throughout the coastal zone, or are there specific areas that are most threatened? Stressors can be
coastal development and impervious surfaces; polluted runoff; agriculture activities; forestry
activities; shoreline modification; or other (please specify). Coastal resources and uses can be
habitat (wetland or shoreline, etc.); water quality; public access; or other (please specify). When
selecting significant stressors, also consider how climate change may exacerbate each stressor.
Stressor/Threat

Coastal Resource(s)/Use(s) Most
Threatened

Stressor 1
Stressor 2
Stressor 3

Geographic Scope

(throughout coastal zone or specific
areas most threatened)

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant cumulative and secondary stressors or
threats from coastal growth and development within the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or
existing reports or studies to support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the cumulative and secondary impacts (CSI) enhancement objective.
1. For each additional cumulative and secondary impact management category below that is not
already discussed as part of the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the
state or territory and if significant state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have
occurred since the last assessment.

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Significant Changes to Management of Cumulative and
Secondary Impacts of Development
Management Category

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Methodologies for
determining CSI impacts
CSI research, assessment,
monitoring
CSI GIS mapping/database
CSI technical assistance,
education and outreach
Other (please specify)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts in addressing cumulative and
secondary impacts of development since the last assessment. If none, is there any information that
you are lacking to assess the effectiveness of the state and territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in cumulative and secondary impact threats and management since the last
assessment and stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management
priorities where there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve the effectiveness of its
management effort to better assess, consider, and control the most significant threats from
cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development. (Approximately 1-3
sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:

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2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

(Y or N)

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and
information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support
tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Special Area Management Planning
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities regarding the preparation and implementation of
special area management plans for important coastal areas.
1. What are the one to three most significant geographic areas facing existing or emerging challenges
that would benefit from a new or revised special area management plan (SAMP) or better
implementation of an existing SAMP? For example, are there areas where existing management
approaches are not working and could be improved by better coordination across multiple levels of
government? What challenges are these areas facing? Challenges can be a need for enhanced
natural resource protection; use conflicts; coordinating regulatory processes or review; additional
data or information needs; education and outreach regarding SAMP policies; or other (please
specify). When selecting significant challenges, also consider how climate change may exacerbate
each challenge.
Geographic Scope

Geographic
Area 1
Geographic
Area 2
Geographic
Area 3

(within an existing SAMP area (specify SAMP) or
within new geographic area (describe new area))

Challenges

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant challenges that may require developing a
new SAMP, or revising or improving implementation of an existing SAMP. Cite stakeholder input
and/or existing reports or studies to support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the special area management planning enhancement objective.
1. For each additional SAMP management category below that was not already discussed as part of the
Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the state or territory and if significant
state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have occurred since the last assessment.

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Significant Changes Related to Special Area Management Panning
Management Category

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment

(Y or N)

SAMP research, assessment,
monitoring
SAMP GIS mapping/database
SAMP technical assistance,
education, and outreach
Other (please specify)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s special area management planning efforts since the last
assessment. If none, is there any information that you are lacking to assess the effectiveness of the
state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes with coastal resource protection or coastal use conflicts within defined
geographic areas, special area management planning activities since the last assessment, and
stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management priorities where
there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve their ability to prepare and implement
special area management plans to effectively manage important coastal areas. (Approximately 1-3
sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:

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2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Ocean and Great Lakes Resources
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities to enhance the ability of state CMP to better
address ocean and Great Lakes resources.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging stressors or threats to ocean and Great
Lakes resources within your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the stressor, i.e., is it
prevalent throughout the coastal zone, or are specific areas most threatened? Stressors can be landbased development; offshore development (including pipelines, cables); offshore energy
production; polluted runoff; invasive species; fishing (commercial and/or recreational); aquaculture;
recreation; marine transportation; dredging; sand or mineral extraction; ocean acidification; or
other (please specify). When selecting significant stressors, also consider how climate change may
exacerbate each stressor.
Geographic Scope

Stressor/Threat

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

Stressor 1
Stressor 2
Stressor 3

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant stressors or threats to ocean and Great
Lakes resources within the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to
support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the ocean and Great Lakes resources enhancement objective.
1. For each of the additional ocean and Great Lakes resources management categories below that
were not already discussed as part of the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed
by the state or territory and if significant state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have
occurred since the last assessment.
Significant Changes in Management of Ocean and Great Lakes Resources
Management Category

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

Ocean and Great Lakes research,
assessment, monitoring

73

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ
(Y or N)

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment
(Y or N)

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
2021 to 2025 Cycle

Management Category

Employed by State
or Territory
(Y or N)

Ocean and Great Lakes GIS
mapping/database
Ocean and Great Lakes technical
assistance, education, and
outreach
Other (please specify)

CMP Provides
Assistance to
Locals that Employ

Significant Changes Since
Last Assessment

(Y or N)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts in planning for the use of ocean and
Great Lakes resources since the last assessment. If none, is there any information that you are
lacking to assess the effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in threats to ocean and Great Lakes resources and management since the last
assessment and stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management
priorities where there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve its ability to effectively
plan for the use of ocean and Great Lakes resources. (Approximately 1-3 sentences per management
priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:
2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.

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Priority Needs

Need?

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

(Y or N)

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Energy and Government Facility Siting
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities relating to the siting of energy and government
facility siting and other activities that may be of greater than local significance.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging challenges to facilitating energy and
government facility siting and activities within your coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of
the challenge, i.e., is it prevalent throughout the coastal zone or are specific areas most threatened?
Challenges can be conflicting uses; coastal resource impacts; coordinating regulatory processes or
review; insufficient data; natural disasters; national security; or other (please specify). When
selecting significant challenges, also consider how climate change may exacerbate each challenge.
Geographic Scope

Challenges

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

Challenge 1
Challenge 2
Challenge 3

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant challenges to facilitating energy and
government facility siting and activities within the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or
existing reports or studies to support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the energy and Government facilities enhancement objective.
1. For each additional energy and government facilities management category below that was not
already discussed as part of the Phase I assessment, indicate if the approach is employed by the
state or territory and if significant state- or territory-level changes (positive or negative) have
occurred since the last assessment.

Significant Changes to Energy and Government Facility Management
Management Category

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ
(Y or N)

Energy and government
facility/activity research,
assessment, monitoring

76

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment
(Y or N)

CZMA Section 309 Program Guidance:
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Management Category

Employed by
State or Territory
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ

Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment

(Y or N)

Energy and government
facility/activity GIS
mapping/database
Energy and government facility siting
technical assistance, education, and
outreach
Other (please specify)

(Y or N)

2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts in facilitating energy and government
facility siting and activities since the last assessment. If none, is there any information that you are
lacking to assess the effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in energy and government facility siting and activities, the management of
these facilities and activities since the last assessment, and stakeholder input, identify and briefly
describe the top one to three management priorities where there is the greatest opportunity for the
CMP to improve its ability to facilitate the siting of energy and government facilities and activities to
address the most significant energy and government facility siting and activity challenges identified.
(Approximately 1-3 sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:
2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be

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limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Research
Mapping/GIS
data and information
management
Training/Capacity
building
Decision-support tools
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Aquaculture
In-Depth Resource Characterization:
Purpose: To determine key problems and opportunities for facilitating the siting of aquaculture facilities
in the coastal zone.
1. What are the three most significant existing or emerging challenges to facilitating the siting of
aquaculture facilities within the coastal zone? Indicate the geographic scope of the challenge, i.e., is
it prevalent throughout the coastal zone or are specific areas most threatened? Challenges can be
conflicting uses; coastal resource impacts; coordinating regulatory processes or review; insufficient
data; natural disasters; or other (please specify). When selecting significant challenges, also consider
how climate change may exacerbate each challenge.
Geographic Scope

Challenges

(throughout coastal zone or specific areas most threatened)

Challenge 1
Challenge 2
Challenge 3

2. Briefly explain why these are currently the most significant challenges to facilitating the siting of
aquaculture facilities in the coastal zone. Cite stakeholder input and/or existing reports or studies to
support this assessment.
3. Are there emerging issues of concern, but which lack sufficient information to evaluate the level of
the potential threat? If so, please list. Include additional lines if needed.
Emerging Issue

Information Needed

In-Depth Management Characterization:
Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of management efforts to address identified problems related to
the aquaculture enhancement objective.
1.

For each additional aquaculture management category below that was not already discussed as part
of the Phase I assessment, indicate if it is employed by the state and if significant state- or territorylevel changes (positive or negative) have occurred since the last assessment.

Significant Changes to Aquaculture Management
Management Category

Employed by the
State
(Y or N)

CMP Provides
Assistance to Locals
that Employ
(Y or N)

Aquaculture research, assessment,
monitoring
Aquaculture GIS mapping/database
Aquaculture technical assistance,
education, and outreach
Other (please specify)

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Significant Changes
Since Last Assessment
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2. For management categories with significant changes since the last assessment, briefly provide the
information below. If this information is provided under another enhancement area or section of
the document, please provide a reference to the other section rather than duplicate the
information.
a. Describe significant changes since the last assessment;
b. Specify if they were 309 or other CZM-driven changes; and
c. Characterize the outcomes or likely future outcomes of the changes.
3. Identify and describe the conclusions of any studies that have been done that illustrate the
effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts to facilitate the siting of aquaculture
facilities since the last assessment. If none, is there any information that you are lacking to assess
the effectiveness of the state’s or territory’s management efforts?
Identification of Priorities:
1. Considering changes in aquaculture activities, the management of these activities since the last
assessment, and stakeholder input, identify and briefly describe the top one to three management
priorities where there is the greatest opportunity for the CMP to improve the effectiveness of its
management effort to better respond to the most significant aquaculture challenges.
(Approximately 1-3 sentences per management priority.)
Management Priority 1: _________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 2: ________________________________________________
Description:
Management Priority 3: ________________________________________________
Description:
2. Identify and briefly explain priority needs and information gaps the CMP has to help it address the
management priorities identified above. The needs and gaps identified here do not need to be
limited to those items that will be addressed through a Section 309 strategy but should include any
items that will be part of a strategy.
Priority Needs

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Research
Mapping/GIS
Data and information
management
Training/Capacity building
Decision-support tools

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Priority Needs
Communication and
outreach
Other (specify)

Need?
(Y or N)

Brief Explanation of Need/Gap

Enhancement Area Strategy Development:
1. Will the CMP develop one or more strategies for this enhancement area?
Yes
______
No
______
2. Briefly explain why a strategy will or will not be developed for this enhancement area.

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Appendix C: Strategy Template

[Strategy Title]
I.

Issue Area(s)
The proposed strategy or implementation activities will support the following high-priority
enhancement areas (check all that apply):
Aquaculture
Cumulative and Secondary Impacts
Energy and Government Facility Siting
Wetlands
Coastal Hazards
Marine Debris
Ocean/Great Lakes Resources
Public Access
Special Area Management Planning

II.

Strategy Description

A. The proposed strategy will lead to, or implement, the following types of program changes (check all
that apply):
A change to coastal zone boundaries;
New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies,
administrative decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement/understanding;
New or revised local coastal programs and implementing ordinances;
New or revised coastal land acquisition, management, and restoration programs;
New or revised special area management plans (SAMP) or plans for areas of
particular concern (APC) including enforceable policies and other necessary implementation
mechanisms or criteria and procedures for designating and managing APCs; and,
New or revised guidelines, procedures, and policy documents which are formally
adopted by a state or territory and provide specific interpretations of enforceable CZM program
policies to applicants, local government, and other agencies that will result in meaningful
improvements in coastal resource management.
B. Strategy Goal: _________________________________________________.
State the goal of the strategy for the five-year assessment period. The goal should be the specific
program change to be achieved or be a statement describing the results of the project, with the
expectation that achieving the goal would eventually lead to a program change. For strategies that
implement an existing program change, the goal should be a specific implementation milestone.
For example, work with three communities to develop revised draft comprehensive plans that
consider future sea level rise or, based on research and policy analysis, present proposed legislation
on wetland buffers to state legislature for consideration. Rather than a lofty statement, the goal
should be achievable within the time frame of the strategy.
C. Describe the proposed strategy and how the strategy will lead to and/or implement the program
changes selected above. If the strategy will only involve implementation activities, briefly describe
the program change that has already been adopted, and how the proposed activities will further that
program change. (Note that implementation strategies are not to exceed two years.)

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III.

Needs and Gaps Addressed
Identify what priority needs and gaps the strategy addresses, and explain why the proposed
program change or implementation activities are the most appropriate means to address the
priority needs and gaps. This discussion should reference the key findings of the assessment and
explain how the strategy addresses those findings.

IV.

Benefits to Coastal Management
Discuss the anticipated effect of the strategy, including the scope and value of the strategy, in
advancing improvements in the CMP and coastal management, in general.

V.

Likelihood of Success
Discuss the likelihood of attaining the strategy goal and program change (if not part of the strategy
goal) during the five-year assessment cycle or at a later date. Address the nature and degree of
support for pursuing the strategy and the proposed program change, as well asthe specific actions
the state or territory will undertake to maintain or build future support for achieving and
implementing the program change, including education and outreach activities.

VI.

Strategy Work Plan
Using the template below, provide a general work plan that includes the major steps that will lead
toward or achieve a program change or implement a previously achieved program change. For
example, even if the final adoption of the program change is outside of the CMP’s control, what
steps will be included in the work plan so the CMP ensures the program change is considered,
reviewed, and hopefully adopted by the outside entity? Who are the other stakeholders or elected
officials that need to be engaged, and how and when during the strategy development process?
What is the decision-making or voting process that is involved in the adoption of the program
change, and how will the CMP interact with this process to ensure that the proposed program
change is considered? If the state intends to fund implementation activities for the proposed
program change, describe those in the plan as well. The plan should identify a schedule for
completing the strategy and include major projected milestones (key products, deliverables,
activities, and decisions) and budget estimates. If an activity will span two or more years, it can be
combined into one entry (i.e., Years 2-3 rather than Year 2 and then Year 3). While the annual
milestones are a useful guide to ensure the strategy remains on track, OCM recognizes that they
may change somewhat over the course of the five-year strategy due to unforeseen circumstances.
The same holds true for the annual budget estimates. Further detailing and adjustment of annual
activities, milestones, and budgets will be determined through the annual cooperative agreement
negotiation process.
Strategy Goal:
Total Years:
Total Budget:
Year(s):
Description of activities:
Major Milestone(s):
Budget:

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Year(s):
Description of activities:
Major Milestone(s):
Budget:
Continue to repeat the above template as needed.
VII. Fiscal and Technical Needs
A. Fiscal Needs: If 309 funding is not sufficient to carry out the proposed strategy, identify additional
funding needs. Provide a brief description of what efforts the CMP has made, if any, to secure
additional state funds from the legislature and/or from other sources to support this strategy.
B. Technical Needs: If the state does not possess the technical knowledge, skills, or equipment to carry
out all or part of the proposed strategy, identify these needs. Provide a brief description of what
efforts the CMP has made, if any, to obtain the trained personnel or equipment needed (for
example, through agreements with other state agencies).
VIII.

Projects of Special Merit (Optional)
If desired, briefly state what projects of special merit the CMP may wish to pursue to augment this
strategy. (Any activities that are necessary to achieve the program change or that the state intends
to support with baseline funding should be included in the strategy above.) The information in this
section will not be used to evaluate or rank projects of special merit and is simply meant to give
CMPs the option to provide additional information if they choose. Project descriptions should be
kept very brief (e.g., undertake benthic mapping to provide additional data for ocean management
planning). Do not provide detailed project descriptions that would be needed for the funding
competition.

5-Year Budget Summary by Strategy
At the end of the strategy section, please include the following budget table summarizing your
anticipated Section 309 expenses by strategy for each year. Generally, CMPs should only develop
strategies for activities that the state intends to fund and work on given their anticipated level of Section
309 funding. However, in some circumstances, CMPs may wish to use the assessment and strategy
development process as a broader strategic planning effort for the CMP. In that case, the CMP may elect
to include additional strategies that exceed the state’s anticipated Section 309 funding over the fiveyear period. If the CMP chooses this approach, it should still clearly indicate which strategies it
anticipates supporting with Section 309 funding and which strategies it anticipates supporting through
other funding sources.

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Strategy Title

Anticipated
Funding
Source
(309 or
Other)

Year 1
Funding

Year 2
Funding

Total Funding

85

Year 3
Funding

Year 4
Funding

Year 5
Funding

Total
Funding

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Appendix D: Types of Program Changes
Examples of some types of program changes that would be appropriate to aim for as the ultimate goal
of a Section 309 strategy are provided below. This is not an exhaustive list. There are likely many
suitable program changes not listed here, but hopefully the examples provided here spark ideas.

Wetlands
Legislative Objective: Protection, restoration, or enhancement of existing coastal wetlands base
or creation of new coastal wetlands.§309(a)(1)
Programmatic Objectives:
1. Develop or improve regulatory programs to protect and preserve existing wetland acreage and
function from direct, indirect, and cumulative adverse impacts.
Examples Include:
• Develop or enhance sequenced mitigation decision-making policies which strive to first avoid
wetland impacts, then minimize those impacts, and finally, properly mitigate any impacts that
cannot be avoided or minimized.
• Incorporate a practical alternatives analysis or cumulative and secondary impacts analysis into
the regulatory review process for projects impacting wetlands.
• Develop or enhance a comprehensive wetland mitigation policy and program.
• Develop or enhance enforcement, surveillance, or monitoring programs for wetland permits
to measure gains and losses of wetlands acreage and function.
• Develop or enhance policies that require siting development away from wetlands or other
critical areas where development is likely to lead to indirect impacts to wetlands (e.g., creating
of vegetated buffer or setback policies).
• Develop or enhance a memorandum of understanding or other formal agreement between
other state agencies, federal or local governments to create a more streamlined and
coordinated wetland permit application and review process.
2. Develop or improve programs and policies to protect and restore wetland function.
Examples Include:
• Develop or enhance public wetland restoration programs to restore degraded wetlands and
areas that were previously wetlands. Programs could include the following elements:
o Identify degraded wetlands sites,
o Establish and implement best practices for wetland restoration and technical
assistance programs,
o Identify sites were restoration has the greatest likelihood of success considering
climate change and other factors,
o Identify permanent funding sources to support restoration activities such as through a
state bond fund or public-private partnership, and
o Establish programs to monitor restoration sites.
• Establish fee simple or less than fee simple wetlands acquisition programs.

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•
•

Develop or update wetland restoration or acquisition plans that are formally adopted by the
state to identify priority sites for wetland restoration or acquisition.
Develop or enhance policies to:
o Promote wetlands restoration and acquisition in areas that are likely to achieve the
greatest nonpoint source pollution reduction benefits,
o Promote wetlands restoration and acquisition in areas that are likely to provide
greatest climate change adaptation benefits (e.g., where wetlands have room to
migrate inland as sea levels rise or provide greatest protection from storm surge and
flooding),
o Provide incentives to landowners to sell or donate wetlands to states or local
government (e.g., conservation easement tax-incentive programs), or
o Provide disincentives to development in or near wetlands through restricted capital
expenditures, taxes, etc.

Coastal Hazards
Legislative Objective: Preventing or significantly reducing threats to life and destruction of
property by eliminating development and redevelopment in high-hazard areas, managing
development in other hazard areas, and anticipating and managing the effects of potential sea
level rise and Great Lakes level rise [or change].§309(a)(2)
Programmatic Objectives:
1. Direct future public and private development and redevelopment away from hazardous areas,
including the high-hazard areas delineated as FEMA v-zones and areas vulnerable to inundation
from sea level rise.
Examples include:
• Develop or enhance policies that eliminate development and redevelopment in high-hazard
areas and restrict development in other hazardous areas, such as:
o Prohibit new development and redevelopment in high-hazard areas.
o Establish or update shoreline-setback lines based on annual erosion rates.
o Require that future sea level and other climate-related changes and impacts be
considered when siting structures and infrastructure. Restrict the use of public funds for
infrastructure or other projects that would allow or encourage development in
hazardous areas.
o Revise state or local building codes to require structures be designed to withstand
higher winds or more frequent/higher flooding (e.g., require freeboard, require V Zone
standards in Coastal A Zones).
• Develop or enhance programs that eliminate development and redevelopment in high-hazard
areas and restrict development in other hazardous areas, such as:
o Develop land acquisition programs to acquire high-risk parcels.
o Develop relocation assistance and buy-out programs.
o Develop transfer or purchase of development rights programs to promote lower
development densities in hazardous areas.

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2. Preserve and restore the protective functions of natural shoreline features such as beaches, dunes,
and wetlands.
Examples Include:
• Develop or enhance policies to minimize the degradation of protective functions of natural
shoreline features, such as:
o Restrict or prevent the use of hard erosion control structures, such as sea walls and
bulkheads that may impact natural shoreline features.
o Require building setbacks from beaches, dunes, wetlands, and other protective features.
• Develop or enhance policies and permitting processes to facilitate the use of green
infrastructure, such as living shorelines, where appropriate, to provide protective functions
and other habitat values.
• Develop or enhance programs or plans to preserve and restore the protective functions of
natural shorelines, such as:
o Enhance land acquisition or restoration programs to prioritize lands for acquisition or
restoration that would provide greatest hazards protection.
o Develop a statewide beach renourishment plan, including long-term funding
mechanisms and methods, to establish priority projects.
o Develop a statewide beach monitoring program and use data to identify and prioritize
beaches in need of erosion control efforts.
3. Prevent or minimize threats to existing populations, property, and infrastructure from both
episodic and chronic coastal hazards.
Examples Include:
• Develop or update hazard mitigation plans.
• Develop pre-disaster recovery plans to identify how to strategically rebuild after a storm.
• Develop climate change adaptation plans that include conducting vulnerability assessments
and identifying actions to minimize risks or incorporate adaptation into other plans, such as
hazard mitigation and natural resource protection plans.
• Revise land use plans and other management plans to consider climate change and sea and
lake level change.
• Adopt managed retreat policies or plans.
• Develop a cost-share or low-interest loan program to help retrofit buildings to improve their
hazard resilience.
• Establish a grants program to support local risk reduction efforts.
• Establish a technical assistance program to support local risk reduction efforts.

Public Access
Legislative Objective: Attaining increased opportunities for public access, taking into account current
and future public access needs to coastal areas of recreational, historical, aesthetic, ecological, or
cultural value. §306(a)(3)

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Programmatic Objectives:
1. Improve public access through regulatory, statutory, legal, and financial mechanisms.
Examples Include:
• Develop and revise state and local statutes and regulations to better provide public access,
including ensuring or enhancing public access through permit conditions.
• Support local governments in revising local zoning ordinances to provide for additional
public access.
• Develop legal strategies based on the public trust doctrine and other public interest
doctrines to protect and enhance opportunities for public access, such as establishing a
rights-of-way program to ensure established public rights-of-way are maintained and used
as public access sites.
• Create a long-term funding mechanism to support public access creation, improvement, and
maintenance projects, such as through a specialized license plate fee, special assessments,
bond initiatives, or other mechanisms.
• Develop or enhance programs to encourage landowners to dedicate property and
easements for public access.
2. Provide a strategic approach to providing adequate public access to coastal areas.
Examples Include:
• Integrate public access opportunities into land use plans and waterfront redevelopment
plans.
• Develop or enhance a coastal Public Access Management Plan which provides public access
to all users of coastal areas of recreational, historical, aesthetic, ecological, and cultural
value. The plan should have adequate implementation mechanisms and could include
sections that:
o Develop or update public access inventory, including maps of and guide to existing
and potential public access sites.
o Assess current and future demand for public access.
o Identify site selection and design criteria, management, and maintenance issues for
each type of public access.
o Incorporate pertinent sections of the State Comprehensive outdoor Recreation Plan
into the Coastal Public Access Management Plan.
o Update or designate public access sites as areas of particular concern, areas for
preservation or enhancement, or special management areas.
o Ensure that signage is provided for all public access sites.
o Ensure that all users of the coast, including handicapped individuals and all socioeconomic classes, are afforded the same public access opportunities.
o Increase community support and cooperation through public education and
involvement.
o Incorporate existing public access policies.

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Marine Debris
Legislative Objective: Reduce marine debris entering the Nation’s coastal and ocean environment by
managing uses and activities that contribute to the entry of such debris. §309(a)4
Programmatic Objective:
1. Develop or revise programs, policies, and plans to reduce the amount of marine debris in the
coastal zone.
Examples Include:
• Develop or enhance state and local programs that require recycling and reduce littering and
wasteful packaging in the coastal zone.
• Establish state and local regulations consistent with the Marine Plastic Pollution Research
and Control Act of 1987 and develop enforcement strategies and programs.
• Incorporate marine debris concerns into harbor, port, marina, and coastal solid waste
management plans.

Cumulative and Secondary Impacts
Legislative Objective: Development and adoption of procedures to assess, consider, and control
cumulative and secondary impacts of coastal growth and development, including the collective effect
on various individual uses or activities on coastal resources, such as coastal wetlands and fishery
resources, coastal access, or other issues. §309(a)(5)
Programmatic Objectives:
1. Develop or revise procedures and policies to minimize cumulative and secondary impacts of
coastal growth and development.
Examples Include:
• Establish or improve coastal planning processes to address the cumulative and secondary
impacts of future growth, for example, by identifying areas of rapid growth which contain
sensitive coastal resources or implement coastal uses, assessing anticipated cumulative and
secondary impacts, and establishing appropriate land use controls and mitigation measures
to protect valuable coastal resources and uses.
• Establish or improve procedures for the consideration of cumulative and secondary effects
in project and permit review decisions and infrastructure and land acquisition programs.
• Develop defensible methodologies to assess cumulative and secondary impacts, such as
visual impact assessments, to use in planning and permitting decisions.
• Establish impervious surface or building density limits for sensitive areas.
• Develop management plans or special area management plans that take a comprehensive
look at cumulative and secondary impacts within a specific management area and identify
actions and policies to minimize impacts.
• Establish programs or policies to support implementation of the state’s Coastal Nonpoint
Program, such as regular inspection programs for existing on-site disposal systems.

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Special Area Management Planning
Legislative Objective: Preparing and implementing special area management plans for important
coastal areas. §309(a)(6)
Programmatic Objective:
1. Develop or enhance special area management plans (SAMPs) for identified coastal areas subject
to use conflicts. The following criteria can be used to help identify where SAMPs may be
appropriate:
• The need for more geographically specific policies.
• The area includes significant coastal resources that are being severely affected by
cumulative or secondary impacts from coastal growth.
• There are multiple local, state, and federal authorities that necessitate effective
coordination and cooperation to compressively address coastal development and use issues
on an ecosystem basis.
• There is a history of long-standing disputes between local, state, or federal agencies over
certain coastal resources which have resulted in protracted negotiations over the
acceptability of proposed uses.
• There is strong commitment at all levels of government to enter into a collaborative
planning process to produce definitive regulatory products.
• A strong state or regional entity exists which is willing and able to sponsor the planning
program.
Examples Include:
• Develop a SAMP to establish policies to protect cultural, historic, and aesthetic resources
within a specific embayment, such as developing specific standards for residential docks and
other uses within the embayment and riparian buffer requirements.
• Develop a SAMP to revitalize an urban waterfront area.
• Develop a SAMP to comprehensively protect habitat and water quality while promoting
sustainable aquaculture and eco-tourism within a particular watershed.
• Update an existing SAMP to address new or emerging issues within the SAMP management
area, such as sea level rise, invasive species, or increased development.

Ocean and Great Lakes Resources
Legislative Objective: Planning for the use of ocean resources. §309(a)(7)
Programmatic Objective:
1. Develop and enhance comprehensive or sector-specific ocean resource management plans,
policies, and programs, to balance development and protection of ocean resources, coordinate
existing authorities, and minimize use conflicts.
Examples Include:
• Develop or update comprehensive state or regional ocean management plans and policies.
• Develop invasive specifies management plans and policies.

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•
•

Develop new submerged lands leasing programs to assess a fee for the use of public lands
for private purposes.
Work with federal and state agencies to develop a dredge material disposal plan for the
state or a specific region.

Energy and Government Facility Siting
Legislative Objective: Adoption of procedures and enforceable policies to help facilitate the siting of
energy facilities and Government facilities and energy-related activities and government activities
which may be of greater than local significance. §309(a)(8)
Programmatic Objectives:
1. Develop and improve procedures, policies, and standards to facilitate the siting of energy and
Government facilities and related activities.
Examples Include:
• Develop memoranda of understanding or agreement to coordinate and streamline
regulatory review programs and procedures for energy or Government facility siting and
related activities across different levels of government and government agencies.
• Coordinate with federal agencies to use administrative efficiencies in NOAA’s federal
consistency regulations to facilitate and streamline federal consistency reviews. These
administrative efficiencies could include:
o Creating thresholds for when a federal action would be subject to state CZMA
review;
o Using a “general consistency determination” that would cover multiple occurrences
of a federal action, or
o Eliminating certain federal actions from consistency reviews (beneficial coastal
effects, de minimis coastal effects).
• Develop or revise effects-based enforceable policies that address new information on the
effects from new or emerging energy technologies.
• Update federal consistency lists to refine which federal actions the coastal management
program would like to review or develop a geographic location description for specific
federal actions occurring outside of the state’s coastal zone, including interstate areas.
2. Develop or enhance long-term planning processes or programs to consider the needs of energy
and Government facilities and activities of greater than local significance.
Examples Include:
• Develop new or revised existing land use or ocean plans to include policies and standards to
facilitate the siting of energy and Government facilities while protecting coastal resources
and other coastal uses.
• Develop long-term monitoring programs, including the creation of a finance mechanism, to
assess long-term impacts of energy facility siting or Government uses in the coastal zone to
inform future planning and policy decisions.

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Aquaculture
Legislative Objective: Adoption of procedures and policies to evaluate and facilitate the siting of
public and private aquaculture facilities in the coastal zone, which will enable States to formulate,
administer, and implement strategic plans for marine aquaculture. §309(a)(9)
Programmatic Objective:
1. Develop and improve procedures, policies, and standards for aquaculture in the coastal zone.
Examples include:
• Create new policies and standards for the siting and design of aquaculture facilities, such
as co-locating aquaculture with other coastal uses, such as offshore energy facilities.
• Revise the aquaculture permitting review process to streamline and improve coordination
among federal, local, and state authorities.
2. Develop or enhance planning processes to promote aquaculture and balance aquaculture
activities with other uses.
Examples include:
• Update land use, ocean management, or other plans, as appropriate, to identify priority
areas for aquaculture activities.
• Assess the vulnerability of shellfish aquaculture to the impacts of climate change, such as
ocean acidification, and develop a strategic approach and recommendations to improve
the resilience of the industry.

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Appendix E: Example Program Changes
Introduction
This appendix contains examples of program changes from previous Section 309 assessment cycles. The
examples demonstrate eligible activities coming together into comprehensive strategies that are
designed to lead to program changes or implement already-achieved program changes. The example
program changes listed here do not include complete strategies or work plans. Please refer to the
Section 309 program guidance and Appendix B for detailed guidance on development, organization, and
format of the strategy.

Status and Trends of Inland Wetlands and Aquatic Habitats
Program Change Categories:
• New or revised coastal land acquisition, management, and restoration programs; and
• New or revised guidelines, procedures, and policy documents which are formally adopted by a
state or territory and provide specific interpretations of enforceable coastal management
program policies to applicants, local government, and other agencies that will result in
meaningful improvements in coastal resource management.
This project builds upon an ongoing, coastwide effort to study the status and trends of wetlands and
aquatic habitats on barrier islands by extending that effort to inland environments on the Texas coast.
Inland wetland status and trends data are of particular importance since palustrine or freshwater
wetlands are no longer protected by regulations under the CWA. The loss of regulatory protection for
these wetlands highlights the need to provide up-to-date information to local, state, and federal
restoration and acquisition programs to ensure adequate protection for the resource. This project will
provide regional characterizations for inland wetlands that will inform individual program priorities
and/or strategies for restoration and acquisition.
Data from this strategy will be used to:
• Update the following required elements of the Texas Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation
Program (CELCP) plan: a map or description of the geographic extent of coastal and estuarine
areas within the state; identification of “project areas” that represent the state’s priority areas for
conservation; and a description of existing plans, or elements thereof, that are incorporated into
the plan;
• Assess the relative merit of these types of projects nominated for The Coastal Impacts Assistance
Program (CIAP) funding over the course of its implementation;
• Prioritize CMP grant program projects proposed in areas of identified need or as specific requests
for proposals;
• Update to the Texas Coastwide Erosion Response and Assessment (CEPRA) Program Plan and
other state acquisition and restoration programs;
• Update the Resource Management Codes (RMC) for state-owned tracts in bays and estuaries.
RMC are assigned by state and federal resource agencies (including the Government Land Office
for seismic activities) and represent regulatory guidelines;

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•
•

Inform other state agencies with wetland regulatory management programs for potential use,
such as a wetland monitoring strategy to inventory surface water quality, the Permit Assistance
Group mitigation guidelines; and
Promote an understanding of the results to city and county officials, relevant state and federal
agencies, NGOs, nonprofit organizations, universities and other public and private interests.

Coastal managers often lack accurate, up-to-date data from which to base their decisions. This project
will not only provide an update of the current status of inland wetlands but will also forecast future
changes. It is anticipated that this information will identify those inland wetlands and other aquatic
habitats most threatened by erosion, subsidence, development and other processes and will facilitate
the adoption of proactive measures, either regulatory or non-regulatory in nature, by state and local
authorities and coastal programs to protect, restore and maintain those resources.
Activities:
The following outlines the general tasks for data collection and analysis at each proposed study area.
One study area will be undertaken each year in the following order: year 1, Corpus Christi-Coastal Bend;
year 2, Beaumont-Port Arthur; year 3, Matagorda Bay; year 4, Brownsville-Harlingen; and year 5,
Freeport-San Antonio Bay.
1. Interpret and map wetlands and aquatic habitats on historical and recent aerial photographs,
using and revising existing historical data where acceptable;
2. Process habitat delineations and enter into GIS;
3. Field-check mapped wetlands;
4. Conduct detailed quality control analysis of all (historical and current) GIS databases;
5. Analyze wetland trends, determine probable causes, and present write up results; and
6. Complete final manuscript and update the follow programs through guidance the implementation
policies:
• Texas Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Plan
• Coastal Impacts Assistance Program Guidance
• Texas Coastal Management Program Grant Program Guidance
• Coastwide Erosion Response and Assessment Program Plan
• Coastal Bends and Bay Estuary Program
• Texas Resource Management Codes and Guidelines
• Interagency Permit Assistance Group
• Sea Grant Extension Program
• Council of Applied Coastal Research Community
• Workshops to city and county officials

Adoption of Refined Coastal Goals
Type of Program Change:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative
decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement or understanding.
New Jersey’s federally approved Coastal Management Program and the Coastal Zone Management rules
at N.J.A.C. 7:7E were founded on broad coastal goals. These goals, referred to in the current rules as the

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“eight basic coastal policies,” have essentially remained unchanged since the Coastal Zone Management
rules were promulgated in 1978.
Based on substantial evidence, there is acute national concern that the health of our oceans is seriously
compromised as a result of nonpoint and point source pollution, climate change, overfishing and coastal
development. Two national Commissions, the Pew Oceans Commission and the U.S. Commission on
Ocean Policy issued similar conclusions in 2003 and 2004 respectively, that our oceans and coastal areas
are in crisis and that a national ocean policy is needed. As a result of both the Commissions’ conclusions
and the Department’s 26 years of experience implementing the existing coastal goals through the
Coastal Management Program and Coastal Zone Management rules, the New Jersey Coastal Program
concluded that revision of the eight original coastal policies is warranted. A draft of the refined goals
that accurately reflects current conditions and trends relevant to comprehensive coastal management in
New Jersey is complete. Shortly, NJDEP plans to propose the refined coastal goals as regulations and
adopt the regulations as enforceable policies soon thereafter.
Activities:
• Update and modify the eight basic NJCMP policies as coastal goals with operational policies clearly
articulated.
• Propose as regulations.
• Adopt regulations as enforceable policies of the NJCMP.
• Submit refined NJCMP Goals to NOAA as a Program Change.

Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats
Type of Program Change:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies,
administrative decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement/understanding;
Strengthen the state’s enforceable policy regarding designated Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife
Habitats by completing updates for the south shore of Long Island and Hudson River region, and
initiating the updates for the Great Lakes region and the Long Island Sound portion of Westchester
County. These Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats were originally designated in 1987. The
enforceable policy states that Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats will be protected, preserved,
and where practical, restored so as to maintain their viability as habitats.
Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat narratives and boundaries are used by the Coastal
Management Program as well as by Department of Environmental Conservation permit reviewers,
municipal governments, consultants, educators, and others. Updating the Significant Coastal Fish and
Wildlife Habitat documentation and boundaries for the south shore of Long Island, Hudson River, Great
Lakes and Westchester County contributes to wetlands management by ensuring that up-to-date data
and impact assessments are used in making management decisions, improving New York’s ability to
protect listed species, rare communities, and important human uses associated with the state’s wetland
resources.
Activities:
• Coordinate with Department of Environmental Conservation staff to compile existing biological
survey data and review habitat. Revise narratives and boundaries for habitats to include updated
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•
•
•

and new biological information and impact assessments. As part of this process, consider the need
to designate new and repeal existing habitats.
Revise boundary information in the Division GIS system and produce updated habitat maps.
Conduct public information hearings and public meetings.
Submit Routine Program Change.

Beneficial Use of Dredge Material Contribution Fund
Type of Program Change:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative
decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement or understanding.
According to La. Rev. Stat. 43:214.30, whenever a proposed use or activity requires a Coastal Use Permit
(CUP) for the dredging or disposal of from 25,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of any water bottoms or
wetland within the Louisiana Coastal Zone (LCZ), the secretary of Louisiana Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) may require the beneficial use of the dredge material. Beneficial use of dredge material
is required in circumstances where it is deemed economically feasible, but is not required in those cases
when it is not economically feasible.
Over the years, many CUPs were issued which did not require that dredged material excavated as a
result of the permitted activities be used beneficially. As a result, in order for the state to fulfill its
obligation under the public policy provisions of the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act
LDNR Coastal Management Division (CMD) is proposing to investigate the cost effectiveness of
beneficial placement of dredged material in those cases deemed economically infeasible. The ultimate
outcome for those cases where it is not economically feasible to dispose of the dredge material
beneficially in the LCZ, is for the CUP applicant to pay into a dedicated fund based on a fair cost. The
fund will be used by the state for beneficial use projects (e.g., wetland and habitat restoration) such as
the Dedicated Dredge Program.
Based on the results of the study, the LDNR/CMD will propose new legislation/rule making requiring
applicants (possibly both state and federal) to pay a fee to the Beneficial Use of Dredge Material
Mitigation Account in those cases when it is determined not to be cost-effective to dispose of dredge
material beneficially. The CMD will build a GIS database which will allow for the tracking of contributions
made to the fund.
Activities:
• Work with Coastal Restoration Division (CRD) and Coastal Engineering Division (CED) staff to
determine the cut-off for cost effectiveness of using dredge materially beneficially. As much as
possible LDNR staff will use already existing information such as Dedicated Dredge Program data.
LDNR/CMD staff will determine a fee based on cost/cubic yard of dredge material that will be
required in those cases where the beneficial use of dredge material is not cost-effective.
• Establish a Division Policy requiring applicants to pay a fee to the Beneficial Use of Dredge
Material Mitigation Account in those cases when it is determined not to be cost-effective to
dispose of dredge material beneficially.
• Build a GIS database which will allow for the tracking of contributions made to the fund.
• Propose new legislation/rule making requiring applicants to pay a fee to the Beneficial Use of
Dredged Material Mitigation Account.

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Model Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plans
Program Change Categories:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative
decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement or understanding.
• New or revised local coastal programs and implementing ordinances.
FDCA-DEM proposes to facilitate the development of post-disaster redevelopment plans (PDRP)
statewide. Model plans will be produced as examples for all coastal communities and a “Best Practices
Guide” will be revised to help with PDRP development. FDCA-DEM will also propose legislation to
require communities to develop a PDRP as part of the local government comprehensive plan.
Post-disaster redevelopment planning would improve the state’s ability to recover from disasters and
guide redevelopment in an appropriate manner. All Florida communities must adopt, regularly evaluate
and update their comprehensive growth management plans. The plans prepared by the 197
communities that abut the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico must also include a separate coastal
management element. While PDRPs are a recommended component of the coastal management
element, few local governments have adopted them. In addition, all Florida communities would benefit
from a PDRP, not just the coastal communities. While the required comprehensive plans and coastal
management elements have all been adopted, information regarding the number of communities with
PDRPs is not available. The best information, a survey conducted as part of the 1995 Hurricane Opal
Case Study, indicates that 65 of the 113 communities that responded to the survey believed that they
were required to prepare a PDRP. Of those 65 communities, only 27 stated that they had actually
prepared the plan. An inspection of the 27 plan documents revealed that 13 of these plans included a
separate recovery plan that exceeded the policies that should be included in the coastal management
element of the comprehensive plan. Anecdotal information suggests that the situation has not improved
since 1995.
Activities:
• Identify communities with current PDRPs and evaluate their effectiveness.
• Complete model PDRPs for four communities.
• Revise Best Practices Guide to aid in the development of PDRPs.
• Propose legislation requiring local governments to adopt PDRPs as part of their local government
comprehensive plan.

Metro Bay SAMP Urban Coastal Greenway
Program Change Categories:
• New or revised coastal land acquisition, management, and restoration programs; and
• New or revised special area management plans (SAMP) or plans for areas of particular concern
(APC) including enforceable policies and other necessary implementation mechanisms or criteria
and procedures for designating and managing APCs.
The purpose of this program change is to establish a new Urban Coastal Greenway Policy for the Metro
Bay SAMP. This policy will allow for coastal redevelopment within the Metro Bay SAMP region, while
also increasing public access to the coast, improving water quality via on-site vegetative stormwater

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treatment, and preserving and restoring the aesthetic value, including natural habitats, of Rhode Island’s
urban shoreline.
As part of this program change, CRMC staff will also work with the state legislature to establish an Urban
Coastal Greenways Program fund for the Metro Bay Region (currently purposed in Rhode Island senate
bill.) Funds collected under the Urban Coastal Greenways Program would be placed into a trust to be
used for coastal habitat restoration and/or habitat conservation of a designated high-priority restoration
or conservation area within the Metro Bay Region.
The state’s existing buffer rules are not designed for the specific challenges of urban environments,
specifically in the Metro Narragansett Bay Region (Cranston, East Providence, Pawtucket, and
Providence). These original buffer regulations were not designed to accommodate the large-scale,
coastal redevelopment that is currently being proposed for the Metro Bay Region. Specifically, the
current coastal buffer regulations require that buffer zones be undisturbed and allowed to grow
naturally in order to gain the maximum wildlife habitat and water quality benefits possible. While it is
still desirable to achieve the maximum habitat and water quality benefits possible within urban areas,
the design of vegetative buffers must also acknowledge and cultivate the need for increased public
access to the shoreline. In addition, urban buffers require thoughtful design and maintenance if they are
to achieve water quality goals in areas dominated by impervious cover.
Activities:
• Complete development of an urban coastal greenway policy; implement the policy; go out to
public notice with new policy.
• Develop changes to policy, as needed based on assessments and public comments; undertake
rule-making process to incorporate revisions; adopt revised Urban Coastal Green Policy as part of
the Metro Bay SAMP.
• Work with Legislature to create an Urban Coastal Greenway fund.

Guidance Document on Coordinated Aquaculture Permitting
Program Change Categories:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative
decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement/understanding; and
• New or revised guidelines, procedures and policy documents which are formally adopted by a
state or territory and provide specific interpretations of enforceable coastal management program
policies to applicants, local government and other agencies that will result in meaningful
improvements in coastal resource management.
The Office of Long Island Sound Programs (OLISP) intends to develop a guidance document for
aquaculture permitting with associated instruction forms and FAQ documents as needed. OLISP will
formally propose this guidance document as regulations under CGS §22a-361(c), or as a formal
amendment to the Department’s published coastal permit application documents.
While OLISP no longer has direct regulatory jurisdiction over many aquaculture activities, efforts at
clarifying the several inconsistent and confusing statutes governing aquaculture regulation have been
unsuccessful to date. Since the law was first changed in 1999, OLISP has received many applications for
aquaculture operations, both large and small, making it a higher priority to develop a means through
which to explain the current legal framework as it relates to aquaculture and to clarify the permitting

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requirements to the regulated community. A guidance document will be necessary to explain the laws
and to specify what regulatory procedures apply in what circumstances.
The reissuance of the Corps’ Programmatic General Permit (PGP) allows many aquaculture applicants to
obtain an expedited review from the Corps. However, the agencies will need to provide additional
guidance to highlight which regulated actives are still subject to the OLISP permitting process (i.e., those
activities which do not meet the exemption). The proposed regulations will assist both potential
applicants and staff of the various agencies by clarifying the jurisdictional and regulatory requirements
for specific types of aquaculture proposals. In addition, the regulations are expected to include siting
and design suggestions so as to render aquaculture applications consistent with the relevant
enforceable policies of the Connecticut Coastal Management Program. Developing this guidance
document will also improve effective interagency coordination in regulating aquaculture projects in the
state.
Activities:
• Participate interagency workgroup meetings to review current aquaculture policies and
application process; develop draft guidance.
• Participate in additional interagency workgroup meetings to finalize Aquaculture Permitting
Guidance.
• Formally adopt the guidance either through regulation or amendment to Department’s coastal
permit application documents.

Implementing Legislative Changes to the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines
Program Change Categories:
• New or revised authorities, including statutes, regulations, enforceable policies, administrative
decisions, executive orders, and memoranda of agreement or understanding; and
• New or revised local coastal programs and implementing ordinances.
The purpose of this strategy is to provide policy and technical assistance to local governments, engaged
in development of updated Shoreline Master Programs (SMPs). The new Shoreline Master Program
Guidelines rule, direct the update of every SMP in the coastal zone over the next decade. Although the
new guidelines rule is now in effect, significant technical and policy issues must still be addressed in
order for local governments to properly implement the guidelines and address the cumulative impacts
of anticipated growth. With the ongoing presence of endangered species as an issue, technical
considerations are even greater than previously expected.
Continuing development of a wide variety of guidance and technical assistance materials will be
essential. An ongoing program for disseminating such information through outreach and training of local
government shoreline planners and others will also be critical to success. Each local government must
consider the options and tradeoffs inherent in the program. The guidelines require local government to
inventory the resources and characteristics of their shorelines and address the direct and cumulative
impacts of development on the shorelines in a manner that preserves and restores the natural character
of the shoreline. For this strategy, approximately 30 local governments will develop and adopt updated
local SMPs. The Department of Ecology will review and approve all SMPs. These SMPs, once approved by
the federal Office for Coastal Management (OCM), will become an approved part of Washington’s

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Coastal Management Program. Full implementation in the coastal counties will not occur under the
legislatively mandated schedule until 2014.
Activities:
• Prepare policy and technical guidance, presentations, and related materials that send a consistent
message and establish the foundation for building capacity at all levels.
• Develop “good examples” that we can reference and others may replicate.
• Provide training and outreach to other related interest groups (i.e. realtors, shoreline property
owners, general citizenry, other state resource agencies, etc.).
• In the near term, prepare outcome-based, general guidance describing new guidelines
requirements, suggested methods, and steps in developing guidelines compliant SMPs.
• Use Ecology’s web-based guidance as the method for organizing existing and future training
materials. The web site will contain a different page for each major step in SMP development: a
general description of the topic and what is required; links to statutory and guidelines rule
language; available state-level information; and links to good local SMP examples where they
exist.
• Host local government coordination meetings on at least a quarterly basis with the dual purpose
of:
o Providing Ecology with a consistent and predictable conduit for presenting the latest
information to local grant recipients, and
o Providing local government planners with a regular guidelines-specific venue for person-toperson networking as new SMP updates are being developed.
• Organize guidance and outreach using a web-based approach with direct links to available
websites addressing:
o The latest scientific and technical information
o Contact information for others doing SMP updates
o Funding opportunities
o Training opportunities

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Appendix F: Example Stakeholder Questions
Q1. Which of the nine enhancement areas do you feel are the highest priority for the state’s coastal
management program? (Rank your top three in order of priority.) Briefly explain why.
Q2. What do you feel are the greatest problems regarding those priority enhancement areas?
 Enhancement Area A:
 Enhancement Area B:
 Enhancement Area C:
Q3. What are the greatest opportunities for enhancing the state’s coastal management program to
more effectively address those problems?
 Enhancement Area A:
 Enhancement Area B:
 Enhancement Area C:

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