As Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant celebrates 50 years of service to coastal communities, it is worth acknowledging the legislative foundations that inform Sea Grant’s work and mission. A lot has changed over the decades, but one constant that has guided coastal planning during that span of time has been the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), which was established in October 1972. The goal of the coastal zone management act is to “preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance the resources of the nation’s coastal zone.”
Confronting coastal challenges
In 1969, the Commission on Marine Sciences, Engineering and Resources created an important report, "Our Nation and the Sea." The report arose out of national concerns about the continued environmental degradation of the nation’s shoreline from pollution and urban development. The solution arrived at in the report was the creation of “state coastal zone authorities” that could effectively manage coastal waters and adjacent lands. These state coastal zone authorities would be known as coastal zone management programs in the 1972 legislation. Though participation in these programs is voluntary, 34 states across the country currently participate in this endeavor.
The CZMA also authorized the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). There are over 30 designated NERR sites located across the country, and they are dedicated to promoting responsible management and stewardship within their respective coastal sites and developing research that can be used by coastal stakeholders within the region.
Mississippi and Alabama are home to two NERR programs: Grand Bay and Weeks Bay. These programs are critical partners in Sea Grant’s mission of promoting the responsible use of ocean and coastal resources in Mississippi and Alabama.
Setting the foundation for shoreline planning
From a regional planning perspective, the CZMA added a powerful tool for regulatory oversight in coastal regions by encouraging states to develop Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs). States that wish to prepare and implement SAMPs can apply for funding assistance through NOAA known as Section 309 funding. A SAMP generally brings together all responsible state and federal agencies to deliberate on how development within a specific geographic area should proceed.
These plans are also generally employed within sensitive environmental areas subject to a great deal of development pressure. Though the SAMP planning process does not mandate land use regulations and zoning, the plans developed within this framework will often highlight areas of high ecological value, prioritize areas for future conservation and outline permissible activities within the study area.
The passage of the CZMA is a critical part of Sea Grant’s legacy of service to coastal communities. With the passage of the act, states suddenly had a coherent regulatory framework from which policy could be constructed. By establishing NERRs, states had the ability to develop organizations to serve as field laboratories and provide unique insight into the specific concerns associated with critical coastal ecosystems. Also, by encouraging the development of SAMPs, the CZMA created a uniform planning apparatus that could be replicated and used from state to state.
So, as we celebrate the rich history of Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant this year, let us also be mindful of the policies that make this work possible and that the CZMA is an important component of Sea Grant’s past that will continue to play a valuable role in the future.
For additional information on the Coastal Zone Management Act and its significance to marine planning, read my article on coastal zone management in the December 2021 issue of Water Log, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Legal Program’s legal reporter.