Coastal Management in Connecticut – What is it all about?
We all need Connecticut’s coast. Our coastal area provides myriad opportunities for recreation, public access, commercial fishing, marine trades and international shipping, as well as habitat for fish, shellfish, birds, wildlife and plants. We all use our coast and we all have to work together to make sure it is available for future generations. That is where coastal management comes in to guide activities taking place where the land meets the sea. In the case of Connecticut, our emphasis is on balancing protection of the fragile coastal resources of the Long Island Sound ecosystem with sustainable economic uses of the shoreline. Coastal management in Connecticut is a comprehensive, cooperative program that functions at all levels of government. Connecticut’s Coastal Management Program is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and is approved by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act. Under the stat
