What is the Alaska Coastal Management Program?
In 1972 Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) to promote the orderly development and protection of the country’s coastal resources. The CZMA resulted from concern spurred by the increasing demands for development of the nation’s coastal areas, population increases near the coast, and declining productivity of the coastal environment. The CZMA established a voluntary partnership among the federal government, coastal states, and local governments to develop individual state programs for managing coastal resources. The Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP) implements legislation passed by the State of Alaska in 1977. With this legislation, called the Alaska Coastal Management Act, Alaska joins the partnership envisioned by the CZMA. The ACMP improves stewardship of Alaska’s coastal land and water uses, and natural resources, by creating a network of local, state, federal, and applicant interests in the project approval process. The networking provided by the ACMP helps
