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 Several laws are vital to the continued protection of our nation's estuaries. Their passage has signaled new milestones in coastal habitat protection and provided the tools and resources to continue restoration efforts.
Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)
The Coastal Zone Management Act is the congressional plan for managing America's coasts. It was enacted to encourage the participation and cooperation of state, local, regional, and federal agencies and governments to create programs that will affect the coastal zone. The CZMA is the only environmental program that requires a balance between economic development and resource protection within the coastal zone. The act allows states to develop a Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) in which they define permissible land and water use within the state coastal zone. This coastal zone extends 3 miles seaward and inland as far as necessary to protect the coasts. Coastal management has been an effective means for coastal states and federal partners to protect, develop, restore, and enhance resources of the nation’s coastal zones for this and future generations. However, more than 30 years have passed since the passage of the CZMA, and coastal communities are faced with new and complex challenges. Visit NOAA's CZMA website for more information.
Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP)
CELCP was created by Congress in 2002 to protect those coastal and estuarine areas with significant conservation, recreation, ecological, historical, or aesthetic values, or that are threatened by conversion from their natural or recreational state to other uses. Visit NOAA's CELCP website for more information.
Estuary Restoration Act (ERA)
For several years, Restore America's Estuaries and its 11 member organizations championed passage of the Estuary Restoration Act of 2000. President Clinton signed it into law on November 7, 2000. The Estuary Restoration Act of 2000, S. 835, sponsored by the late Senator John Chafee (R-RI) and Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), is a comprehensive approach to estuary habitat restoration and authorizes $275 million over 5 years toward this purpose. The law provides a strong federal commitment and resources to restore habitat in America's estuaries: the bays, sounds, gulfs, harbors, lagoons, inlets and deltas where fresh water mixes with salt water from the ocean. The Act received strong bipartisan support in Congress. In 2007 the ERA was modified via amendments to the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. Follow the link for the complete Act with incorporated amendments.
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