Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2003

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Planning

Major Professor

Bruce Tonn

Abstract

The purpose of my thesis was to make policy recommendations and create an inter-jurisdictional strategy for improving U.S. coastal zone management. The primary methodology through which I gathered information was a coastal community survey. In the survey, questions were asked pertaining to the following: 1) the current state of the local coastal environment-what are the chief problems, and have they been addressed, 2) what policies at the local, state, and federal levels have been successful/least successful in the respective communities-which policies do you recommend, 3) how strict/flexible are the state and federal governments in allowing communities to develop their own policies, and 4) speculation as to the importance and future of environmental planning and preservation in the respective communities-do you think this is important to the welfare of your community, and how do you view the future of your coast. To conduct this survey, I sought coastal communities that met certain criteria. Over 40 communities were randomly chosen, however, if they did not meet the criteria, they were eliminated altogether. I sent a total of 39 surveys, mostly through e-mail, but only received 29 back. I eliminated 3, leaving 26 with which to work. I decided that 20 communities would be included in my thesis altogether, and I wrote brief summaries for each of these communities (see Appendix B). Results from my surveys indicated that beachfront erosion and pollution were by far the greatest problems for the 20 coastal communities studied. Regulations and policies in the forms of programs, projects, and plans were the most utilized coastal management practices. Many communities were given flexibility by the state and federal governments to adopt their own coastal policies. All subjects felt that environmental planning and preservation was very important and optimism for the future of environmental planning was high. Recommendations for better coastal zone management included: 1) actions to acquire and protect open spaces and wildlife habitat on public lands, 2) strict permitting and enforcing measures before development occurs, 3) establishment of carrying capacity, and 4) formation of a local coastal commission. An inter-jurisdictional strategy for improving U.S. coastal zone management, I recommend, is the formation and development of a National Ocean Management Agency (NOMA).

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