Coastal Zone Management Grants

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

The Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM), a voluntary partnership between the federal government and U.S. coastal states and territories, provides for management of the nation's coastal resources, including the Great Lakes, and balances economic development with environmental conservation.

CZM grants are awarded to states and territories, for projects addressing management issues which are regional in scope, including interstate projects; demonstration projects which have high potential for improving coastal zone management, especially at the local level; emergency grants to state coastal zone management agencies to address unforeseen or disaster-related circumstances; awards recognizing excellence in coastal zone management.

The CZM Program is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) under the Department of Commerce.

Eligible Grant Recipients
The CZM Program is authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. The Coastal Programs Division, within the NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, administers the program at the federal level and works with state coastal zone management partners to:

Preserve, protect, develop and, where possible, restore and enhance the resources of the nation's coastal zone;
Encourage and assist states to effectively exercise their responsibilities to achieve wise use of coastal and water resources, with consideration to ecological, cultural, historic and aesthetic values, as well as compatible economic development;
Encourage development of special area management plans to describe specific actions for protecting significant natural resources, reasonable coastal-dependent economic growth, improved protection of life and property and improved predictability in governmental decision making;
Encourage participation, cooperation, and coordination of the public, federal, state, local, interstate and regional agencies, and governments affecting the coastal zone.

In Designated Coastal Zones, conservation districts can partner with the state conservation agency to receive federal Coastal Zone Management grant funds for local projects. Examples of funded projects include educational materials and nonpoint source pollution abatement projects.

NACD supports increased funding for the Coastal Zone Management Grants in the Fiscal Year 2008 Commerce Justice State Appropriations Bill.

NACD Request for FY08
$75 Million

President’s Proposal for FY08
$66.15 Million

House Proposal for FY08
$68.146 Million

Senate Proposal for FY08 (committee)
$74 Million