Contacts:  Dan Dewell,                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
           NOAA                       1/8/98
           Kathy Zagzebski 
           Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources

Georgia's coastal areas will see a cleaner environment, healthier economy, and simplified government procedures for matters relating to the region under a new comprehensive coastal management program developed by the state under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, said the U.S. Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources Commissioner Lonice Barrett and Terry Garcia, assistant secretary of Commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA deputy administrator formally adopted the program today at a ceremony in Savannah.

Approval of the program opens the way for an estimated $1 million in annual federal matching funds for coastal management projects; closer, coordinated assistance from NOAA and other federal agencies; and a stronger state voice concerning federal activities that impact coastal areas.

"This year our nation celebrates 'Year of the Ocean,'" Garcia said. "I can't think of a better way to kick off the celebration than welcoming the state of Georgia into the coastal zone management community. Georgia is the final link in the chain of U.S. ocean coastal states that participate in the Coastal Zone Management program.

"The program was drawn up by Georgia's Department of Natural Resources and addresses the state's needs and priorities. But in the process, the state worked with the federal government and now becomes a partner in a larger, national effort, which recognizes the economic, environmental and aesthetic value of all our ocean and coastal areas," Garcia said.

Environmentally sound development and cleaner coastal waters along Georgia's 2,344 linear miles of shoreline are just two in a wide array of issues covered by the management program. Public education on coastal issues, fish and wildlife conservation, coastal flooding and erosion, public access and recreation, and historic preservation are also included. The program not only makes the state eligible for federal funds and assistance in coastal management, but also requires federal agencies and programs operating in Georgia to comply with state coastal management regulations and initiatives.

The national coastal zone management program is an outgrowth of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and subsequent re-authorizations of the law, which asks states to work with NOAA to identify, solve and prevent problems in the nation's coastal areas through planning and management.

All 35 states and U.S. territories with ocean or Great Lakes shorelines can participate in the coastal management program. Georgia is the 32nd to do so, and the third in the past year.