Coastal and Ocean Governance
The Legislative Atlas supports regional ocean and coastal management efforts by displaying spatial data for state and federal laws and jurisdictional boundaries. The atlas also allows users to search through legislative summaries of laws applicable in their regions. This information is provided through Internet mapping applications, providing access to on-line analytical tools. Why Is the Legislative Atlas Needed? A complex and multi-layered system of laws, organizations, and strategies exists to manage and govern uses of ocean and coastal resources. Resource management authority is fragmented among a variety of federal, state, and local agencies, often resulting in redundant efforts, inefficiency, redundant efforts, and lack of coordination among agencies. The current management framework has evolved through the collection of single-issue management laws and authorities, without regard for the interconnectedness of human activities and biological and physical systems. Perhaps more problematic are the unidentified jurisdictional gaps in the existing governance framework that can potentially hinder effective ocean and coastal management. The Legislative Atlas can help coastal and ocean resource managers make sense of the complex jurisdictional and regulatory system and identify potential gaps in the current management framework.
A growing number of regional collaborations among federal, state, and local agencies to address management issues that cut across existing political and jurisdictional boundaries. To give these regional bodies access to information for regional decision making, the Center has developed geographic representations of key state and federal legislation and the jurisdictional boundaries of federal management agencies.
The Internet mapping applications allow users to visualize where selected coastal and ocean laws apply helping regional collaborations to make sense of the complex governance system of our oceans and coasts. This site also allows users to search an online database of coastal and ocean legislation, according to geographic area, issue of interest, or management agency.
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What Is the Legislative Atlas? 
How Did This Project Come About? 
