NOAA 2004-R987
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aja Sea-Kung
8/18/04

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $1,867,000 grant to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to continue the administration of its Coastal Zone Management Program. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The grant will support the state’s federally approved management plan, which covers Delaware’s 381 miles of coast and more than 600,000 coastal residents. The Delaware CZMP balances the demands of industries such as tourism, agriculture, marine commerce and chemical manufacturing with long-term protection of the environment. The state coastal program monitors activities in the coastal zone addressing the major challenges of pollution and impacts of population growth and urban development.

“The Delaware CZMP aims to keep its coast healthy and productive by balancing the need for sustainable development with the protection and management of coastal resources, which is a core principle within NOAA,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This grant allows the state of Delaware to manage its coastal resources that are vital to the state’s economy, while actively supporting NOAA and the Bush Administration’s commitment to the environment.”

The grant also provides statewide programs to conserve coastal habitat, and protect coastal assets such as coastal wetlands and estuaries through outreach and education. The Delaware CZMP supports water quality monitoring efforts and Coastweeks celebrations by participating in "Coast Day," the annual open house of the University of Delaware's Graduate College of Marine Studies, which attracts thousands each year.

The Coastal Management Program is a federal/state partnership dedicated to comprehensive management of the nation’s coastal resources, ensuring their protection for future generations while balancing competing national economic, cultural and environmental interests. The 34 states and territories with federally approved coastal management programs have the flexibility to make day-to-day management decisions at the state level. The CZMP is authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 and administered at the federal level by the Coastal Programs Division within NOAA. For more information, visit http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/czm/.

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA’s goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:

NOAA - http://www.noaa.gov

Coastal Zone Management Act - http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/czm/