FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO EVALUATE ALASKA COASTAL PROGRAM

An evaluation team from the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will visit Alaska June 14-23 to assess the progress of the Alaska Coastal Area Management Program and gather local views on the operation and management of the program.

Under ACMP, NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management provides approximately $2 million in matching funds to Alaska for its coastal management programs. The NOAA team visit is part of a routine evaluation process that will include interviews with local, state and federal agency officials and other interested parties.

The federal grant program was established under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, which sets forth specific national guidelines and objectives for program participation. The evaluation team will assess Alaska's success in addressing these national coastal management objectives, implementing and enforcing the ACMP, and adhering to the conditions of the grants. The team will also consider ACMP's role in providing technical assistance to local governments, improvements in public access to the coast, and opportunities for public participation, both formal and informal, in permitting and other decisions under ACMP.

The evaluation team plans to visit Juneau and Anchorage with a site visit to the Kenai Peninsula on Tuesday, June 20. Weather permitting, the team also hopes to visit coastal aquaculture sites near Juneau and new ecotourism developments along the coast.

A public meeting will be held on June 19, 7:00 p.m., at the Anchorage Legislative Information Office, Suite 200, 716 W. 4th Ave. Teleconference connections to Legislative Information Offices will be provided between Anchorage and the coastal communities of Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, Cordova, Valdez, Kenai, Kodiak, Dillinghan, Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue and Barrow. Public comments are welcomed and encouraged. Written comments may be sent by July 5th to Patmarie Maher, NOAA/OCRM, 1305 East West Highway, Room 11536, Silver Spring, Md. 20910.