Contact: Eliot Hurwitz FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(301) 713-3078 3/1/95
An evaluation team from the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will visit sites throughout Delaware March 6-10 to assess the progress of the Delaware Coastal Management Program and gather local views on the operation and management of the program.
Under the federal program, NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management provides over $900,000 in matching funds to Delaware 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. This year they plan to tour southern Delaware to discuss issues related to beaches and waterways and coastal hazards.
The federal coastal zone grant program was established under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, which establishes specific national guidelines and objectives for program participation. The evaluation team will assess Delaware's success in addressing these national coastal management objectives, implementing and enforcing the DCMP, and adhering to the terms and conditions of the grants.
A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 7, at 7 p.m., at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control auditorium, 89 Kings Highway, Dover. Written comments may be sent to Eric Hughes, NOAA/OCRM, 1305 East-West Highway, Room 11536, Silver Spring, Md. 20910.