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Ocean and Coastal Management in Guam

Guam’s Coastal Program

The Guam Coastal Management Program was approved in 1979. Overseen by the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, the Guam Coastal Management Program guides the use, protection, and development of land and ocean resources within Guam’s coastal zone. Because Guam is a small island, the entire land area is included within this coastal zone. The Coastal Program provides overall coordination and direction to a network of government agencies to ensure a balanced approach to coastal management. Guam’s Comprehensive Planning Enabling legislation, Seashore Protection Act, and several Executive Orders are among the key legislation for the Coastal Program.

Some of the most prominent coastal management issues for Guam are coral reef and watershed habitat degradation, water quality degradation, coastal hazards, and cultural and historic resource preservation.

Guam's Coral Program

Guam is a member of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. As part of the Task Force, the Coastal Program serves as Guam’s Coral Reef point-of-contact. The Coastal Program, along with other partners in Guam, serve on the Guam Coral Reef Initiative Coordinating Committee. The Committee has led a participatory process to develop local action strategies to address four main threats to coral reefs: land-based sources of pollution, over-fishing, lack of public awareness, and recreational misuse/overuse. The Committee is currently working to implement these strategies.

Program Highlights

Guam Develops Environmental Emergency Response Plan

Guam Conducts Comprehensive Public Education and Outreach Campaign

Links

Guam Coastal Management Program — The Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans provides an overview of how the program functions and a summary of completed and ongoing projects.

Marine Protected Areas — Search for marine protected areas by state, region, or topic area.

Guam Coastal Nonpoint Program Conditional and Full Approval Documents — The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program encourages better coordination between state coastal zone managers and water quality experts to reduce polluted runoff in the coastal zone. The territory received full approval in 2007.

Guam Coastal Program Evaluation (2007) — The Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management conducts periodic performance reviews of federally approved state coastal management programs.

Guam's Coral Reef Local Action Strategies — The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force identified the need for more focused action at the local level to reduce key threats to coral reefs and called for each of the states and territories with significant coral reef resources to develop local action strategies.

Contact Information for Guam’s Program

Bureau of Statistics and Plans
Coastal Management Program
P.O. Box 2950
Hagatna, Guam 96932
(671) 472-4201

 

 

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