The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $2,945,000 grant to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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 Florida’s 8,436 miles of coast. The Florida CZMP balances the demands of industries, such as tourism and agriculture, with the need to protect the long-term health of the environment. It also provides state programs to conserve coastal habitat, and protect coastal assets such as coastal wetlands, estuaries and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. 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.

“Balancing the need for sustainable development with the protection and management of coastal resources 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 Florida to manage its coastal resources while actively supporting NOAA and the Bush Administration’s commitment to the environment.”

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 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/