The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted $2,865,000 to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources 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 Alaska’s 33,904 miles of coast. The Alaska CZMP balances the demands of industries such as timber harvesting, oil and gas development, mining and seafood processing, with the need to protect the long-term health of the environment. It also provides a consensus-based forum where conflicts about coastal resource development and resource protection can be identified and resolved. Thirty-three coastal districts have approved plans and participate in Alaska’s coastal program.

“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., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This grant allows the Alaskan government to manage its coastal resources while actively supporting efforts that reinforce NOAA and the Bush Administration’s commitment to the environment.”

Currently, 95,376 national shoreline miles (99.9 percent) are managed by the larger national CZMP. State and federal coastal zone management efforts are guided by the CZMP's Strategic Framework, which is organized around three major themes: Sustain Coastal Communities, Sustain Coastal Ecosystems, and Improve Government Efficiency.

The Coastal Zone 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.

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: http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/czm/