This October, our nation's coastal resource managers will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972. This groundbreaking legislation has led to 34 of 35 coastal states and territories creating coastal zone management programs and to the designation of 25 National Estuarine Research Reserves.
While these accomplishments are significant, it is clear after talking with 18 coastal managers from around the country for the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services that the CZMA has accomplished much more.
Coastal managers talked about the public's improved access to their coastlines; how the shore is better managed and developed than it would otherwise be; the habitat and wetlands that have been protected and restored; the research efforts that have led to improved management decisions; and the outreach projects that have educated everyone from local decision makers to kindergartners.
We also heard that the CZMA has ensured that the public is involved in and aware of coastal issues; coastal areas are better prepared for natural hazards, such as hurricanes; waterfronts have been redeveloped; water quality has improved; erosion has been prevented; and partnerships have been established that otherwise would not be.
While each state may have accomplished various things and these accomplishments may be difficult to quantify on a national level, it does not mean that the successes of the CZMA have not been impressive.
It is these accomplishments that we look back on and celebrate with our special report on "Thirty Years under the Coastal Zone Management Act."
While it is important to look at the past, the future of coastal management will depend a great deal on data and technology. Sixty-five of the nation's top shoreline mapping professionals from state and federal agencies, academia, and the private sector recently attended a conference sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center to discuss what is right and what could be improved regarding shoreline mapping.
Proceedings from this conference can be found at www.csc.noaa.gov/shoreconf/.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
