What is the
Alaska Coastal Management Program?
In 1972 Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) to promote the orderly development and protection of the country's coastal resources. The CZMA resulted from concern spurred by the increasing demands for development of the nation's coastal areas, population increases near the coast, and declining productivity of the coastal environment. The CZMA established a voluntary partnership among the federal government, coastal states, and local governments to develop individual state programs for managing coastal resources.
The Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP) implements legislation passed by the State of Alaska in 1977. With this legislation, called the Alaska Coastal Management Act, Alaska joins the partnership envisioned by the CZMA. The ACMP improves stewardship of Alaska's coastal land and water uses, and natural resources, by creating a network of local, state, federal, and applicant interests in the project approval process. The networking provided by the ACMP helps to ensure that all aspects of a project are considered during a single review and approval process. This integrated approach promotes both economic and environmental productivity of Alaska's rich and diverse coastal resources.
The ACMP requires that projects in Alaska's coastal zone be reviewed by coastal resource management professionals and found consistent with the statewide standards of the ACMP. These standards and the enforceable policies of an affected coastal district ensure that development interests observe the vision set out for the future by the state and coastal communities. It is called the consistency review process. A finding of consistency with the ACMP must be obtained before permits can be issued for the project.