Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office

The Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program was designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on Apr. 24, 1978 "to establish values and priorities for the use of coastal resources," having received federal approval under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, PL 92-583. It has been administered by an Office of Coastal Zone Management (cf. St 1979, c 610) within the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, which was later legislatively authorized by St 1983, c 589, s 13 (there called: Coastal Zone Management Office) to "adopt, and from time to time amend rules, regulations, procedures, standards, guidelines, and policies which shall constitute the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program...to secure for the inhabitants of the Commonwealth the objectives and benefits of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act." The director of the office also serves as an assistant secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Protection.

While not a state regulatory agency, the office does review all activities directly affecting the coastal zone that require federal permits, to ensure that these are in compliance with approved state environmental management mandates such as provided in the Coastal Wetlands Restriction Act (St 1965, c 768). The office also reviews coastal-zone related projects requiring state or local permits; works with other state agencies to improve regulatory mechanisms to protect coastal resources and to set coastal management policies and priorities; provides technical assistance and facilitates financial assistance to coastal communities; and supports coastal-related scientific studies, mapping products, and citizen participation.

The Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Plan under which the office operates includes regulatory policies (13) that call for protecting ecologically significant resource areas, and those of unique productivity; supporting national water quality goals; controlling construction and flood or erosion control permits, dredging construction and flood or erosion control permits, dredging projects, offshore sand and gravel mining, tideland industrial use, energy facilities, exploration and production of offshore oil and gas resources (with evaluation of alternative sources of energy and offshore mining), and subsurface waste discharge; protecting designated scenic rivers; and reviewing developments in or near historic districts or sites or public recreation sites.

Nonregulatory policies (14) include encouraging and assisting commercial fisheries; ensuring appropriate public works projects within the coastal flood plain; encouraging conservation or recreational use of hazard-prone areas; providing funding for flooding and erosion protection; encouraging development appropriate to community character and scenic resources; promoting public benefit from channel dredging; encouraging redevelopment of urban waterfronts; improving public access to and increasing capacity of coastal recreation facilities; assisting developers of private recreational facilities and sites that increase public access to the shoreline; expanding and acquiring public recreational areas; expanding energy conservation; ensuring that public transportation and wastewater projects serve existing developed areas; and encouraging revitalization of existing development centers in the coastal zone.

The office sponsors scientific studies, inventories, and mapping projects that include natural resources and waterfront facilities. Liaison with the public is facilitated by the Coastal Resources Advisory Board, instituted in 1978 and consisting of representatives of user groups appointed by the Executive Office of Environmental Protection, and citizen advisory committees.

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agency described above can be found by searching the following access point for the time period stated: 1978-present--Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Office.