Letter Signifies Nationwide Support for Funding Coastal Zone Management Programs

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coastal States Organization (CSO) hand delivered a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees today signed by over 150 organizations supporting the National Coastal Zone Management Program, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) federal-state partnership.  The President's "skinny budget" released on March 16 proposes to zero out this critical and massively popular program. The letter can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/CSOfriends. The letter urges Congress to protect funding leveraged by the 35 Coastal States and Territories to look after, enhance, and develop their coastlines. Coastal States Organization represents the 35 U.S. Coastal States, Territories & Commonwealths on ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resource issues.

Signatories hail from all over the country, ranging from large national organizations to local community groups, Mayors representing coastal towns, and citizens who care about oceans and coasts.  The CZM program provides needed resources that enable coastal communities to restore coastal infrastructure, address critical problems like erosion, and enhance working waterfronts.  U.S. coastal and Great Lakes economies account for 149,000 business establishments, 3.0 million employees, $117 billion in wages, and $359 billion in gross domestic product.¹

"For 45 years, Congress has matched state and local funds to enable America to have the most outstanding recreational, natural and commercial coastlines," states Mary Munson, Executive Director of the Coastal States Organization. "This letter illustrates the widespread support of Coastal Management in communities like Port Washington, Wisconsin; Dauphin Island, Alabama; Tillamook County, Oregon; and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana." Supporters from Hawaii to Puerto Rico weighed in.

CSO has documented a range of projects these funds have enabled at https://tinyurl.com/czmasuccessreport. "People love coastal programs because they enable states to address their priorities," adds Munson. Examples of where funds have been used include restoring a barrier island in Texas, developing a disaster recovery and redevelopment plan in Georgia, relocating a threatened roadway in California, and helping communities design shoreline protection structures in Ohio.

¹https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/econ-report.pdf

For Further Information, Please contact:
Mary Munson, CSO Executive Director, 786-326-4016
Coastal States Organization: 202-508-3860

SOURCE Coastal States Organization (CSO)