Coastal Management that Protects and Restores
Our Coastal Management Goal is deeply intertwined with, and supports our work for clean water, living shorelines, thriving oysters, and a coast that is free of marine debris. We work with a multitude of stakeholders to engage them in sound coastal management decisions based on the best science and technology. In addition, we partner to secure adequate funds so that decisions can be implemented and enforced, and support and strengthen the legal foundation that enables us to protect and restore our coast.
Coastal resiliency is at the foundation of this goals work, recognizing that now is the critical time to prepare for the future. This means ensuring natural defenses are sound, waters are safe for fishing and swimming and we are free of emerging contaminants and other threats like offshore oil and microplastics. In 2023, we will continue to unite communities, businesses, government agencies, and academia to work for effective coastal management decisions.
For 40 years, the Federation has increased the number, diversity, and commitment of stakeholders by identifying and linking common interests to forge partnerships. This allows us to maintain and improve the laws, policies, and funding needed to achieve our other goals. Our policy experts on the coast and in Raleigh are reaching out to and supporting federal and state lawmakers, government officials, regulatory commission members, academics, business and industry leaders, landowners, homeowners, fishers, farmers, media, and other key stakeholders, helping them to help us achieve our goals and benchmarks. But that’s not all we do.
We also keep watch on important emerging issues that aren’t fully encompassed within our existing goals. When needed, we adjust and adapt to address unanticipated problems or opportunities. Several issues that will likely be added to our policy work in the years ahead include influencing coastal energy and climate policies, better aligning of our existing water quality work with strategies to reduce nutrients and toxic algae in coastal waterways, increasing our capacity to reach out and engage with communities that are currently underserved by our work, and launching a comprehensive enrichment program to increase the capacity of local governments (elected and appointed officials, staff and consultants) to address environmental issues facing our coast.
