HOW WILL BETTER APPROACHES TO COASTAL DEVELOPMENT HELP MEET CLEAN WATER ACT AND COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT REQUIREMENTS?
[POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH] Across the country, cities, regions, and states are recognizing that new and enhanced growth strategies can protect environmental quality while promoting coastal community economic development. Specifically, growth and development approaches can be used to meet some water quality and coastal resource protection goals. For example, the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that communities reduce stormwater runoff, reduce pollutant loads in impaired water bodies, and prevent degradation of pristine waters. The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) requires communities to preserve, protect, and, if possible, restore coastal resources. Better development approaches can help achieve these goals. The purpose of this project is to: 1) identify opportunities in both the CWA and the CZMA where better approaches to coastal development could be used to meet local, state, or federal requirements; 2) review and analyze existing regulations and guidance documents to identify
