The Coastal States Organization’s members are delegates appointed by the governors of the 34 coastal states, commonwealths and territories of the United States, including the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific Seaboards, Great Lakes, and islands.
These delegates, and their alternates, often lead the state’s or territory’s coastal zone management program. However, while only delegates have voting rights, all state agency staff are invited to participate in CSO activities.
Our members’ 36 CZMPs encompass the full range of our nation’s many diverse coastal ecosystems, ranging from coral reefs to rocky bluffs, vast estuarine wetlands to deep kelp forests, and sandy beaches to tropical lagoons. The Coastal communities they represent are also economic drivers, contributing billions of dollars annually to the United States economy. The coasts of the United States are home to some of the most active working waterfronts in the world and are often prime destinations for tourism and recreation.
Coastal Zone Management Programs are diverse in both their structure and strategic function. While many CZMPs are housed under their state’s environmental or natural resource agency, others are within the offices of their governor or composed of a network of state agencies. CZMPs play a multi-faceted role in all aspects of ocean and coastal management including planning and policy development, funding, research, project review and permitting, technical assistance, and regional collaboration. As required by the Coastal Zone Management Act, all Coastal Zone Management Programs that receive federal funding have a management program approved by NOAA.
Despite their differences in structure and geography, each program faces similar challenges, such as sea-level (or lake level) rise, increasing coastal erosion and habitat loss. CSO acts as a policy communication channel between the federal government in D.C. and our member states, and a platform for members to convene and tackle shared issues. To facilitate knowledge sharing, CSO hosts member work groups to explore topic areas of importance, as well as a Legal Council to convene state attorneys on significant and emerging coastal legal issues. CSO’s active work groups include:
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Gulf of Mexico
Islands