Success of Voluntary Certification Under CZMA

The United States Experience in Decentralized Coastal Management: Lessons for Indonesia Proyek Pesisir TR-0005-E 7 · Planning Planning processes must be developed for prioritizing uses in specific areas of the coastal zone. This involves inventorying of resources and identifying areas of conservation, recreational, ecological, his- torical and aesthetic value” and developing plans for preserving these special areas. Certification also requires identifying areas of significant degradation and erosion with corresponding plans for dealing with these losses. Importantly, plans receiving national certification must include a process for “ad- equate consideration of national interests” such as activities related to siting energy facilities and other such important national development priorities. · Funding The CZMA provides Program Management Development Grants to encourage states to initially under- take planning for their coastal management program. Initially, these grants required states to commit to a 4:1 match in federal to state funds in order qualify for the development grant. A state is not allowed to receive more than four grants, and successive grants are conditional upon significant progress in devel- oping a coastal management plan. Administrative grants are also available based on a similar set for- mula, provided certain requirements were met, including matching funds by the state. By 1990, most coastal areas were covered by coastal management plans. As a result, the Coastal Zone Enhancement Grant Program encourages states to focus on improving their programs in a number of areas. These areas include coastal wetlands protection, management in high hazard areas, public access, control of marine pollution and debris, special area management planning and ocean resources planning.

2.3 Success of Voluntary Certification Under CZMA

The CZMA has been hugely successful in terms of states voluntarily submitting their programs to the federal government for review and certification. As of 1999, 99 percent of United States coasts and coastal areas in eligible territories manage coastal resources through integrated coastal management programs ICMP that are certified by the federal government. Now, the federal government and states are focusing on im- proving program components directly related to coastal ecosystem health and quality of life for current and future generations. The are two main reasons for the overwhelming number of states volunteering for federal review and certi- fication of their programs. Initially, funding incentives grants were made available on a cost-sharing basis with states developing their coastal management programs under the guidelines for certification by the national government. Most importantly, under the CZMA, the federal government provided the federal consistency guarantee to states with certified programs. The CZMA Federal Consistency Requirement guarantees states that, with only certain exceptions, federal agency activities and activities funded, sponsored, or permitted by the federal government will be consistent with state or locally-created coastal zone management plans that are approved by the federal government. Furthermore, under the CZMA, once the federal government has approved the state plan, the federal gov- ernment cannot put in place additional requirements to meet new federal government requirements in the future as a condition for continued certification federal compliance, except in situations of great national interest. This recognizes the importance of local control and governance of coastal resources and compels the federal government to comply with local values and wishes in terms of coastal land and water uses. The federal consistency clause fosters, and in many cases requires, cooperation and coordination between state agencies and federal agencies. While the voluntary nature of the CZMA is one of the reasons for its success, there are some issues from a The United States Experience in Decentralized Coastal Management: Lessons for Indonesia Proyek Pesisir TR-0005-E 8 federal perspective that bear noting. Mentioned several times with IST hosts at the national level, was the very low practical ability of the national government to monitor implementation and administration of state and local coastal programs. Once programs are certified there is little recourse for the federal government to be involved in decisions at the local level or in review of the management aspects of the program. Federal personnel noted this would help the overall development of the United States ICMP.

2.4 State and Local Response to the CZMA Through Integrated Coastal Management Pro- grams