What Is the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program?

The Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program (Virginia CZM Program) was established in 1986 to protect and manage Virginia's "coastal zone." 

Although only 29 percent of Virginia's land area lies within the coastal zone, more than 60 percent of Virginia's citizens call it home.  Virginia's 2010 population was 5,044,179.044 

Virginia Coastal Zone Description

Virginia's coastal zone includes 5,000 miles of shoreline, four tidal rivers reaching as far as 100 miles inland - the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers. and all of the waters therein, and out to, the three mile Territorial Sea boundary, including all of Virginia's Atlantic coast watershed as well as parts of the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle - Pamlico Sound watersheds.

Virginia's coastal zone encompasses the 29 counties, 17 cities and 42 incorporated towns in "Tidewater Virginia", as defined in the Code of Virginia 28.2-100 (see a complete list of counties, cities and towns below).

Download a copy of the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Area Map - (JPEG, 3.46 MB)

Virginia CZM Program History and Structure

The Virginia CZM Program is part of a national coastal zone management program, a voluntary partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) and U.S. coastal states and territories authorized by the federal Coastal Zone Management Act.

• Virginia Coastal Resource Management Program – Final Environmental Impact Statement ("Program Document")

NOAA Office of Coastal Zone Management and (former) Council of Environment Commonwealth of Virginia - 1986. (PDF, 20 MB)  Since 1986, the Virginia CZM Program has completed a number of Routine Program Changes.

• NOAA OCRM State Partnership webpage
  
• NOAA's Biennial Report to Congress on Administrative Progress of Coastal Zone Management 2006-2007
  
• NOAA OCRM Coastal Zone Management Program Strategic Plan 2007-2012

The Virginia CZM Program was established through an Executive Order, which is renewed by each new governor.  The Program is a not a single centralized agency or entity, but a network of state agencies and local governments which administer the following enforceable laws, regulations and policies that protect our coastal resources:

• Tidal and Nontidal Wetlands
• Fisheries
• Subaqueous Lands
• Dunes and Beaches
• Point Source Air Pollution
• Point Source Water Pollution
• Nonpoint Source Water Pollution
• Shoreline Sanitation
• Coastal Lands

Go to detail on laws, regulations, and responsible agencies...

Geographic Areas of Particular Concern

• spawning/nursery/feeding grounds
• coastal primary sand dunes
• barrier islands
• significant wildlife habitat areas
• significant public recreation areas
• significant sand and gravel resource deposits
• underwater historic resources
• highly erodible/high hazard areas
• waterfront development area

Go to detail on advisory policies protecting areas of geographic concern...

How Does the Virginia CZM Program Network Work?

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) serves as the lead agency for Virginia's networked coastal zone management program and helps agencies and localities to develop and implement coordinated coastal policies and solve coastal management problems.

Facilitating cooperation among these agencies is the Coastal Policy Team (CPT). The CPT, whose members represent all of Virginia's key CZM partners, provides a forum for discussion and resolution of cross-cutting coastal resource management issues.

Virginia CZM Program Staff at DEQ initiate, develop and coordinate the Program's activities and administer the program's annual grant award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management.

Together, Virginia's localities (represented by Virginia's 8 Coastal Planning District Commissions), state agencies and NOAA form an effective intergovernmental partnership.

Virginia CZM Program Reporting to NOAA

Every 6 months, the Virginia CZM Program partner agencies provide the Virginia CZM Office at DEQ a summary report of their activities as they relate to managing the coastal resources above.  These reports are submitted to NOAA and are downloadable below:

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from April 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from October 1, 2010– March 31, 2011

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from April 1, 2010 - September 30, 2010

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from October 1, 2009– March 31, 2010

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from April 1, 2009 – September 30, 2009

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2009

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from April 1, 2008 – September 30, 2008

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from October 1, 2007 – March 31, 2008

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from April 1, 2007 - September 30, 2007

Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Semiannual Section B Report on Core Agency Implementation Activities - For the Period from October 1, 2006 – March 31, 2007

Federal Consistency

Having a federally approved coastal zone management program also authorizes Virginia to require that federal actions are consistent with the state's CZM Program's laws and enforceable policies. For more information about federal consistency, go to Environmental Impact Review.

Program Changes

Periodically, the Virginia CZM Program needs to be updated to reflect changes made to coastal law and regulation. This process of updating the program, if it is a significant change is known as a "Program Amendment." If it is a less significant change, it is known as a "Routine Program Change." Because the laws and regulations incorporated into the Virginia CZM Program are used for Federal Consistency determinations, this process is a crucial part of maintaining a strong program.  A list and more information about these changes will soon be downloable form this site.  In the interim, please contact Shep Moon, Virginia CZM Program Planner, for this information.

Program Evaluation

The NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management conducts a routine evaluation of the Virginia CZM Program every three years.  An evaluation team meets with federal, state and local staff, academics and others to review how well the Virginia CZM Program is implementing its approved program, adhering to its federal financial awards and being consistent with the Coastal Zone Management Act.  A public meeting is held to solicit comments from the general public.  Written comments are also encouraged. 

The Virginia CZM Program was last evaluated in May of 2006.  NOAA will issue draft evaluation findings identifying porgram successes and areas needing improvement.  These finding will be available for public comment and available on this web site.

NOAA Evaluation Findings:

"Evaluation Findings for the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program - August 2003 through May 2006" (pdf)

"Evaluation Findings for the Virginia Coastal Management Program November 1999 Through July 2003" (pdf)

Virginia coastal communities:"Tidewater" Virginia

Virginia's coastal incorporated towns

Go to the Coastal Planning District Commission Page for more information.

For More Information About Virginia's Natural and Human Coastal Communities...

Visit the Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Natural Heritage and the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for more information, descriptions and inventories, of Virginia's natural communities.

Visit the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Institute of Marine Science for more information about Virginia's aquatic environment and communities.

Visit the Virginia Division of Legislative Services or the state's data center - the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service- for more information about Virginia's population.

For comments or questions concerning this program's web pages, contact the Web Author.

This web site is provided by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program through a federal Coastal Zone Management Act grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce.