The Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program was established through Executive Order in 1986. An Executive Order is issued by each new governor to continue the program; it outlines the administration of the program and maps out the responsibilities and mission of the program in a series of goals and objectives.
In September 2018, Governor Ralph S. Northam signed and submitted to NOAA a letter to continue the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program in perpetuity.
As did the previous Executive Orders, this letter outlines the goals of Virginia's CZM Program as follows:
Policy Goals
State agencies having responsibility for the Commonwealth's coastal resources shall promote the Coastal Zone Management Program consistent with the following goals:
Coastal Resource Protection
Goal 1: To protect and restore coastal resources, habitats, and species of the Commonwealth. These include, but are not limited to, wetlands, subaqueous lands and vegetation, beaches, sand dune systems, barrier islands, underwater or maritime cultural resources, riparian forested buffers, and endangered or threatened species.
Goal 2: To restore and maintain the quality of all coastal waters for human and ecosystem health through protection from adverse effects of excess nutrients, toxics, pathogens, and sedimentation.
Goal 3: To protect air quality.
Goal 4: To reduce or prevent losses of coastal habitat, life, and property caused by shoreline erosion, storms, relative sea level rise, and other coastal hazards in a manner that balances environmental and economic considerations.
Coastal Resource Sustainable Use
Goal 5: To provide for sustainable wild fisheries and aquaculture.
Goal 6: To promote sustainable ecotourism and to increase and improve public access to coastal waters and shorefront lands compatible with resource protection goals.
Goal 7: To promote renewable energy production and provide for appropriate extraction of energy and mineral resources consistent with proper environmental practices.
Coastal Management Coordination
Goal 8: To ensure sustainable development on coastal lands and support access for water-dependent development through effective coordination of governmental planning processes.
Goal 9: To avoid and minimize coastal and ocean resource use conflicts through research, planning, and a forum for coordination and facilitation among local, regional, state and federal government agencies, interest groups, and citizens.
Goal 10: To promote informed decision-making by maximizing the availability of up-to-date educational information, technical advice, and scientific data including the use of new tools such as marine spatial planning.