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increasing stresses on the nation’s coastal areas. Administered by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the CZMA created a partnership of federal and state government to reduce conflicts between land and water uses in the coastal zone, protect fragile coastal resources, and provide for economic development. To this end, the CZMA seeks a balance between preservation and economic development, and promotes the wise use of the valuable resources of the nation’s 95,000 miles of shoreline. Under the CZMA partnership, the federal government and participating states share the responsibility for effectively managing coastal areas and resolving conflicts between competing uses. State, commonwealth, and island territories are on the front line, developing and implementing coastal zone management programs which are designed to meet their individual needs, but also take into account the broader national interest in wise management of coastal resources. NOAA promotes and supports the joint federal-state interest in coastal management by: assisting states with development and implementation of programs; providing federal funds for implementing these programs; ensuring that state CZM interests are represented at the federal level and that the federal interest is adequately represented at the state level; providin