Coastal Management Regarding Beach and Dune Protection: An Exploratory Analysis.

The Congressional declaration of national coastal policy in Section 303 of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 charges the coastal states to meet the objective of coastal resource protection. At this time, when the appropriate mix of authority between federal and state governments concerning environmental regulations is in debate; it is important to determine whether the inter-governmental partnership created by CZMA is effective in protecting coastal resources. This research is an exploratory analysis of coastal management regarding beach and dune protection within the twenty-four coastal states. The dissertation objectives are as follows: (1) determine the level of development of coastal management programs at the state level, (2) determine the political, economic, social, and environmental variables which may explain variation in the level of development of the coastal management programs, (3) investigate the extent to which coastal management approaches influence: coastal health conditions, and (4) determine which specific coastal management tools or program components appear to be associated with better coastal health conditions. Several findings resulted from this research. First, the level of development of the coastal management programs regarding beach and dune protection varies widely policies. Third, three coastal management approaches or strategies appear to be associated with better coastal health conditions. These are regulatory, planning, and nonregulatory. The fourth finding suggests which specific coastal management tools or program components are associated with better coastal health conditions. Although, eleven out of twenty-two tools are linked to some desirable environmental outcomes, the component most often associated with better coastal health conditions is the utilization of Special Area Management Plans. This research offers several useful findings for both theorists and coastal managers. For theorists, factors appearing to influence the level of coastal management policy development are identified. For practitioners, the findings offer insight into which coastal management approaches and components lead to better coastal health conditions