Coastal Zone Management

Coastal watershed counties make up less than 20 percent of the total U.S. land area, yet they are home to more than half the nation’s population. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Coastal Population Report, these counties are already more than three times as densely populated as the rest of the country, and they are projected to add at least another 15 million people by 2020. How can coastal communities balance the competing demands of these dynamic environments and the people who live there? And what happens to that balance as climate change shifts the landscape?

This authoritative new report gives planners the tools they need to keep their heads above water and their feet on the ground. Chapters cover the broad expanse of coastal activities and uses, from preservation to recreation, tourism to transportation, industry to infrastructure. Specialists explore essential issues such as water quality, erosion, habitat conservation, stormwater management, responsible development and redevelopment, offshore energy development, and the promise—and limitations—of new geospatial technologies.