Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (MA CZM)

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is a part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). The mission of the CMZ is to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources.

The Massachusetts CZM StormSmart Coasts program provides information, strategies, and tools to help communities and people working and living on the coast to address the challenges of erosion, flooding, storms, sea level rise, and other climate change impacts. The program also promotes effective management of coastal landforms, such as beaches and dunes.

CZM administers 2 grant programs related to coastal resiliency to climate impacts:

• Coastal Community Resilience Grant Program - Grants to cities and towns to advance new and innovative local efforts to address climate change and sea level rise impacts.
• Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience Pilot Grant Program - Grants to support local efforts to reduce or eliminate risks associated with coastal storms, erosion, and sea level rise through natural and nonstructural approaches, called green infrastructure.

As a networked program, CZM was specifically established to work with other state agencies, federal agencies, local governments, academic institutions, nonprofit groups, and the general public to promote sound management of the Massachusetts coast.  CZM brings together a small, dedicated staff of technical specialists in marine sciences, policy, law, and public outreach, along with regional coordinators who serve as liaisons to communities and local organizations.  CZM is funded primarily through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Phone: (617) 626-1200

Sectors:

• Biodiversity and ecosystems
• Coastal
• Oceans

Related Resources:

• Massachusetts Climate Preparedness Initiative
• Climate Ready Boston Final Report (2016)
• Massachusetts StormSmart Coasts Program
• Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning Study for Water Quality Infrastructure in New Bedford, Fairhaven and Acushnet, Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Coastal Resilience Grant Program
• Coast Resilience Solutions for East Boston and Charlestown, Massachusetts
• Preparing for the Storm: Recommendations for Management of Risk from Coastal Hazards in Massachusetts
• Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Action Plan: Planning for a Shifting Shoreline and Coastal Storms