• Coastal Resources

Coastal Sector Laws and Regulations

This tab includes laws, legislation, regulations, agency guidance, and executive orders relevant to the coastal sector.  

Resources are automatically presented by rating, but can be sorted by date or title. Apply additional filters to narrow by law type, state, region, impact, or jurisdictional focus. 

 

 

167 results are shown below.

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Resource

San Francisco Bay Plan (California)

October 6, 2011

The San Francisco Bay Plan contains the policies that the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) uses to determine whether permit applications can be approved for projects within the Commission’s jurisdiction, which consists of the Bay, salt ponds, managed wetlands, certain waterways and land within 100 feet of the Bay.   On October 6, 2011, the BCDC unanimously approved an amendment to the Plan to update the 22-year-old sea level rise findings and policies and more broadly address climate change adaptation.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Sea-Level Change Considerations in Civil Works Programs (USACE EC 1165-2-212)

October 1, 2011

Developed in 2011 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), this circular provides guidance for incorporating the direct and indirect physical effects of projected future sea-level change across the project life cycle in managing, planning, engineering, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining USACE projects and systems of projects. The guidelines apply to all USACE elements having Civil Works responsibilities and is applicable to all USACE Civil Works activities. This guidance supersedes all previous guidance on this subject, and expires on September 30, 2013.

Resource Category: Planning

 

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Creation of “Adaptation Action Areas” in Florida's Community Planning Act

June 2, 2011

The 2011 Florida Legislature passed the Community Planning Act (CPA - HB 7207) making significant changes to the state’s growth management laws, including the addition of optional adaptation planning for coastal hazards and the potential impacts of sea level rise. The Adaptation Action Area (AAA), as defined in the CPA, is an optional comprehensive plan designation for areas that experience coastal flooding and that are vulnerable to the related impacts of rising sea levels for prioritizing funding for infrastructure and adaptation planning.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Caltrans Guidance on Incorporating Sea Level Rise - for use in the planning and development of Project Initiation Documents

May 16, 2011

This guidance document was developed by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) pursuant to Executive Order S-13-08, issued by then Governor Schwarzenegger in November 2008. It provides guidance to Caltrans staff Project Development Teams on how to assess the vulnerability of transportation projects to sea-level rise (SLR) impacts and incorporate adaptation into the programming and design of vulnerable projects. 

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Virginia SB 964 (2011): Coastal resource management; Living Shorelines; VA Marine Resources Commission, et al. to develop integrated guidance.

April 29, 2011

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) was directed by SB 964 in 2011 to develop and implement a general permit regulation that authorizes and encourages the use of living shorelines as the preferred alternative for stabilizing tidal shorelines.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Guidance for Addressing Climate Change in California Coastal Conservancy Projects

April 4, 2011

The Coastal Conservancy’s Climate Ready program focuses on protecting important coastal resources and habitats from the current and future impacts of climate change, along the California coast and within the San Francisco Bay. The 'Guidance for Addressing Climate Change in California Coastal Conservancy Projects' provides grantees and Conservancy staff clarification, information and resources to assist in understanding and applying the Conservancy’s adopted Climate Change Policy and Project Selection Criteria.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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California Ocean Protection Act (amended 2011)

January 2011

The California Ocean Protection Act (COPA) was signed into law in 2004 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, establishing the California Ocean Protection Trust Fund and the Ocean Protection Council (OPC). As amended in 2011, COPA is also a tool in assisting city governments to plan for climate change adaptation and sea level rise.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: “Building Resilience to Climate Change”

October 15, 2010

As the lead agency in Maryland for climate change adaptation efforts, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued this policy to “provide direction and guidance regarding the Department’s investments in and management of land, resources and assets in the face of climate change.” The policy is “to make sound investments in land and facilities and to manage [DNR] assets and natural resources so as to better understand, mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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Maryland's Department of Natural Resources Policy Number 2010-11: Building Resilience to Climate Change

October 12, 2010

Enacted in 2010 by the State of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, this document sets forth the Department’s policy to manage the state’s land, natural resources and assets toward better understanding, mitigating and adapting to climate change. In this policy, the Department identifies climate change-related practices, procedures and implementation actions across seven areas: new land investments, facility and infrastructure siting and design, habitat restoration, government operations, research and monitoring, resource planning, and advocacy.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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State of California Sea-Level Rise Interim Guidance Document

October 2010

California Executive Order S-13-08 required all state agencies that are planning construction projects in areas vulnerable to future sea-level rise (SLR) to "consider a range of sea level rise scenarios for the years 2050 and 2100 in order to assess project vulnerability and, to the extent feasible, reduce expected risks and increase resiliency to sea level rise. " To support this directive, the Sea. Level Rise Task Force of the Coastal and Ocean Working Group of the California Climate Action Team (CO.

Resource Category: Law and Governance

 

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