OFFICE FOR COASTAL MANAGEMENT

coast.noaa.gov

NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Program Evaluations

NOAA conducts periodic evaluations of state and territorial coastal management programs and National Estuarine Research Reserves as called for in the Coastal Zone Management Act. Evaluations assess accomplishments and needs and include recommendations for program enhancements. There are opportunities for the public to provide written comments or attend a public meeting. A final evaluation report summarizes the process and results.

NOAA to hold public meetings on California Coastal Management Program

Public invited to provide input on the state’s coastal management program and performance evaluation

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management will hold an in-person public meeting and two virtual public meetings to gather input for the performance evaluation of the California coastal management program. These meetings provide an important opportunity for the public and stakeholders to share new information following the previous public meeting held in August 2024.

The evaluation assesses how well California is implementing its federally approved coastal management program under the Coastal Zone Management Act. NOAA specifically seeks input on key topics including spaceport infrastructure, offshore oil production, pipeline maintenance, desalination projects and undersea cables.

“These public meetings are a key part of our transparent evaluation process,” said Tim Petty, assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere at NOAA. “We encourage all interested parties—including coastal communities, industry stakeholders, environmental organizations, local governments and Tribal nations—to participate and share their perspectives on how the California coastal management program addresses important coastal uses and resources.”

Meeting Details

In-person public meeting date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
Location: Pacific Ballroom, Hilton Santa Monica Hotel and Suites, 1707 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Virtual public meetings (via Adobe Connect)
Dates: Tuesday, August 11, and Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT each day

Registration and participation information

To speak at the in-person meeting, please register by emailing czma.california-evaluation@noaa.gov by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 8, 2026. Space is limited. Walk-in speakers will be accommodated as time allows, following pre-registered speakers. Each speaker will be allowed three minutes. The in-person meeting will be livestreamed (view-only); registration for the livestream is available via NOAA’s Adobe Connect platform.

To attend a virtual meeting, participants may register online by 11:59 p.m. PT on August 10, 2026. Space is limited to 1,000 participants per session; NOAA encourages attendees to choose one day only. Speakers will be recognized via the “raise hand” feature and allotted three minutes each. Sessions will be recorded.

Written comments may also be submitted by email to czma.california-evaluation@noaa.gov with the subject line “Comments on Performance Evaluation of the California Coastal Management Program.” The deadline for written comments is August 22, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Background

California’s coastal management program is a federal-state partnership designed to balance the protection of coastal resources with sustainable economic development and public access. NOAA conducts periodic performance evaluations to ensure states are effectively implementing approved coastal management programs.

For more information about the California coastal management program, visit the NOAA Office for Coastal Management. Additional information on the public meetings can be found here.

Media Contact

Marissa Anderson, NOS Public Affairs
oceanservicepress@noaa.gov


2026 Evaluations

Provided below is a list of programs in the current evaluation cycle. Public input is encouraged; members of the public may attend a public meeting or email comments to czma.evaluations@noaa.gov.

Georgia Coastal Management Program – Rescheduled

Evaluator: Michael Migliori, Michael.Migliori@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov by April 3, 2026. Include “Comments on Georgia Coastal Management Program” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual Public Meeting: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. Please register by Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

Program Information: Assessment and Strategy, Nonpoint Program, and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve

Evaluator: Carrie Hall, Carrie.Hall@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov by April 24, 2026. Include “Comments on Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual Public Meeting: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time. Please register by Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

Program Information: Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the management plan, site profile, or most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Pennsylvania Coastal Management Program

Evaluator: Carrie Hall, Carrie.Hall@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov. Include “Comments on Pennsylvania Coastal Management Program” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual Public Meeting: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Eastern time. Please register by Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

Program Information: Nonpoint Program and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the program’s Assessment and Strategy and most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Washington State Coastal Management Program

Evaluator: Michael Migliori, Michael.Migliori@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov. Include “Comments on Washington State Coastal Management Program” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual and In-person Public Meeting: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 5 p.m. Pacific time.

  • Virtual Attendance: To attend virtually, please register by Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. Pacific time. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.
  • In-person Attendance: For those attending in person, the meeting will be held at the Washington State Department of Ecology Headquarters, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Washington, in the auditorium room. There is free guest parking outside the front entrance on the north side of the building. Guests will need to check in at the front desk and go downstairs to the auditorium. ID is not required. Attendees are encouraged to check in between 4:45 and 5 p.m.

Program Information: Assessment and Strategy, Nonpoint Program, and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Management Program

Evaluator: Susie Holst Rice, Susie.Holst@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov. Include “Comments on Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Coastal Management Program” in the subject line of the message.

In-person Public Meeting: Postponed. To be rescheduled at a later date.

Program Information: Assessment and Strategy, Nonpoint Program, and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Evaluator: Pam Kylstra, Pam.Kylstra@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov. Include “Elkhorn Slough Comments for Performance Evaluation” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual and In-person Public Meeting: Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Pacific time

Virtual Attendance: To attend virtually, please register by 6:00 p.m. Pacific time Monday, September 14, 2026. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

In-person Attendance: For those attending in person, advanced registration is also requested by 6:00 p.m. Pacific time Monday, September 14, 2026. However, you may attend without registering. The meeting will be held at Monterey County Library, Castroville Branch, 11160 Speegle Street, Castroville, California 95012.

Program Information: Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the Site Profile, Management Plan, and most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Mission Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve

Evaluator: Carrie Hall, Carrie.Hall@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov by Friday, September 11, 2026. Include “MANERR Comments for Performance Evaluation” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual and In-person Public Meeting: Thursday, September 3, 2026, 6:00 p.m. Central time

Virtual Attendance: To attend virtually, please register by 6:00 p.m. Central time Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

In-person Attendance: For those attending in person, advanced registration is also requested by 6:00 p.m. Central time Tuesday, September 1, 2026. However, you may attend without registering. The meeting will be held at the Bay Education Center, 121 Seabreeze Drive, Rockport, Texas 78382.

Program Information: Site Profile and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the Management Plan and most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Maine Coastal Management Program

Evaluator: Michael Migliori, Michael.Migliori@noaa.gov

Written Comments: Email comments to the evaluator at czma.evaluations@noaa.gov by Friday, September 11, 2026. Include “Maine CMP Comments for Performance Evaluation” in the subject line of the message.

Virtual Public Meeting: Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please register by Thursday, September 3 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time. Advance registration is requested; however, registration will remain open until the meeting closes.

Program Information: Assessment and Strategy, Nonpoint Program and Previous Evaluation Findings. If you would like a copy of the most recent performance report, contact the evaluator.

Reports

For more information, contact us.