States / Alaska

Alaska

Coastal Management

The focus is on managing coastal areas to increase resilience, with an emphasis on balancing environmental, economic, and human wellbeing. Mandated by the Coastal Zone Management Act, the two federal programs designed for this task are the National Coastal Zone Management Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Programs are administered, on the federal side, by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, in partnership with the coastal states.

Mountains covered in snow in the distance, with snow in the foreground.

State Programs

Coastal Zone Management

As of July 1, 2011, Alaska does not have a federally approved coastal management program and federal consistency does not apply to Alaska. Contact NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management for additional information.

National Estuarine Research Reserves

Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Designated in 1999 and protecting 372,000 acres, this reserve is located 150 miles south of Anchorage on the western coast of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. This is the largest site in the national reserve system, and is one of the most productive and intensively used estuaries in the state. Home to Pacific halibut and all five species of Pacific salmon, the bay is an economic driver in a region heavily dependent on commercial and sport fishing. (See handout)