States / Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

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 and the Coral Reef Conservation Act, the federal programs designated for this task are the National Coastal Zone Management Program, the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. These programs are administered, on the federal side, by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, in partnership with the coastal states.

View of a rocky coastline with blue and green water. A large rocky island juts out of the water.

State Programs

Coastal Zone Management

Division of Coastal Resource Management. Established in 1983 within the Office of the Governor, and reorganized under the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality, the Division of Coastal Resource Management program was established to promote conservation and wise coastal development.

Coral Reef Initiative. Established within the Division of Coastal Resources Management, this cross-agency initiative is focused on the important coral reefs located here. All protection and conservation efforts ensure the responsible management of these natural resources.