Section 309 Assessment and Strategy
The Coastal Zone Enhancement Program encourages state and territorial coastal management programs to strengthen and improve their federally approved coastal management programs in one or more of nine areas. These “enhancement areas” include wetlands, coastal hazards, public access, marine debris, cumulative and secondary impacts, special area management plans, ocean and Great Lakes resources, energy and government facility siting, and aquaculture. This enhancement program was established under Section 309 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), as amended, and these plans are called “309 Assessment and Strategy Reports”.
Every five years states and territories are encouraged to conduct self-assessments of their coastal management programs to determine problems and enhancement opportunities within each of the nine enhancement areas—and to assess the effectiveness of existing management efforts to address identified problems. You can learn more about the Section 309 program on NOAA’s website here.
As we move into the assessment and strategizing phase for the 2026 – 2030 cycle, DCRM is eager to incorporate public input through a short survey.
This is an excellent opportunity for agencies, community members, and all stakeholders (like you!) to inform which key enhancement areas should take precedence in CNMI’s coastal management program.
We invite you to participate in our public feedback period, which is open until December 22, 2024. Make your voice heard by taking our survey!
Descriptions of Coastal Enhancement Areas
View CNMI’s past and present 309 Assessment and Strategy Reports below:
Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2011-2015
View this publication
Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2016-2020
View this publication
Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2016-2020 – FAQ Sheet
View this publication
Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2021-2025
View this publication