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. View CNMI’s past and present 309 Assessment and Strategy Reports below.

Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2011-2015
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Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2016-2020
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Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2016-2020 – FAQ Sheet
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Section 309 Assessment and Strategy 2021-2025
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Financial assistance provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, as amended, administered by the Office for Coastal Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. © 2018 DCRM. All Rights Reserved.