States / New Jersey

New Jersey

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.

A truck sits parked on the beach as a person stands near the ocean waves.

State Programs

Coastal Zone Management

New Jersey Coastal Management Program. Established in 1978, the program is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. An important aspect of the program is ensuring that coastal resources and ecosystems are conserved as a vital part of local, state, and federal efforts to enhance sustainable coastal communities. New Jersey's coastal zone encompasses tidal and non-tidal waters, waterfronts, and inland areas.

National Estuarine Research Reserves

Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve. Designated in 1998 and protecting 116,116 acres, this reserve is the only one in the system to be named after an individual. The site is a concentrated patchwork of federal and state lands that include a great variety of terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic habitats. With little more than one percent of the reserve subjected to human development, this area is regarded as one of the least disturbed estuaries in the densely populated urban corridor of the Northeastern United States. (See handout)