Water Resource Management Commons^™

New Jersey Coastal Program Boundary, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The boundary of a federally approved coastal program defines a geographic area that receives special planning and management attention through regulations, financial assistance, and technical support. Section 306(d)(2)(A) of the federal Coastal Zone Management Act provides the basis for determining the coastal boundary. In Section 304 of the act, the coastal zone refers to coastal waters (and the lands below them) and the adjacent shorelands, “strongly influenced by each other and in proximity to the shorelines of the several coastal states, including transitional and intertidal areas, salt marshes, wetlands, and beaches. The zone extends…seaward to the outer limit of State …

Public Trust Doctrine And Public Access In New Jersey, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

A discussion paper prepared as part of a series of focus groups on the topic of the Public Trust Doctrine and Public Access in New Jersey.

Public access is specifically identified as one of the key priorities of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972. More importantly, the Act enables states to develop their own coastal zone management programs and to receive federal funding with which to implement them. There are a number of criteria that such plans must include before they can receive federal approval.

Ocean Zoning For The Gulf Of Maine: A Background Paper, Fara Courtney, Jack Wiggin

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

Coastal and ocean management is a constantly evolving practice. For at least two decades, coastal communities around the world have been experimenting with new ways to control a multitude of activities in their urban and rural harbors. The number and diversity of Marine Protected Areas are growing, with an increasing focus on protecting integrated biological communities, rather than individual species of concern. The United States and Canada are each developing new, comprehensive ocean polices, looking to better integrate management functions at all levels of government.

All of these initiatives – from local to national - reflect some common truths about …

Federal Consistency In New Jersey, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

A discussion paper prepared as part of a focus group on the topic of Federal Consistency in New Jersey.

In 1972, the U. S. Congress passed the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), designed to “preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore and enhance the resources of the nation's coastal zone.” The CZMA encouraged coastal states to develop and implement comprehensive management programs that balance the need for coastal resource protection with the need for economic growth and development within the coastal zone.

In the latter portion of the 1970s New Jersey developed a coastal management plan that was fully …

Baseline 2000 Background Report: The Status Of Integrated Coastal Management As An International Practice (Second Iteration), Jens Sorensen

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The Coastal Zone Canada 2000 Conference occurred in Saint John, New Brunswick from September 17 to 22. All of the 600 registrants received a canvas packet that included four separately bound publications: the final conference program, the tradeshow program, Canadian Synopsis (a table of ICM efforts in Canada), and Baseline 2000.

The Coastal Zone Canada Association organized and administered the Conference as they had done for three previous Canadian based international CZ conferences (Victoria, British Columbia in 1998, Rimouski, Québec in 1996, and Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1994).

Two of the fundamental objectives of the Coastal Zone Canada Association (CZCA) …

Weir River Area Of Critical Environmental Concern: Natural Resources Inventory, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The Weir River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) was designated by the Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs in 1986 in recognition of one of the largest and most productive salt marsh ecosystems in the Boston Harbor area. As an ACEC, the region is afforded additional attention and protection from state agencies in order to achieve the goals of designation--to restore, enhance, and manage the resources. The region was nominated by residents of the abutting communities of Hull, Hingham, and Cohasset who took the opportunity to call attention to the uniqueness of the environment and to their concerns that development …

A Preliminary Survey Of The Sewage Pumpout Facilities In The No Discharge Areas Of Massachusetts, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

This survey provides a preliminary review of the activities of pumpout facilities in the No Discharge Areas of Massachusetts. It highlights areas of concern, identifies potential improvements and focuses further research.

Based on data from Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management, there are 100 pumpout facilities in Massachusetts, located in 56 towns. Of these 52, have one or more pumpout boats. Due to financial limitations and the time available, any attempt to survey all these facilities was beyond the scope of this study. However, it had been suggested that from CZM’s, DMF’s and EPA’s standpoint, the areas of greatest interest were those …

Marine Industries Association Of South Florida Master Plan, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Fau Joint Center For Environmental And Urban Problems

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

The Marine Industry Master Plan was prepared by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) to present a comprehensive and coordinated action agenda for retaining and expanding the marine industry in Broward County. This Master Plan is an extension of a strategic planning process conducted by the MIASF in which the major issues confronting the industry were identified along with an initial strategy to address those issues. This Marine Master Plan is part of that strategy. The plan contains goals, objectives, and actions that respond to several key issues: scarcity of waterfront sites for marine facility expansion, displacement of …

America's Green Ports: Environmental Management And Technology At Us Ports, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

America's Green Ports: Environmental Management and Technology at US Ports is a compendium of case studies presenting a selection of innovative and cost-effective management practices and technologies employed by US ports to avoid, prevent, minimize, mitigate or remediate environmental impacts associated with port development and operations. This compendium of projects is one product of the US EPA, Office of Water’s Green Ports Program. It follows the 1998 publication of the Environmental Management Handbook prepared by the American Association of Port Authorities, also funded by the US EPA's Office of Water. That report provides practical information on incorporating environmental stewardship into …

Harbor Plan For The Town Of Provincetown, Urban Harbors Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

Provincetown Harbor is an attractive focus of activity for the entire community which surrounds it. The Harbor area is a complex place that requires public attention to ensure appropriate use and a clean environment. The Provincetown Harbor Plan establishes practical steps to meet these goals. This Plan values the present character and activities within the Harbor area. Rather than seeking dramatic changes, the objective of the Plan is to enhance the Harbor through better management and by accomplishing a list of coordinated improvements.

The Plan envisions a future Provincetown Harbor with substantially greater access and a more pleasant character along …

The Boston Harbor Cleanup, Paul F. Levy, Michael S. Connor

New England Journal of Public Policy

Boston Harbor earned a widespread reputation as "the dirtiest harbor in the nation" during the 1988 presidential campaign. Well before that campaign began, though, efforts were under way to reduce the amount of pollution entering the harbor. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority was created in 1985 to undertake a massive public works program — including construction of a 1.3 billion-gallon-per-day sewage treatment plant and a sludge fertilizer processing plant — to end the decades-old practice of dumping sewage wastes into the ocean. The program will also cause water and sewer charges to rise dramatically during a fifteen-year period.

The project …

The Reclamation Of Boston Harbor: A Scientist's Perspective, Gordon T. Wallace Jr.

New England Journal of Public Policy

A major effort, costing in the neighborhood of $2 billion, is under way to restore the environmental quality of Boston Harbor. While Boston Harbor is unquestionably one of the most polluted urban estuaries in the world, it is also one of the least understood with respect to the basic physics, chemistry, and biology involved. This information is essential for the purpose of identifying processes that control the transport, effect, and fate of contaminants entering the estuary. Failure to obtain this information may lead to continued inappropriate and unnecessarily expensive solutions to a complex environmental problem. An effective solution will require …