The U.S. coast is home to more than half the U.S. population and integral to the nation's economy. Under the Coastal Zone Management Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administers the National Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP), a federal-state partnership that encourages states to balance development with protection of coastal zones in exchange for federal financial assistance and other incentives. In 2008, GAO reviewed the CZMP and recommended improvements for CZMP performance assessment tools. This report examines (1) how states allocated CZMP funds awarded in fiscal years 2008 through 2013; and (2) how NOAA's primary performance assessment tools have changed since GAO's 2008 report and the extent to which NOAA uses performance information in managing the CZMP. Table and figure. This is a print on demand report.

Coastal Zone Management: Opportunities Exist for NOAA to Enhance its Use of Performance Information

Congress enacted the Coastal Zone Management Act in 1972 to balance the often competing demands for economic growth and development with the need to protect coastal resources. To accomplish the goals of the act, Congress established a framework for a voluntary federal and state coastal management partnership, the CZMP. The CZMP represents a unique federal-state partnership for protecting, restoring, and responsibly developing the nation's coastal communities and resources, according to program documents.

Coastal zone management, opportunities exist for NOAA to enhance its use of performance information : report to congressional committees.