Delaware Coastal Zone Management Program

Program Overview

The Delaware Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1979 and is led by the Division of Climate, Coastal, and Energy, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The program coordinates across nearly every state agency to ensure the effective implementation of policies, state laws, regulations and executive orders that affect coastal resources.

The whole state of Delaware is designated as a coastal zone due to its small size and is divided into two tiers: the “coastal strip” and the rest of the state. The coastal strip, averaging four miles in width, receives special zoning protection from industrial development, while the second tier only falls under general program provisions.