Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

Program Overview

The Virginia Coastal Management Program was approved by NOAA in 1986, and the Department of Environmental Quality serves as the lead agency. Authorized by a commonwealth executive order, the coastal management program is structured as a network of agencies that have authority for implementing nine core policies and a set of advisory policies covering wetlands, fisheries, water quality, dunes and beaches, subaqueous lands, and other coastal resources in the Virginia coastal zone. The coastal zone includes the state’s 29 coastal counties, 17 cities, and 42 incorporated towns.