Coastal Zone Management is an extremely complex activity. Virginia's CZM Program includes everything from wetlands laws to public access to sustainable economic development. It's about making resource protection and economic development fit together rather than preclude each other.

Virginia's network of natural resource agencies shares responsibility for implementing Virginia's coastal resources management laws and policies. Facilitating cooperation among these agencies is the Coastal Policy Team (CPT).

The CPT, whose members and alternates represent the Virginia CZM Program's key partners and eight planning district commissions, provides a forum for discussion and resolution of cross-cutting coastal resource management issues.  Members serve on the team at the discretion of their agency or planning district commission director.  

Mission of the Coastal Policy Team

• Identify coastal policy issues that cut across agency jurisdictions and develop policy recommendations. For example: habitat restoration, marina technical assistance, aquaculture management, ecotourism development, stormwater management.

• Guide the development of measures or indicators to analyze the effectiveness of Virginia's CZM Program and current health and status of our coastal resources and guides the future activities of the Program.

• Recommend funding levels to the DEQ Director for coastal zone management projects.

Coastal Policy Team Meeting Summaries:

• September 17, 2012 (PDF)
• December 1, 2011 (PDF)
• February 15, 2011 (PDF)
• September 23, 2010 (PDF)
• February 17, 2010 (PDF)
• September 30, 2009 (PDF)

For comments or questions concerning this program's web pages, contact Virginia Witmer.

This website is provided by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program through a federal Coastal Zone Management Act grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of Commerce.