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What is the Alaska Coastal
Management Program?
What is the Kenai
Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Program?
State
population 634,892
State
surface area (square miles) 656,425
Total
miles of rivers and streams 365,000
Number of
lakes/reservoirs/ponds 3,000,000+
Acres of
lakes/reservoirs/ponds 12,787,200
Square
miles of estuaries 3,331
Miles of
coastal shoreline 36,000
Acres of
freshwater wetlands 174,683,900
Acres of
tidal wetlands 2,180,500
source:
State of Alaska - 2002-2003 Integrated Water Quality
Monitoring and Assessment Report
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Alaska's Coastal Zone Management
Program
Congress passed the Coastal Zone
Management Act (CZMA) in 1972. The CZMA encourages coastal
states to develop, implement and enforce management programs
that achieve the wise use of coastal resources. Unlike other
national environmental laws, participation in the federal
Coastal Zone Management Program is voluntary. To encourage
state participation, incentives include grant programs and
expanded state powers in coastal areas. Since over 60% of
Alaska's land is in federal ownership, the opportunity to
influence federal decision-making was a powerful incentive for
the state. In 1977, the state passed the Alaska Coastal
Management Act (ACMA).
Like the national CZMA, Alaska's Coastal Management Program is
voluntary. Rather than develop a separate permit process,
Alaska developed a networked program that relies on the
existing regulatory authority of state agencies and coastal
districts. The coordinating agency for this networked program
is the Division of Governmental Coordination (DGC).
There are 35 eligible coastal districts in the state, of which
33 have approved programs. As incentives to participate, the
state passes on federal grant funding and the coastal
districts participate in project reviews and state permit
decisions. Each district develops CMP policies to further
define and protect resource values that are unique to their
area. After approval by the state (CPC) and federal government
(NOAA), the district policies become an enforceable component
of the Alaska Coastal Management Program and have the same
status as the statewide standards. Although the program gives
the coastal district a "voice" in state and federal
actions, it is also used to "guide" local land
management and permit decisions.
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Kenai Peninsula Borough Coastal Management Program
(KPBCMP)
The KPBCMP was adopted by the Borough
Assembly in June, 1990. The Program allows the Borough to
provide local input and guidance to State and federal agencies
involved in developing projects, issuing permits or managing
land and coastal resources. The program also provides an
information base and policies to assist the Borough in
managing Borough land and making local land and resource use
decisions.
The KPBCMP recognizes the size and diversity of the Borough,
and the differences in attitude and opinion in different areas
of the Borough. The Borough Coastal Management Program is not
intended to duplicate or assume management or permitting
authority for resources and activities which are managed by
State and Federal agencies. Rather, it is intended to provide
background information and a system for coordinating federal,
state, and local decisions to insure that local input is
considered. The Kenai Peninsula Borough coastal district
roughly encompasses all lands under 1,000 feet in elevation,
as well as waters seaward to the three mile limit of state
jurisdiction.
KPBCMP staff are responsible for reviewing Borough actions
(land subdivisions, timber harvest, right-of-way vacations,
gravel permits, land classification petitions, etc) as well as
projects requiring state and/or federal permits for
consistency with KPBCMP enforceable policies.
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