October 27 marks the 45th anniversary of the landmark Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), which waved in a new era by recognizing the importance of safeguarding our nation's coasts, estuaries, and oceans.

The Act, passed by Congress on October 27, 1972, is designed to preserve, protect, develop, enhance, and restore the nation's coastal resources. The legislation led to a federal and state partnership program that balances the goals of promoting economic development and protecting the coastal environment.

The effort has increased public access to our coasts, protected and restored coastal habitat, and minimized the risk from coastal storms and other natural hazards. The partnership has helped communities manage development, promote healthy economies and people, and reduce polluted runoff.

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New video! Coral reefs are one of Earth’s most productive ecosystems — both in terms of biology and cold, hard cash. Healthy coral reef ecosystems do everything from supporting millions of jobs to protecting lives and valuable coastal infrastructure, like hotels and roads, from storms and waves. In fact, each year coral reefs pump more than $3.4 billion into the U.S. economy And that’s a conservative estimate!

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