States / Alabama

Alabama

Coastal Management

The focus is on managing coastal areas to increase resilience, with an emphasis on balancing environmental, economic, and human wellbeing. Mandated by the Coastal Zone Management Act, the two federal programs designed for this task are the National Coastal Zone Management Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Programs are administered, on the federal side, by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, in partnership with the coastal states.

An aerial view of the water with a shoreline dotted with trees.

State Programs

Coastal Zone Management

Alabama Coastal Management Program. Approved by NOAA in 1979 and managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Lands Division, Coastal Section. The program’s policies are implemented in the legislatively defined Alabama coastal area, which extends from the continuous 10-foot contour seaward to the 3-mile limit in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

National Estuarine Research Reserves

Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Established in 1986 and managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the site comprises 9,317 acres and contains upland and bottomland hardwood forests, salt and freshwater marshes, submerged aquatic vegetation, and unique bog habitats. Efforts include long-term environmental monitoring, research, training, and educational programs, and comprehensive site stewardship. (See handout)